Stogie Reviews: Helix Maduro Cylinder
8 Feb 2007
One of the fun things about experimenting with different cigars is being pleasantly surprised. I would never have thought a garishly-dressed, cheap maduro in an aluminum tube would be a decent smoke.
In fact, I had previously avoided Helix stogies because I thought – incorrectly – that its wild colors signaled a flavored cigar.
If you’ve never seen the Helix, you should check it out. To give you an idea of the extreme nature of the color scheme, I finally gave up trying to photograph the cigar and tube because I couldn’t come close to reproducing the tints and hues.
I picked one up the other day after hearing (or reading – I can’t recall which) that it was simply a regular, mild smoke. The low price of $2.69 for a six and ½ inch by 44 ring gauge vitola called “Cylinder†was all the added inducement I needed.
Out of the tube, the cigar felt nicely rolled with a good prelight draw. The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper was lighter than many maduros and splotchy, as if it might have gotten wet somewhere along the line.
My first taste impression was a nice, mild tobacco taste with a touch of pepper. Smoke production was good, but not extraordinary. The cigar also produced an unusual amount of smoke from the foot. Although the overall burn was fast, the Helix never turned hot or bitter.
The mix of filler tobaccos General Cigar Co. lists for the Helix maduro – Dominican, Brazilian, and Mexican, with a Honduran binder – might lead you to expect more taste than it delivers. But there’s little development or variation from beginning to end. Just a nice, mild, unobtrusive cigar.
If you’re looking for a stick to smoke as an adjunct to another activity like golf or yard work, you should check out the Helix. You certainly won’t lose much if you buy one and don’t like it.
But if it does suit you, discount online box prices are about as low as many bundle smokes, and you’re getting General’s quality, not seconds or apprentice-rolled sticks.
You might, though, want to toss the tubes and remove the bands. Oh, those colors…
I give the Helix Maduro Cylinder a pretty respectable three out of five stogies.
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Tags: cigars
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Ha!
Excellent review. I have also avoided the gaudy package section of most retail humidors.
Perhaps I'll try this while mowing the yard this spring 🙂
George,
With bright colors and a mild taste, do you think General Cigar Co. is trying to market this towards female smokers?
Women could be part of their market aim. I would guess that they also hope it will appeal to younger people in general. One thing about it — it does stand out!
Most reviews of the Helix Maduro suggest that this is a very good cigar for beginners with maduros. My local tobacconist suggested this stick right away when asked about good cigars for the money. His quote – "about as close as you can get to a $7 cigar for only $3". I really like this cigar.
Additionally, the purple is attractive to those of us that are Kansas State Wildcat fans.
utter crap large crack down the side no flavour,awefull smell,burned way too hot,and too loude and garish ith the tubo and colour sceme not worth a penny in my book
I tend to try a broad assortment of smokes unlike some people I know who only smoke one profile in one brand. I like variety and I actually have indulged my hobby by also selling cigars in one of my retail shops, albeit in a very modest way. I guess what I'm saying is that I tend to be pretty open minded about brands and prefer a "bang-for-the-buck" stick over the expected wonderful Opus X ilk. General Cigar has a definite winner here as it delivers a very nice mild maduro here. The flavor isn't as deep as some maduros with dark roasted coffee or semi-sweet chocolate, rather its slightly salty caramel over chocolate with a bit of woodiness and a faint bit of spice that only comes out when you pull it aggressively. Nothing to complain about if you like mild at a bargain price. The one I'm smoking tonight has over a year in the humidor because these, surprisingly for me, are slow movers. The brand doesn't have cache', but it really shouldn't be overlooked in the mild or the bargain category…better, IMHO, than the Connecticutt Shade wrapped regular Helix.