Last week I looked at the Toothpick Habano, so naturally this week I am following up with that cigar’s sibling: the Jas Sum Kral Toothpick Maduro. This one is also part of the Toothpick 2.0 line which is a Cuban sandwich style cigar with both long and short fillers incorporated. It is available in a single Robusto size and retails for $2.25 apiece at a single place online (which I won’t name again…you know how to Google). The fillers are Nicaraguan, while the binder is Indonesian, and the Maduro wrapper is a Mexican San Andres.
I first want to just remark again on how far Mexican San Andres Maduro leaf has come in the last 15 to 20 years. There was a time when everything in the category was bitter and chalky to me, but over time I believe longer fermentation times have turned it into a much sweeter, richer experience in most cases. This one had a really nice chocolatey note over deeper earthiness and espresso bean. The cold draw was a little tight but had a nice mix of earth, cocoa powder, and pepper spice.
I’ve gone back and forth over the last year or so about which version of the Toothpick I prefer, but this Maduro is one of those that makes me lean toward this darker version. It had a bittersweet chocolate up front, with more earth and espresso bean coming in behind, along with a black pepper finish that I really liked. The retrohale was nutty and a little sweet with even more black pepper coming through. I was going to say this is one of the best budget cigars around these days, but I reconsidered to go all the way…the Jas Sum Kral Toothpick 2.0 is the BEST budget blend available right now…although sometimes inconsistent in construction or flavor, most of the time this ultra-cheap cigar is exactly what you need…now if we could just get a Connecticut Shade version.
