Vital Stats:

Cigar Info

This cigar is a Cigars International/Cigar.com exclusive. It was recommended to us by a reader, when talking about the Best Budget Smokes article we posted here a couple months ago. Turns out he was right! A very solid score for such an affordable smoke. The normal selling price for these on cigar.com is about $3, but you can find them closer to $1 a piece by the box on CigarBid, and almost as cheap on Cigars International. Here is the description from Cigars International:

This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed.

“If you ask your wife, she’ll likely tell you time is a harsh mistress. Time is money, time is of the essence, Hammer time, time is running out. Indeed, time is many things to many people, but just ask Signature Collection, and you’ll receive a much different answer. For cigars, time is magic. Signature Collection showcases this truth perfectly with two very-well-aged blends, using tobaccos from 2004 and 2005 respectively.

Signature Collection Vintage 2005 Maduro was crafted around a dark, ultra-rich Costa Rican Maduro wrapper that’s been aging for 7 years. Underneath, a complex blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers is perfectly proportioned to complement this exceptional wrapper. Together, this combination presents a beautifully aromatic bouquet rich in complex, chocolatey undertones. Notes of pepper, cocoa, oak and caramel are notable, along with a distinctively creamy finish.”

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 91

“A nice milk chocolate brown colored wrapper with a little marbling. Some visible veins and not the neatest cap application.” –Aaron (aaron72)

Aroma: 91

“I got immediate notes of coffee and sweetness along with some light floral notes which is something I’m not really accustomed to pre-light.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)

First Third

Flavor: 90

Strength: Medium

Body/Complexity: Medium

“Dark roast coffee and burnt toast on the first few puffs with a spicey char on the retrohale. It didn’t take long for the coffee and toast to mellow to a wonderful balance with a bit of cedar joining the party. The open draw allowed for a mouthful of tastes on every puff. A creamy twang rounded out the first third.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

“Started off a little harsh with a blast of pepper and a burnt wood taste. A little leather and light coffee flavors showed up to pique my interest about a third of the way in.” –Ron (shuckins)

Second Third

Flavor: 90

Strength: Medium-Strong

Body/Complexity: Medium

“Coffee notes crept in and married perfectly with the earth and leather. I also got a very interesting sweetness on every retrohale. The smoke is continuing to billow up to this point as well. The strength of this cigar seems to fluctuate from medium to medium-strong and is very enjoyable.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)

“Lots of smoke and flaky ash. There’s still a decent amount of spice on the retro. A dark woodsy flavor is accompanied by bitter coffee and baking spices. The creaminess that ended the first third has disappeared.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

Final Third

Flavor: 90

Strength: Medium-Strong

Body/Complexity: Medium

“At the beginning of the final third, there was a harshness that lasted all of 5 minutes. I was hoping this didn’t last for the remainder, as this would have been a terrible ending to an otherwise great cigar. After the harshness dissipated, the leather, earth, sweetness and coffee mellowed out a bit but were still very present and finished with a lingering smorgasbord of flavors on the palate and back of the throat.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)

“Leather, oak and a hint of coffee open the final leg of this cigar. A salty burn on the finish has me reaching for my water a lot. Some cedar has returned but no other flavors.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 93

“Best drawing cigar I’ve had in a long time.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

Burn: 89

“I made a single touch up to keep the burn line straight. Other than that, the burn line always stayed together.” –Aaron (aaron72)

Construction: 90

“The surface of this cigar is very bumpy and uneven and the veins are easily felt. The cigar is medium in consistency. There are a couple of soft spots appreciated towards the foot.” –Sandeep (Djangos)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong

Overall Body/Complexity: Medium

Overall Experience: 89

“The cigar was very one dimensional with major flavors of hay and grass with some leather and nutmeg. There were some burn and draw issues but nothing that detracted too much from the experience. The cigar was ok for a short smoke with pleasant flavors and strength but not something that I would seek out.” –Sandeep (Djangos)

“The amount of smoke from this cigar was great. Nice body to it and allowed for a good retrohale. It kept my interest with the flavor changes. A very enjoyable experience and I could see myself reaching for it on a regular basis.” –Aaron (aaron72)

“This was an awesome cigar that should definitely have a permanent place in the stash. This is definitely a super premium cigar and I could see this as having a pretty modest price tag on it. Hopefully the tag isn’t too high as I’ll be looking to add a box to my modest “collection”.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)

“I was really hoping the creaminess that ended the first third would’ve remained. The overall flavor profile was nice but not very subtle. While the spice showed some signs of letting up, it actually returned stronger, creating bolder flavors and an off putting dryness on my palate. In the end, I still think this was a very good cigar.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)

“I didn’t enjoy the first half of the cigar as much as I did the second half; earthy and wood flavors are just not my favorites.” –Ron (shuckins)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 64

Total Score: 90 (Very Good)

[table id=63 /]

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Blind Cigar Review: Signature Collection Vintage 2005 Maduro Corona