Macanudo Cru Royale- The New Macanudo

Macanudo has recently launched a new cigar, the Cru Royal, that appears to be a move in the right direction for the cigar line.

Size: 5 x 50
Shape: Robusto
Wrapper: Ecuador
Filler:  Brazil, Domincan Republic, Nicaragua
Binder: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
Price: $5.60 online

My choice of test cigars is the robusto sized cigar.  The pre-light inspection shows some variation in the coloring of the wrapper, but with out any imperfections and with a good firmness to the stick.  The cap takes a clean cut and the toast takes a good coal quickly.

The first draw on the stick is a blast of pepper with some wood undertones.  This powerful pepper flavor stays through the initial 3rd as the dominant flavor, at times threatening to be a bit overpowering.  As the stick transitions from the first 3rd to the second 3rd, this powerful pepper diminishes to an afterthought, and a blend of creamy wood and leather begins to prevail.  Moving further through the second 3rd, some notes of chocolate appear, and a bit of toasted nut hit on the fringes of the pallet.

Noted at this point is that the burn starts to move a bit off track, requiring a touch up from my torch to bring it back in line.  The burn begins to become a problem from the second 3rd until the very end, and adds a bit of frustration to the enjoyment of the cigar.  Since I am enjoying this smoke at the Macanudo Cru Royal launch party, I query the other smokers and the tobacconists about this burn problem.  It would seem that the problem exists only with the robusto and toro sizes, and it is quickly attributed to the cigars arriving late for the launch party giving them a less than ideal rest time from shipping.  The lonsdale and gigante sizes did not have the same problem.

The second 3rd transitions to the final 3rd smoothly, and with very little change in the flavor profile retaining a nice complexity.  The pepper remains on the edges of the smoke, and the earth tones remain dominant with the threads of sweetness.  The cigar has an easy draw which produces beautiful clouds of creamy white smoke and a tight gray ash.  The final tally reveals the Cru Royal to be a great break from the norm for Macanudo.  It is a solid medium strength cigar that hits a reasonable price point for the average smoker.

Let's Talk About Cigar Size

I was asked the question a few weeks ago on Ward B at Cigar World "what size cigar do you prefer?" A valid question, but before I could truly answer the question I had to figure out what cigar sizes existed.

Surprisingly there are many different cigar sizes. First, the basics: A cigar is measured by the length, often in inches, and by the ring gauge which is a measurement of how many 64ths of an inch the cigar measures in it's diameter. For example, the Punch Gran Cru is a 5 1/4 x 50, meaning it is 5 1/4 inches long and 50/64 inches in diameter.

Roughly, cigar sizes range as follows:

-Half Corona: 4 1/4 x 42
-Rothschild: 4 1/2 x 50
-Robusto: 5 x 50
-Corona: 5 1/2 x 42
-Toro: 6 x 50
-Torpedo: 6 1/4 x 52
-Lonsdale: 6 1/2 x 44
-Churchill: 7 x 48
-Double Corona: 7 1/2 x 54
-President: 8 1/2 x 52

Please remember that this list is very basic and not all inclusive. There are numerous custom sizes for individual cigar producers, and there is also some variance around the measurements listed above (for example, a Brick House Churchill measures 7 1/4 x 50, and a Rocky Patel 1990 Vintage Churchill measures 7 x 48, while a Padron Maduro Churchill comes in at 6 x 46). One must remember that this is the Cigar Amateur, and therefore we are only aiming to approach proficiency, not to define the complete boundaries of the cigar world.

As you venture through the numerous offerings of the cigar world, try different sizes to find what you like. Understand the time needed for each individual size, and allow yourself that time to enjoy the smoke. If you do not, it is not fair to you or the stick.