Video review HERE.
(Description taken from Halfwheel.com website)
While Maestranza will be a regular production line, the company is previewing it with a limited edition size known as CRAFT Maquette La Maestranza, a 4 1/2 x 56 petit gordo. The Maquette version and the three regular production vitolas use the same blend: a Mexican San Andrés wrapper over a Brazilian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. In a post on Instagram, Skip Martin—co-founder of RoMa Craft Tobac—said that the wrapper is a version of tobacco that the company uses for its Neanderthal line, but lighter in color.
CRAFT Maquette La Maestranza has an MSRP of $12.50—it was originally announced as $12—and is limited to 800 bundles of 10 cigars. The first of those bundles will debut on Friday, July 19, at an event at Cigar Den in East Brunswick, N.J. Subsequent events will take place and non-event shipments will go to retailers in August.
Martin says the CRAFT Maquette cigars have been aged for almost one year.
The three regular production sizes will be:
Maestranza Ciutadella Catalonia (4 x 50) — $9 (Box of 40, $360)
Maestranza Castillito Murcia (5 x 60) — $11 (Box of 40, $440)
Maestranza Caballería Valencia (6 x 52) — $10 (Box of 40, $400)
Martin said those are scheduled for Q4 2024.
The cigar is dark brown and has a nice feel in the hand.
The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were orange citrus, peach, brown sugar, and black coffee with a touch of earthiness. There was black pepper rated at 8. Nice start.
At the first third (20 minutes) the ash was still intact. The notes were the same and they're working well together. If you retro hale the black pepper is really nice. The cigar is close to full bodied. I'll call it medium to full but it's really close. The finish is black coffee with very good lingering black pepper. I rated the first third 94.
As I moved through the second third (36 minutes) the ash was still intact. Now there is more black coffee. It takes a little away from the sweet notes. The cigar is now full bodied. It's a low grade full bodied. The finish has some citrus with light black coffee and lingering black pepper. I rated the second third 93.
The cigar lasted 56 minutes. Now the cigar has earthiness to go along with the elevated black coffee. The sweet notes had to suffer a little more. The cigar is a low grade full bodied. The finish is unchanged. The cigar was definitely the best in the first third. But, it's still pretty good. I rated the final third 92.
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