Man ‘O War Puro Authentico Maduro

Purchased: 5-pack Corona (5 X 42)
Price: $18.00
Where: CigarBid.com
Buy again? Yeah… I’m going to lay down my other sticks for a long time before I pull the trigger again.

This is my very first Man ‘O War cigar. I had heard plenty about the brand but hadn’t picked up any. So, I decided to bid on a little 5-pack to try it out.

Though it is rated as a full-body cigar, it’s so smooth that my mind is telling me that it’s a medium-body cigar. That’s not at all a terrible thing. Plus, the rich, dark wrapper is deceiving.

BUT, after smoking the first inch, I realized that this stick needs some humidor time. Perhaps lots before it reveals all it has to offer.

In fact, that first inch is a little uninspiring. In the forums, several people mentioned this and I thought they were being snobby. But now that I’ve smoked one, I have to agree. Once the stick gets going though, it’s delicious. Lots of cacao and rich Italian coffee. The finish is long but incredibly delicate with a particularly light mouthfeel. Not much spice at all, though I wasn’t expecting much spice if any from a Nicaraguan puro. It does come on gently in the second half and that just adds to the show.

As I write this, I’m into the second half of the cigar. The strength hasn’t picked up though I’m picking up a slight saltiness which is not at all off-putting. The mouthfeel has become a little heavier, but it’s still velvety-smooth.

Construction is absolutely solid. No soft spots whatsoever. The draw is tight but not overwhelmingly so. I like that kind of tension. But despite that, each puff yields copious amounts of smoke. The burn is slow and generally straight with no wavy lines, though it has been burning at a slight angle. But nothing so bad that I’ve had to do any touch-ups.

By the middle of the 2nd third, a loamy, earthy note starts to make itself known, along with a little leather. The saltiness is there, but more in the background. The cacao and coffee are still the prominent flavors.

By the last third, notes of pink peppercorn start to surface, along with a little melba toast of all things. Shit! The transitions are amazing! Also amazing is that the smoke has stayed cool and smooth – that’s due to the tight roll. There’s just not much heat from the cherry getting through and I used a guillotine cutter!

At the nub, the next transition is a pronounced tannic oakiness and the coffee has turned to a thick Turkish coffee. I’m loving it!

I’ve changed my mind… I’m going to get a box or pack of these. This has turned into a gorgeous smoke. Even right off the truck, I’m coming away impressed, and I can sense that a little humidor time will just improve this stick!