macanudo jade claybourne

[Briandg]

I got the box under JR's deal, 25 with a purchase. I am not terribly impressed.

I hjad great hopes. they were lovely, box pressed, and the cello was a beautiful amber. they were so old that the layers came out in chunks of 4 and 5 sticks, stuck together by the migrated oils.

Years ago, during an online conversation with John Oliva Jr, I gave an opinion that the 14 year old candela that don tomas was claiming to use would probably be dead and flat tasting, and john agreed that this mild wrapper tobacco would have little character left after so long in bales.

The macanudo wasn't up to what I would have hoped for. The claybourne is a classic panetela, and unlike the norm for this vitola, the one I smoked wouldn't stay lit. it was like the old H2K, going out at every opprotunity. it had a black and nasty looking ash. The smoke was papery and not terribly pleasant, and it had no discernable flavors that I would have identified as candela.

All things considered, it wasn't something that I would toss, as the first half was a decent cigar, all things considered, but it jumped the shark into something unpleasant, and it had no real redeeming qualities. It's something that I will smoke on the way to work or the store, but not on the patio with a beer or coffee. The ult candela in either of the 3 vitolas makes a great smoke, my preference is the longer #5 (i think) lonsdale.

Skip the mac, buy the ult.