Stogie Reviews: Macanudo Robust Rothschild

Signe, the Macanudo Ambassador, was in town again yesterday at Cigar Palace (4815 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, Virginia) – and Patrick and I couldn’t help but pay her another visit. After all, free stogies are free stogies. But if we were to visit her a third time today at Cigar World in Vienna, we’d probably feel like a couple of desperate Deadheads following their favorite band across the country in a dilapedated Volkswagen.

Thankfully, Signe did not seem annoyed to see me again, and promptly greeted me with another complimentary Macanudo cigar (my choice between the Natural, Maduro, and Robust lines). Since I tried the Natural Rothschild at the last event at Georgetown Tobacco, and since I have a few Maduros waiting for me in my humidor, I decided to partake in a Macanudo Robust Rothschild while I perused Cigar Palace.

Despite this 6 and ½ inch by 42 ring gauge stogie’s deceivingly light wrapper and innocent appearance, it packs a truly powerful punch. The flavors – derived from rich Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan fillers and a delicious Connecticut shade broadleaf wrapper – are surprisingly rich and complex. They ranged from earthy, tea aromas at the beginning of the cigar to a spicy nutmeg and pepper taste towards end.

But the most important characteristic of this fabulous smoke (which retails at $5.50 apiece) is that notwithstanding its pleasant potency and multifarious flavors, it maintains that silky smoothness I have come to expect and love from Macanudo.

While this cigar’s draw and burn is average for a premium smoke, let’s face it: While these factors cannot be ignored, the most important characteristic when reviewing stogies is the flavor. And it’s definitely not lacking in that department.

I wholeheartedly, therefore, give the Macanudo Robust Rothschild an honest four out of five stogies.

-Patrick A