Vitola: Robusto- 5.25” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP $9.30
- Purchased from Burns Tobacconist
Background
I smoked and reviewed the Bellas Artes Maduro back in September 2019. At the time I found it good, but not as good as the original version, mostly suffering from a lack of complexity from end-to-end. Needless to say I was a bit surprised when I heard this had been named Cigar of the Year 2019 by Cigar Journal. Had I gotten it so wrong? Or maybe I had just reviewed it too early in its life cycle? Seemed like a good subject for a “Who Got It Right?” article.
Bellas Artes Maduro shares almost nothing in common with the original Bellas Artes…they do have the same name and similar bands. The Maduro uses Nicaraguan filler, a Mexican San Andres binder, and a Brazilian Matafina wrapper. Cigar Journal said it was “perfect” and “expressive,” with “the scent of bread, spices, cacao sweetness; nutty, woody and leathery aromas.” In a description that was reminiscent of haiku, they ended their review with “Strength, harmony, excitement …” Really?
So let’s go through this one more time shall we? This cigar review website (“blog”? yeah, sure, whatever) is made for entertainment and recording the views of the authors…which may or may not coincide with yours. This “Who Got It Right?” series in particular is done with tongue firmly planted in cheek and should be read with mirth and whimsy…and if you can’t maybe you should just go back to the drudgery that is your life. Whatever we might say, you may disagree…and you are allowed to comment as such…but don’t be surprised if we end up savaging you in replies…it’s just the mood we’re in right now. This is our rating system for this series:
1 – How much money changed hands for this review?
2 – Yeah, no.
3 – To Each His Own
4 – I Can See It
5 – They Got It Right!
And, yeah…that Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua was still one of the most disappointing “highly rated” cigars in the history of Cigar Aficionado magazine. Almost every week I hear from someone else…regular smokers, other reviewers, store owners…who say that the Quattro Nicaragua really wasn’t all that good. Maybe it’s just the ones that have been coming out since the COTY award…that’s happened before…but I honestly haven’t heard a single person say “Yeah…that’s absolutely the best cigar that came out in the past 18 months or so.” Not…a…single…one.
Notes
Everyone was impressed by the dark, rich appearance and picked up the manure note from the wrapper. I found the foot to be really pungent and barnyardy, with a touch of chocolate. We found the cold draw to be sweet hay or “the outer skins of an almond.” And before anyone thinks we are getting off on an overly pretentious note, we did not identify the region the almonds were grown in or what year they were harvested.
It was soft on the palate with notes of hay and nuts, but on the nose, there was a ton of black pepper. As we got into the first third, words like “tasty” and “rich” and “complex” got thrown around rapidly. There was pepper emerging on the palate, along with a chocolatey sweet finish. The smoke was free, oily, and medium-to-full in body. Leathery notes came through next and there was a ton of espresso bean. I got notes of baking spices when I blew the smoke out slowly from my mouth and nose.
“If I closed my eyes…or if I were blind…the flavor is not as ‘Maduro-ish’ as I would expect from looking at it.”
As we got through the first half of the first third, remarks were that it was getting more “Maduro” in flavor, with anise and raisin.
Getting deep into the second third, there was more tanginess along with a continued anise and light pepper note. The overall complexity of the cigar had moderated greatly at this point. One of us noted that the coffee notes got really deep and mixing with the sweetness in the blend it became almost a Cuban coffee note.
In the last third, the flavor was “baseball mitt” leather with coffee, anise, and mild pepper continuing on throughout. The last third tailed off quite a bit in terms of complexity.
“Solid 4. The first third was a slam dunk. If the whole thing had been like that it would have been amazing. It smoked lighter than it looks, which was surprising. The Mata Fina wrapper gave a lot in the first third, but the Mexican binder contributed much more for the rest of the way. I’m impressed for a $9 cigar.”
“I don’t gravitate to Maduros, but for me to appreciate this one this much says a lot for me. Because I could study it and pick out distinct, familiar flavors the whole way, I give it a solid 4.”
I would also rate it a 4. A very good cigar that I can see how someone would give it a COTY rating, but it’s not my pick. I would honestly put it in the Top 25, but probably not in the Top 10.
So it turns out this is one that I changed my mind on over time, at least a bit. Before re-smoking it with an eye toward what made is so special to be called Cigar of the Year by someone, I wouldn’t have even considered putting it in my Top 25. Now…that seems the perfect place for it.
