Cigar Review: Emilio Cigars Series H Maduro Robusto

These days, Emilio Cigars is a brand that seems to be flourishing—thanks in no small part, I believe, to the warm welcome the outfit has received from the online cigar community.

In addition to the growing blends in the Emilio portfolio, brand owner Gary Griffith also controls distribution for several other companies under is House of Emilio umbrella. It’s hard to imagine Emilio Cigars is just a few years old.

The cigar that started it all was the Series H Maduro. It was the first cigar Gary Griffith created after he sold his construction business, started working at a cigar shop, and then bought and expanded the tobacconist franchise to over 20 locations. According to Griffith, he blended the Series H Maduro on his first trip to Central America. Shortly thereafter, he started to visit various cigar factories and speak with different cigar makers, A.J. Fernandez chief among them.

Griffith, who takes a chemistry-oriented approach to blending, chose to pair a Maduro Ligero wrapper from Jamastran with Nicaraguan and Costa Rican tobaccos for the Series H Maduro. It is made for him in Danlí, Honduras. Three sizes are available: Robusto, Toro, and Torpedo.

The Robusto measures 5.5 inches long with a ring gauge of 50 (kudos for making a robusto that’s slightly longer than the traditional 5-inch format without upping the ring gauge). It has pre-light notes of nut, red pepper, and chocolate. While the feel is noticeably firmer than most cigars, the cold draw is smooth. The wrapper is dark, oily, and clean with pronounced shine.

After setting an even light, the Series H Maduro starts with a medium-bodied profile of black coffee, creamy nut, cocoa, and leather. Smoking quicker will impart more of a dry, woody spice on the center of the tongue. This peppery finish couples really well with what I’d characterize as a typical Maduro sweetness. The smoke production is above average, and as it fills the room it leaves a sweet, creamy aroma. The final third of the Robusto tends to straddle the line between medium- and full-bodied.

I smoked several samples for this review—all of which I had been aging for about 18 months—and each displayed very good combustion qualities. Expect no problems with the burn line, ash, or draw. This is a set-it-and-forget-it smoke.

In addition to the Series H Maduro, Griffith also makes a Series H Sumatra. I honestly don’t think there’s much of a comparison. The Maduro is the far better, more balanced, more interesting choice, and the Robusto is worthy of a very fine rating of four stogies out of five.

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–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys