Cigar Review: Berger & Argenti Entubar Quad Maduro

Double Corona, 7.625" x 54 ring gauge / MSRP $11.99

I waited patiently for these "Quad Maduro versions of the Entubar to show up in my local store--well, maybe not that patiently. I finally got a chance to try them when I received a surprise package in the mail from Al Argenti. He graciously provided the 2 samples I smoked for this review. The Quad Maduro construction method is the same as used in the regular Entubar--all leaves rolled into tubes before bunching, with the ligero bunched independently in the middle. The Quad refers to "cuadrado"--the box press. The fillers are "all Cuban-seed Nicaraguan (viso and ligero) and Dominican (seco)," the binder is Nicaraguan, and the maduro wrapper is "Jalapa Valley-grown...aged eight years in seasoned oak barrels."

The appearance of these cigar is definitely unique--the "fuse" and warning label are shared by no other cigars by no other companies that I know of. The box-press on this sample was fairly sharp on the bottom edge, but more rounded off on the top. The wrapper leaf was oily, mottled and moderately veiny. It exuded rich barnyard aroma of fresh earth and manure, while the foot had even stronger notes of earth and chocolate. Feeling along the length, I detected no hard or soft spots. The cold draw was as open as you might expect from the special construction; the flavor was a fantastic mix of earth and cocoa powder.

Extra time is required to fully light the entire foot, not just the fuse, of an Entubar, by my Xikar Executive single-flame torch proved up to the task. Initial puffs on the Quad Maduro were full of sweet chocolate and earth flavors, along with a mix of coffee and black pepper on the retrohale. The first third had a wonderful smoothness and was medium-to-full in body. The ash held on for over an inch before I had to top off and the burn line was close to straight, which is not bad for a maduro.

The maduro sweetness increased in the second third and there was more coffee in the retrohale while the pepper faded to nothing. The draw continued to be absolutely perfect while the burn line took just one minor touch-up.

Dark roast coffee continued to increase until it became the dominant flavor in the last third. To me this was about as perfect as a maduro gets--earthy and chocolatey to begin with flavors that change over time, while never getting away from the sweetness that a good maduro leaf brings. While this size was larger than I normally prefer, it was still very near cigar perfection and makes me anticipate smaller ring gauge versions that much more. Cigar enthusiasts should seek this stogie out and try it, especially if you like maduro wrappers. Novices should not be too scared of it because it does not pack much of a nicotine punch. Folks, we have our first 10/10 rating for the year on the Tiki Bar...and that means the first cigar that will be put into contention for Cigar of the Year status come December. I hope to smoke a lot more of these between now and then to see how I feel about it over that time.

Body: 7/10

Strength: 6/10

Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2

Construction: 2/2

Flavor: 5/5

Value: 1/1

Total: 10/10

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