Wise Man Maduro Staff Review
I’m smoking Wise Man Maduro, a recent blend from Nick Melillo, founder of Foundation Cigars, and I’m enjoying a 5.5-by-50 Robusto. Melillo spent several years working at Drew Estate before he launched his Foundation brand in 2015. Today, he collaborates with multiple cigarmakers who produce his blends, including AJ Fernandez, in particular. To make his Wise Man Maduro and Wise Man Corojo cigars, however, Melillo sought out Pepin and Jaime Garcia, the renowned father-and-son duo behind My Father Cigars and dozens of today’s top Nicaraguan cigars.
Wise Man Maduro is crafted from a dark San Andrés wrapper leaf and a hearty blend of premium Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. The filler tobaccos are grown on Garcia family estates in Estelí, Jalapa, and Condega. This small-batch smoke is available in a collection of traditional sizes, packaged in colorful 20-count boxes. Melillo ties biblical and historical themes into his brands, which are reflected in the names and artwork. The bands on Wise Man Maduro cigars depict a Maltese cross in green, brown, and gold.
Succulent tasting notes of wheat toast and pepper kick off Wise Man Maduro in the cold draw after I’ve clipped the cap on an especially dark and oily Robusto with my Xikar Xi1 cutter. Excellent airflow allows lots of complex flavor to come through before I light the cigar—a testament to the high level of quality control and skill the Garcia family exercises at their Nicaraguan factory, where several award-winning cigars are produced.
After toasting the foot, Wise Man Maduro gives off a creamy undercurrent of dark chocolate and spice in the first five minutes. The cigar is peppery and intense when I retrohale the smoke through my nose, but it mellows out with a more approachable flavor as it progresses. My instinct is to pair Wise Man Maduro with a hearty stout. The Robusto burns evenly, offering superb combustion during the first half.
This savory smoke reveals more nuttiness as the cigar continues. I’ve reviewed plenty of Foundation cigars before, including Olmec Claro, Olmec Maduro, and The Tabernacle, all of which hail from the AJ Fernandez factory in Nicaragua. There’s a noticeable difference, though, in Wise Man Maduro, since it’s blended and crafted by the Garcias, who are known for making strong, Cubanesque cigars that retain a remarkably smooth character.
Notes of black licorice, smoked almond, and black pepper mingle with hints of candied pecan in an interesting twist as the second half intensifies. Cracked black pepper notes fill my nose while touches of cocoa and coffee bean keep the profile connected to its sweet introduction. Compared to other strong cigars I’ve smoked made by Pepin Garcia, Wise Man Maduro comes across as more subdued, with a medium-bodied profile that stops short of being a powerhouse.
As I gently tear off the cigar band and prepare to devour the nub, I’ve been smoking for a solid forty-five minutes. I like to smoke slowly so that the end of the cigar doesn’t become too hot. I can also pick up a lot more flavor by waiting a moment in between draws.
The Robusto concludes with a consistent profile of anise, almond, and black pepper with hints of chocolate and toast after nearly fifty-five minutes. Wise Man Maduro earns a respectable 89-point score in my book thanks to the Garcias, who insist on making cigars with superior raw materials after maturing the tobacco to guarantee the smoothest possible taste.
