Cigarillo: 1. A cigar of a size similar to that of a cigarette though distinct from cigarettes due to their wrapping in the customary whole leaf tobacco rather than paper.
Maduro: 1. (translation) Ripe. 2. A cigar wrapper noted by its dark coloration and its time intensive maturation process.
The Maduro is one of the most recognizable wrappers in the humidor. Their hues vary between smooth milk chocolate and stark black. The counterintuitive thing about them is that they are not the potent smokes that one would assume from such a dark stick. Maduros tend to be a mellow experience quite often with toasty or coffee tones.
Recently I was looking for a quicker smoke to make the work commute a bit more pleasurable which was how I stumbled upon two particular tins of Maduros. The CAO Petite Maduro and the Macanudo Maduro Ascot are the cigarillo version of their bigger brothers. The only discernable difference between them and their larger siblings, other than size, is that their flavor is a bit more robust even with the size deficit. However, I am not here to compare them to their larger counterparts, so let us get down to the task at hand.
THE RUNDOWN
CAO Petite Maduro
PREFERRED CUTTING METHOD - No cut is necessary as they come precut.
DRAW - The even draw tends to take a medium effort.
BURN - The wrapper occasionally experiences uneven burn though it self corrects.
TIME PER SMOKE - A bit over a half hour should be dedicated to this cigar.
FLAVOR - Think of a hazelnut coffee with the occasional hint of chocolate.
Macanudo Maduro Ascot
PREFERRED CUTTING METHOD - I tend to use the back end of a matchstick as a punch for this one, though a guillotine works quite well.
DRAW - The draw is smooth and requires little effort
BURN - The burn is consistently even.
TIME PER SMOKE - End to end it takes a little under forty minutes.
FLAVOR - In a juxtaposition of the CAO think of a mocha with a hint of nut.
In the end, both cigars offer a full depth of flavor rather surprising for their small stature. The dry nutty CAO Petite Maduro seems well equipped to take their place as a morning smoke; for me it takes the place of a morning coffee. On the other hand the smooth mocha Macanudo Mauro Ascot is more an after dinner pursuit; taking the place of a meal ending espresso.
THE VERDICT
In my mind, the deciding factor between these two cigars is the overall smoothness of the smoking experience. The Macanudo provides a smooth presentation from its wrapper to its flavors, which many will find highly agreeable. The CAO makes its presence known whether through its rough and tumble exterior or its nutty full body. For my smoking dollar, I choose the CAO’s no-apologies approach which creates an oxymoron of sorts of a small cigar with big cigar flavor.
• “Accidental Smoker” appears monthly, exclusively in Lumino Magazine.
