Wrapper: Cuban-Seed Maduro
Binder: Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua: Jalapa
Size: Robusto
Strength: Medium-Plus → Medium-Plus (late)
Body: Medium-Plus → Full (halfway)
Price: $15 / $12.50/stick if purchasing a box
Factory: Nicaragua (undisclosed)
Blender: Auremio/Factory partnership
Release: Regular Production
Smoking Time: 1:15
Experience Rating: 94
Hanging out on Instagram, I come across countless new brands jockeying for visibility in the crowded boutique cigar space. They pop up on my feed and I follow most of them because I like to keep my ear to the ground to see what’s new.
The bolder ones often reach out directly to me after I follow them. Several lead with bombastic claims of how their cigars are hand-rolled, aged to perfection, and use only the finest tobacco.
I ignore most of them.
But there are some that are so genuine and honest in how they communicate that I take the time to engage. I know they’re trying to sell me cigars, but their delivery doesn’t come off like they’re hawking their wares.
That’s how it was with Auremio.
Their CEO, Ariadna, reached out to me soon after I followed her company, and I was moved by what she said.
“A little on us is we started this brand seeing entrepreneurs smoking cigars but there wasn’t a cigar for entrepreneurs so we created one! My husband and I donated plasma, door dashed all night and worked our regular 9-5 to build this brand from scratch. We put our entire soul into it, and that’s what makes it so meaningful!”
I loved that scrappiness.
It reminded me of Luis Barragan of Dunamis Cigars and how he has built his brand while working his 9 to 5. So I decided to give them a shot and bought a few of their sticks.
First up is the Deliciae.
I will just say this up front: I was really impressed with this cigar.
Synopsis
The Auremio Deliciae Maduro opens with medium-plus strength, medium-plus body, and high activity. Body rises quickly through the early sections, reaching full at the halfway point and remaining there through the nub. Strength increases only slightly across the smoke, moving from just over medium to medium-plus late. Activity builds from an already high opening into a peak through Progression and Halfway, dips in the Home Stretch, rises again in the Last Couple of Inches, then declines sharply through the Last Inch and Nub.
The wrapper has a nice oily shine with some tooth on the skin. It feels solid in the hand, though not hefty, and the wrapper has a slightly rustic look to it.
Off the wrapper, I get strong barnyard aromas, rich dark tobacco, and a deep sweetness sitting inside a pervasive earthiness. But the foot goes in a different direction. There is dried fruit, with sour apple sitting underneath it, and none of the barnyard I get from the wrapper.
The cold draw is loose and gives me graham cracker, hay, and a little cocoa powder. It reminds me of drawing on a Padron.
On the first puff, I’m greeted by dark chocolate, coffee, malt, cedar, and black pepper. That makes me raise my eyebrows because it feels like the cigar’s already making a declaration.
It’s a delicious start.
The body is already hitting medium-plus right from the jump. The strength is moderate, but sitting just over medium, and the cigar seems to settle almost immediately.
Within the first few puffs, the dark chocolate and coffee move right to the center of the profile, while a light sweet toffee appears on the finish. Then a light spice enters and moves to the roof of my mouth, giving the profile a nice upward pull.
It’s busy, but orderly, and it’s structured right away.
I like that.
The cigar settles within the first few puffs, and the core is already clear: dark coffee, dark chocolate, black pepper, and sweet, fresh-cut cedar, which is rich and gorgeous.
Then malted milk balls appear, and cream comes in with them. The body is already pushing toward full, while the strength edges up a little as a hint of nicotine arrives.
A background fruity sweetness shows up on the finish. It’s mouth-coating, but it’s not sugary. There’s a little sour twang to it.
The spice seems tangled with that fruity sweetness. That combination creates a lot of energy, pushing up the activity. Even with the core established, I can feel a vibration in the profile, almost like an electric generator.
The same thing happened with the previous smoke. The cigar felt so alive.
As the cigar progresses, sweet bread appears and the body becomes thick and chewy. That lingering fruity sweetness pervades the profile, and I’m starting to go to my happy place.
Despite the easy draw, the burn rate is nice and slow. Twenty minutes in, and I’m not even through the first inch.
The spice is still tangling with the sweetness, then sweet herbs appear: rosemary, thyme, and tarragon. Some savory notes arrive next, with soy sauce umami, pepperoni, and BBQ brisket that comes off peppery and fatty.
Then the profile shifts with a quick spike in spice. Sourdough, graham cracker, nougat, and shortbread move in, and the spice migrates back in my mouth.
These aren’t quick transitions. They’re very deliberate and feel almost planned.
Yee-haw!
This is a complex beast, and there’s no increase in strength. There’s a part of me that wants to abandon the review and just enjoy this ride.
I actually did that with my first stick.
It was good enough to review without me smoking another, but at least I can say it’s consistent.
At the halfway point, I get a gorgeous hit of wintergreen. Amazing. Cream steps forward and drives the body to full. The spice is now pulsing across my entire tongue and the roof of my mouth, but it’s not strong. And somehow, the strength is still unchanged.
This is like a freakin’ fun house.
Then there’s another transition: yeasty bread, charred hickory, teak wood, and oak tannins. That’s followed by a fruity transition with green apple, red grapes, and dark cherry. The core is still there, but the transitions completely overshadow it. The temptation to just ride this out and enjoy is even greater.
But I need to be fair and finish my evaluation.
In the Home Stretch, the finish is all wood now, and it’s gorgeous: fresh-cut cedar, charred oak, and tannins.
I can feel the profile focusing now with a slight compression, and that notches the strength up to medium-plus. The core flavors of chocolate and coffee assert themselves, but they don’t merge into mocha. I can still taste them individually. Black pepper also asserts itself, but less than the coffee and chocolate.
The sweetness focuses on the back of my mouth now. It’s no longer pervasive, but it’s still ever-present and continues to tangle with the spice, providing a constant lifting energy to the profile.
There are no new transitions, but the profile seems to be really organizing itself. Secondary flavors float through the profile, randomly winking in and out with every puff.
They’re totally unpredictable, and I love that.
In the last couple of inches, the profile compresses more as the spice asserts itself, and the sweetness slightly recedes. But the strength is still so well-behaved and really hasn’t moved.
The savory elements step forward again with grilled meat, slight saltiness, and shiitake mushroom umami. Then there’s a sweet transition. Holy shit. Grape jelly, green Jolly Rancher, and cotton candy.
What?
This thing refuses to quit. Just when I think it’s winding down, it throws more transitions at me. It’s like Planteray OFTD rum, as in Oh Fuck That’s Delicious!
Then the core steps up and says, “Don’t forget I’m here!”
Dark coffee moves to espresso, cedar steps up and gets a bit charred, black pepper asserts itself, and the dark chocolate becomes thicker.
To be honest, I’m having a hard time keeping my notes up with what’s going on. That’s part of the reason I abandoned my first review. There was so much going on that I wanted to just sit and experience it.
In the last inch, I finally get some respite. The profile is now fully dark with the core flavors leading the way, and the combination is simply delicious. There’s just the slightest uptick in strength as the nicotine asserts a little, but the body is still thick and rich.
Little sweet notes continue to pop in and out: toffee, sugarcane, saltwater taffy, ripe stone fruit, and dark brown sugar.
Even with the reduced activity, the cigar isn’t quitting. It’s still standing and refuses to collapse.
An earthy, mineral bite appears to help the spice maintain the profile’s structure. The spice is now pervasive. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s much more assertive now. Espresso and black pepper are prominent, while dark chocolate persists on the finish.
As the cigar winds down, the profile is all core. The activity is very low, but that’s expected. The strength remains at medium-plus, while the body remains full.
It’s enjoyable to the end.
The Auremio Deliciae Maduro is an impressive cigar, especially for what is ostensibly a debut core line.
This one got my attention quickly and kept it. There were lots of transitions, but the profile never wandered. Even with all that movement, the core structure kept everything in place.
Another thing that stands out is the sweet taste lingering in my mouth after finishing the smoke and rinsing with water. It’s lovely. And despite the gradual build-up in strength and full body, the profile never felt heavy.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Auremio has in store.
You can buy these directly from Auremio. They have sample packs available in addition to the boxes. They’re also pretty flexible in their ordering if you reach out to them on Instagram.
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