Cigar Review: Fleur de la Reine Maduro Cinq

So far this year I’ve reviewed three smokes from United Cigar: Atabey Ritos, an expensive cigar that’s complex and nuanced; Garofalo Robusto, a mild-mannered stick that’s affordable, flavorful, and satisfying; and Byron Serie Siglo XX Londinenses, a $30 specimen that’s memorable (it should be at that price) and harmonious.

Today my sights are set on Fleur de la Reine, a line that’s intended to be “rich and bold in flavor and strength.” The recipe includes a Dominican binder and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. Two wrapper varieties are available: Natural (Ecuadorian Sumatra) and Maduro (Connecticut Broadleaf). Both iterations are crafted in four sizes: Quatre (4.875 x 52), Cinq (5.5 x 54), Six (5.875 x 60), and Sept (7 x 58).

The Fleur de la Reine Maduro Cinq retails for about $6.50. At first glance, the band colors and design make it hard to not think of La Gloria Cubana (I can’t say for sure if this was done intentionally). Beneath the band, it’s a rough-looking cigar with abundant imperfections on the wrapper, plenty of lumps, and some garish seams. The feel is incredibly firm, and the foot shows a pretty tight cross-section of tobaccos. The pre-light notes are reminiscent of dark chocolate and coffee.

The initial flavor is sweet with loads of cocoa, caramel, and cream, all offset by a gentle black pepper spice and some earthiness. I can also taste black cherry and roasted cashew. Leather comes and goes, and is most prevalent on the finish.

Surprisingly, after about an inch, the flavor really mellows out, leaving behind a soft, sweet profile that reminds me of marshmallow. The cigar is still enjoyable, though not as much as the kickoff. Then, at the midway point, the flavor fortunately ramps up again, and the finish is characterized by a slight increase in spice, though the overall effect is still sweet.

Construction is good throughout. The burn line requires a few touch-ups here and there, but is otherwise well-behaved. The draw is clear, the ash solid, and the smoke production average.

Fleur de la Reine Maduro Cinq is a good choice if you’re looking for an experience that’s high on sweetness and low on strength, and the asking price is fair. In my book it earns three and a half stogies out of five.

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

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys