TWM

Reserve Maduro

House brand of the store “Total Wine and More”, though I hear they’re made by the J.C. Newman company. Veiny, toothy wrapper with a nice cap. Scent off the wrapper is cocoa, faint coffee and just a touch of hay. Unlit foot are the same plus wheat. Great draw with a V cut. Cold draw has the same notes as the unlit foot, but after lighting, it’s just wheat, minerals, and white pepper and baking spices on the retrohale. No sweetness is present on the initial light up. Into the first third and the burn is clean and even. Foot smoke is minimal, and the aroma is nice. Finish is short and somewhat buttery. Smoke production is barely passable. Midway through the first third and walnut shows up. The second third gets better. Generic baking spices identify themselves as cinnamon and clove. The burn intensifies and the flavors do too. White pepper becomes black pepper on the retrohale. A very faint sweetness from the wrapper arrives. Ash is thick, white, and non-flaky. Falls in 1.5” chunks. Final third and the pepper sticks to the back of the throat. Wrapper sweetness falls away and a touch of leather comes in. Salty toffee and cocoa (finally) in the finish. It’s faint, but it’s there. As with all cigars, eventually the tobacco flavor itself overtakes all other notes, but this one did it with a full 2” inches left. It never got unpleasant though, so I was able smoke this cigar down to a half inch nub. Foot smoke stays automatic and not foul. Strength and flavors are mid. Straight ahead, non-complex smoke. Not a bad smoke by any means, but better choices abound even at the same price point (if not cheaper).