Stogie Reviews: Macanudo 1968 Robusto
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008“Rich, dark, and unexpected.” That’s the tag line of the new Macanudo 1968. The newest extension of General Cigar’s best-selling Macanudo brand was introduced at the IPCPR trade show in July and began hitting cigar stores in mid-August. The blend celebrates 40 years since Ramón Cifuentes began developing Macanudo, which was eventually released in 1971.
This five inch by 50 ring gauge Robusto retails for $8.50, and is one of four sizes. The line also comes in a Toro (6x 54), a Churchill (7x 49) , and a Gigante (6x 60)—a size being emphasized by General in a number of different blends.
According to General Cigar’s promotional materials, the 1968 features tobacco “grown by General Cigar or cultivated for the company under an agreement of exclusivity…aged in tercios and charcoaled wooden barrels to further enrich its flavor.”
The blend features a Dominican and Nicaraguan filler that includes tobacco grown on the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe, volcanic land known for its rich soil that rises out of Lake Nicaragua. The binder is Connecticut Habano, wrapped in a Honduran San Agustin leaf.
Before lighting the classically proportioned Robusto, I find a highly aromatic cigar filled with leather and earth. The wrapper is oily with only a few small veins, and with classic Macanudo construction the cigar is firm to the touch with no soft or spongy areas.
Once lit, I was greeted with lots of leather, burnt cedar, and roasted coffee. The taste is distinctly chewy, and the finish had muted licorice flavors with a very subtle pepper spice. There is also an underlying salty characteristic to the 1968 that leaves your mouth dry.
Like most Macanudo sticks I’ve smoked, the physical properties are nearly flawless. The burn was even, the ash steady, and the draw firm but never difficult. The only construction complaint I have is that a few times the Macanudo 1968s I sampled for this review seemed to go out prematurely, requiring relights to enjoy the cigar as the burn neared the attractive black band.
Despite being billed as the fullest Macanudo, I would be more inclined to call the Macanudo 1968 medium- to medium-full. It reminded me of a slightly toned down Partagas Black, although the 1968 is a far more complex smoke.
Overall the Macanudo 1968 is a nice addition to the line. It will go a long way towards combating Macanudo’s reputation among smokers as simplistic or as a beginner’s cigar (a reputation I don’t think is always deserved.) The flavors won’t be enjoyed by all, but it is a unique, interesting, and complex profile that I found quite pleasant. The Macanudo 1968 Robusto earns a rating of four out of five stogies.
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photo credit: Stogie Guys
I got the 3-pack from the Macanudo website so I could say I at least tried it. I smoked one of the 3 (can’t remember which size) and was mostly disappointed. It’s definitely the best Macanudo I’ve ever had (only about 2 or 3 previous to this), but it’s still not something I can heartily recommend. It started off pretty good and ended pretty good, but got a weird funky flavor in the middle. If it hadn’t unexpectedly gotten better near the end, I would have tossed it early and written it off completely.
I put the other two sticks in my aging humidor and hope that they will even out and be a more pleasurable smoking experience in 2 or 3 years.
If you can get in on the 3 for $10 deal online, I say go for it; for $8 (or more) each, I can’t say it’s worth the money. But…that’s just one man’s opinion.
I thought that it was quite good especially for a Mac, but nothing to write home about when compared to other Nic puros, i.e. Cuban Crafters.
I agree with “furious” and “dmjones”. Although I enjoyed and appreciated the good construction, the actual taste was nothing I would pay $8 a piece for. I too got the online deal for 10 bucks and for that price I would consider them a decent smoke. Overall opinion, they look and feel better than they taste.
Tried out the 3 pack introductory offer for $7.95- of course you can’t go wrong with that price! I agree that it was a great stick (for the price) but at $8 each? I don’t know. I have to agree with your assessment of a “4 out of 5 stogies”, and that it was complex enough.
I’m not a cigar snob. I enjoyed the one with the smallest ring gauge the best. It paired well with
the Pedroncelli cabernet I was drinking.
It was worth the $10 bucks for the 3.
I very much liked the 1968.Was a very good smoke for the price. Got 5 of the smokes for 25.50 @ my local humidor @ an opning. A little robust and a hint of coffee and no runners up the side. An even smoke. As an enjoyer of Cohiba and Rocky Patell I would have another of this fine cigar. ANTYIME!
Thanks
Eric
[...] a host of new lines. Overshadowed by the higher profile releases of the Cohiba Puro Domincana, Macanudo 1968, and La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend was released to be [...]
[...] a host of new lines. Overshadowed by the higher profile releases of the Cohiba Puro Domincana, Macanudo 1968, and La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami, the Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Legend was released to be [...]
Paired nicely with 12 year glenfiddich
I’m late to this post. But, the Mac 1968 is the exact same cigar as the Bolivar (Dominican Republic). It is no coincidence that Bolivar has discontinued to make these under their name, but you can still find them sold on closeouts. Here are the descriptions from their respective websites:
Macanudo 1968
Wrapper - Honduran San Augustin Havana Seed
Binder - Connecticut Habano
Filler - Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Ometepe
Bolivar cigars (Dominican Republic) present a hearty, smooth and perfectly-balanced smoke for lovers of full-bodied cigars. Designed to reflect the original 1901 Cuban blend, this edition has a complex mix of Dominican filler and two Nicaraguan filler leaves (one from Esteli, the other grown in the volcanic island soil of Ometepe), plus an extra rich-tasting Connecticut Havano Medio Tiempo binder, and a dark, spicy, Honduran-grown San Augustin Ligero wrapper. An intense, but not-overpowering ‘must-smoke’ cigar.
[...] “Green” robusto worked well. So did the Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Petit Corona. The Macanudo 1968, CAO Brazilia and Arganese ML3 also come to mind as prime [...]