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Stogie Reviews: Chateâu Real Maduro Gran Templar

28 Jul 2009

chateaurmNot long ago I gained a newfound respect for Drew Estate. Following a bad experience with an Acid flavored (or “infused,” as they say) cigar, I unfairly wrote off the company as a producer that just wasn’t for me.

Recently, however, I took another look after enjoying a few of their smokes last month, including appreciating—even if it still isn’t my style—a Drew Estate Acid.

With that in mind, I decided to try out the Chateâu Real Maduro. I’d previously tried and enjoyed a Natural that features a Connecticut wrapper and creamy, mild flavors.

This six inch by 52 ring gauge toro-sized smoke features a San Andreas broadleaf wrapper. It is a lovely maduro with just a bit of oily shine.

The predominant flavor is dry dark chocolate and chewy cashew nut. But there’s also an unsettling herbal, vegetal flavor of moist grass that distracts from the otherwise balanced medium-bodied smoke. It’s a combination that persists unchanged from start to finish.

The combustion qualities were quite impressive. An even burn produces thick, dense smoke, and the ash holds for an inch.

While there is a lot to like about this smoke, it is held back somewhat by the herbal and vegetal flavors described earlier.

That earns the Chateâu Real Maduro Gran Templar a rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

4 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: Chateâu Real Maduro Gran Templar”

  1. Luke - AspiringGentl Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 1:30 am #

    Nice, clean looking cigar. Thanks for the review!

  2. Charlie Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 3:00 am #

    I love these. I've had 3-4 so far and they're a nice break from my typical rotation of heavy hitters. I definitely see what you're saying about the flavor – at times it has almost a burning hay taste – very wooden and rough. It is unusual and not for purists. I don't think it's a flavoring, however – I didn't detect anything before lighting that suggested it was. Great review and nice to see it making the rounds.

  3. CWS Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 11:41 am #

    As always, thanks for the review. Taste is subjective . . . that’s one of the beauties about cigars.
    Just wasn’t impressed – found it to be dry, rough and uninspiring.

  4. ROTHNH Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 10:33 am #

    Most likely the "unsettling herbal, vegetal flavor of moist grass that distracts" experienced in the review here would be greatly ameliorated if the stick(s) are allowed to rest for a few months.