Macanudo 1968 Toro

Having never smoked a Macanudo in my life, I sat down at the shop and dedicated a day to Macanudo a while ago when we got these in. Over the course of 7 hours and two meals, I smoked 4 different ones from the shelf (Cafe, Robust, Maduro, and one other I forgot) and then sat and smoked the 1968 last at the end of the day. Mind you, 5 cigars a day is a slighly lighter than normal day, but I didn't want to fry my taste buds and miss anything important.

Honestly, the first four were fairly terrible. They had flavor, and a surprising amount more than I expected based on what I've heard and read here before. However it was not a particularly pleasing flavor, and it left quite a rank taste in my mouth that I had to eat pretzels and drink coffee to cleanse out. Overall, the Cafe had, IMO, the most flavor.

As far as the 1968 goes, I think it had considerably more flavor, and a very decent one compared to the others. I think it was a slight toffee flavor with some chocolate notes that crept in and out, but it was hard to pin down anything. It didn't change, but at the halfway point the cigar just outright lost all flavor and tasted like smoke. I thought it was a bad one, so I opened another box of a different size and got the same result.

So yeah, I give an A+ for the effort and change, but a D overall for the results.
 
I agree with you statement, "to each his own".

One thing that I have noticed is that there is a power of suggestion. Macs are known to be mild in flavor and if you walk into thinking it will be Mac-like it may taste of nothing to you. I once saw a special on TV that said the sense of taste is the least developed of the senses and that most of the tastes is perceived with your eyes. They did a special where they had three different drinks, one clear, one pink, and one red. Folks were asked to rank them in order of strength based on taste. Everyone got it backwards, as the clear drink had the most flavor added to it and the others were supplemented with flavorless coloring.

I'm not saying you had preconceived notions going into it, however I always keep this in the back of my mind when reading reviews or tasting cigars myself. The other folks who claim this to be one of the most complex folks could very well be off base.

A few years back one of the cigar magazines (not CA) ran an article about an editor who was invited over his friends house who recently purchased a box of Cohiba Esplendidos. The editor knew that Cuba never produced a gray wrapped cigar in a glass top box. Needless to say they were fakes, but all the rookies were claiming that "they could really taste the Cuban difference"

Lastly, I am a Mac apologist. Mac Maduro was one of the first cigars I smoked ten years ago. When people smoke a cigar with me for the first time I always offer them a Mac Maduro Hyde Park as I think it is mild enough not to turn them green, but it offers a nice sweet maduro flavor which sends them down the slope. I look forward to trying the 1968, and I will probably enjoy it immensely based on my bias.

happy smokes, and apologies for rambling,
-EB


I bought 3 in a special deal awhile ago...If you would like one send me your address in a PM. :D

That being said I was gifted one from my postal carrier girl friend, she received it from a man involved in the blending. I really enjoyed it.:tu

It had me looking forward to the other 3 in the Humi.
Good smoke, decent flavor, great burn, I would buy some more of these if my humi wasn't filled up.

STS:ss
 
I have smoked a few cigars for the first time that i didn't care for (example CAO American) Didn't really care for it at first. I have had two others since then and both were a much better smoke. Cigars are like food, everone has there own likes and dislikes. Just because one person doesn't enjoy, doesn't mean someone esle won't absolutly love it.

Anyways thanks for your opinion.
 
Ive smoked a few Mac 1968 Robustos over the last couple weeks. The first one I smoked a couple days after recieving in the mail, it was harsh from the start and somewhat bitter towards the end. I waited a week and smoked another, it was better but was still a little off, I didnt care for it. In the last few days Ive smoked two that were pretty good, still not worth the $9.50 price tag IMO, but decent. I have a couple more that Im going to let sit for a month and see what happens.:ss
 
I got two of these as freebies at a Macanudo event the other night. I had a fine burn and draw on the one I smoked. The wrapper left a slightly sweet tase on the lips. I got a flavor that reminded me of burned marshmallow for about the last two thirds of the stick.

I liked it.
 
We just got these in the store and they are quite a good seller. I'm hoping to light one up this weekend. I've heard they are pretty good.
 
Had one at the Mission Pipe Shop in San Jose this Wednesday, compliments of Macanudo - well made, nice draw, strong, smooth after the first few puffs - great cigar, would have liked a little more complexity in the flavor. I went home that night and took advantage of the 3 for $10 offer.

http://www.macanudo1968.com/


- Rick
 
We just got these in the store and they are quite a good seller. I'm hoping to light one up this weekend. I've heard they are pretty good.

I just smoked one this past weekend. I rather enjoyed it for a Macanudo. At more bold then the rest that i've tried. And quite smooth as well. Certainly something I'd smoke again.
 
Here's the marketing stuff:

Wrapper: Honduran San Agustin
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan (Esteli), Nicaraguan (Ometepe)
Binder:
Habano Connecticut
Country: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana

Macanudo 1968 boasts a bold new taste that perfectly balances the cigar's fuller-bodied tobaccos. Aged in tercios and charcoaled wooden barrels to further enrich its flavor, the blend marries Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco to a proprietary filler cultivated exclusively for General Cigar in the remote island of Ometepe. These tobaccos were developed expressly to complement the Connecticut Habano binder and flawless Honduran San Agustin wrapper.


http://www.cigarworld.com/cigars/brands/brandsabout.aspx?bid=6&sid=151
......

Of interest, I was over at my local B&M this evening looking for a couple of extra sticks to send my adopted noob, Blues Tiger, for his October 2008 selection in the "MCS 1st Annual Adopt a Noob" thread. It just so happened that I had in my fist a Macanudo Robust Hyde Park and a Macanudo 1968 Robusto to send to BT, but when you're laying down a sawbuck for the 1968, you're kinda hopin' you're gonna get your money's worth. Intuition said place em' both back on the shelf and get em' something else to sample this month (and I must say a nice sampler he has a coming his way too):ss


 
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