Bella Cuba Maduro Staff Review
Recently, the folks at Bella Cuba broke out a new cigar with a Maduro wrapper leaf, and I’m beyond elated to sample a 6.5-by-52 Toro for our loyal audience of aficionados looking for inexpensive bundles that exceed their expectations. Let’s find out if Bella Cuba Maduro is worthy of your coolerdor when you’re looking for new cigars to stockpile this winter.
As most of you know, I’m a bona fide bundle fanatic. And when it comes to premium Cuban-sandwich blends, such as Bella Cuba, the price points are a godsend for bargain hunters, especially during the holidays, when an endless parade of pals and relatives pop into my man cave looking for handouts. Previously, I’ve dispatched my unfettered esteem for the brand’s past releases, including the original Bella Cuba, Candela, and Connecticut editions. In every instance, Bella Cuba cigars have surpassed my benchmarks for quality and taste at binge-worthy prices.
Upon first glance, Bella Cuba Maduro fits the mold for my preferences. The Maduro packs a ton of bang for your buck, considering an entire 20-count bundle of Toros costs a paltry $44.95. The blend is handmade in the Dominican Republic in three additional sizes, including a 7-by-50 Churchill, 6.5-by-46 Media Noche, and 5-by-50 Robusto. A Sumatra wrapper leaf envelops a tidy core of mixed-filler Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigars are dressed in red and gold cigar bands and display an oily, uniform complexion when I slice the cellophane off a fresh batch and choose a specimen to smoke.
Bella Cuba Maduro opens with a mouthwatering sequence of cocoa, pepper, and anise with a subtle hint of mesquite in the cold draw after I clip the cap with my battle-worn guillotine cutter. Effortless streams of taste engulf my palate as I slowly toast the foot with my double torch lighter. The first ten minutes unfold with a creamy fusion of sweet and peppery notes while an undertone of fresh grain settles in my nasal cavity. The cigar’s attractive Maduro wrapper accentuates its sweet, earthy taste.
Steady notes of cedar, dark chocolate cake batter, and wheat bread come into play in the second half. And a firm, gray ash builds up in two-inch increments, easily surpassing the performance of comparably inexpensive cigars rolled from short and long-filler tobaccos. The sheer volume of Bella Cuba bundles that have occupied space in my coolerdors over the years remains a testament to the brand’s consistency, and the Maduro epitomizes my loyalty.
After the cigar band is off, underpinnings of wood, toast, and baking spices characterize the final stretch of tasting notes throughout a delicious profile I could handily enjoy early or late in the day. Bella Cuba Maduro is a cigar I guarantee you’ll savor as thoroughly as you would a thirty-dollar masterpiece, despite its bargain-basement price. Bella Cuba Maduro finishes with approachable flavor all the way through the nub, meriting a well-deserved 91-point score. Swipe a bundle into your next order and get acquainted with a reliable Maduro you can puff on while you’re shoveling the snow this season.
Until next time, long ashes to you!
