Cigar Review: Cain Maduro

Torpedo, 6" x 54 ring gauge, $7.30
The Cain Maduro comes with the same 82 percent ligero content of the Habano, this time wrapped in an almost-black maduro leaf. There are some visible veins, but they feel almost flat under your fingers. The wrapper has a slightly sweet aroma that is reminiscent of a walk-in humidor while the foot has more of the chocolate that is so familiar in Nicaraguan stogies. The prelight draw is rich with dark chocolate flavors as well as some nice dark-roast coffee and it left a spicy tingle on the lips.

From first lighting, it is easy to see similarities and differences between the Maduro and Habano expressions of the Cain. They both have a fullness of body that is just astounding; they both are very smooth for such strong sticks, but have some raw, harsh edges, too; they both have oily, thick smoke that lingers and stings the eyes. The Maduro is noticeably sweeter, though, with much more cocoa and coffee right out of the chute.

The second third seemed to smooth out somewhat, as it did on the Habano, but the strong coffee flavor here was supplemented by a distinct sweetness from the maduro wrapper that made the overall flavor better. The body is still very full, although the smoke volume does not seem as great on this stick--the draw seems a bit tighter, even after recutting during the first third. This could partially be due to the maduro wrapper which tend to be moister than other varieties and could be causing some restricted airflow.

Finishing this cigar, I got the sense that the body lightened up and it was overall less powerful than the Habano, despite what the marketing and website claim. The flavor was more consistently pleasing on this stick, though, and it would have to be my favorite of the two. The one drawback was the less-than-perfect draw--something that I will have to re-evaluate on repeated smokings...sounds like fun!

Body: 10/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 9/10

AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/5
Flavor: 5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10