Knock-out Maduros for a washed-out trip

The camping trip I spoke of in "Wilderness Survival Kit" was a wash. It rained every day. Most of the trip was spent under a tent trying to stay dry. The sky cleared just enough to enjoy two of the four smokes I packed.

Patoka Lake, Indiana
The first night I smoked a Rocky Patel "The Edge" Maduro that I purchased at Kremer's Smoke Shoppe in Louisville. The unlit scent of the cigar is as rich, deep, and inviting as the dark, oily, tightly-veined leaf holding it together. I love maduros for the dense, spicy, aromas and flavors of their fermented tobacco leaves. It was a perfect companion to the roaring campfire and paired nicely with a growler of Beak's Best (New Albanian Brewing Co. American Bitter).

Rocky Patel "The Edge" Maduro
Vitola: 6" x 52 Toro
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Panama
Binder: Mexico
Strength: Full
Body: Full
Purchased: Kremer's Smoke Shoppe, Louisville, KY
Price: $6
Drink: New Albanian Brewing Co. "Beak's Best" American Bitter

This cigar lit easily, burned with a nice even ring, held a long, solid ash, and tasted fantastic. I immediately noticed a familiar sweetness laced with black pepper. As the cigar burned it became richer and more intense with a big spiciness that was well-maintained and not overbearing. It was a well-balanced smoke with intriguing qualities such as a faint bitterness, noticeable earthiness, and a nice charred wood character (which could have come from sitting too close to the fire!) Overall, it was a good smoke and a great way to start an otherwise soggy camping trip.

Patoka Lake 2008, kinder weather.
It was late into the following night when the rain finally quit. I took the opportunity to walk down to the lake to enjoy a quiet smoke by the water. The selection of the evening was a big, fat Legend Ario which I had also picked up at Kremer's. The Legend Ario is an authentic Corojo Maduru Honduran Puro made by Camacho. It has a beautiful dark, oily wrapper with intense, complex aromas promising a classic Honduran powerhouse.

This cigar is made from 100% 1st Generation Corojo seed tobacco that is grown in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras, the El Legend-Ario Authentic Corojo cigar is a one of a kind smoke. The Jamastran Valley region has the perfect soil and ideal climate for cultivating tobacco, so much so that it has been compared to Cuba’s renowned Vuelta Abajo Region. Camacho’s President has stated that “To the best of our knowledge, we are the only people growing the Authentic Corojo seed and we want to make sure that consumers are aware of this.”

El Legend-Ario Corojo Maduro by Camacho
Vitola: 6" x 60
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Camacho Habano
Filler: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Strength: Full
Body: Medium to Full
Purchased: Kremer's Smoke Shoppe, Louisville, KY
Price: around $5, will recheck and post back
Drink: New Albanian Brewing Co. "Old 15-B" Porter

El Legend-Ario Corojo Maduro Honduran Puro by Camacho at top of photo. Click picture for larger image.
This was one of the best maduros I've ever smoked. It lit nicely, drew nicely, and burned with an almost perfect ring. It produced billows of smoke with a nice creamy mouthfeel. The maduro characters blended nicely with the Corojo spiciness and punch. I have to call this "medium to full-bodied" because it was surprisingly mellow. The pepper and spice were present, but subdued, and the earthy, woodiness just lingered on the edge. I also like the large ring gauge (60). Overall, a wonderfully balanced, elegant cigar and officially my new favorite. I'm ready to buy a whole box, but I'll need a bigger humidor - they're packed in crates of 100.