Welcome to Westside Liquor’s monthly cigar newsletter and review. My name is Matt, and I am going to be bringing the diverse and complex world of cigars to you every month. Each issue will feature a “Cigar of the month,” along with my own personal review of the cigar. It is my goal to educate, inform, and assist you in finding the kind of cigar that meets your needs and your pocket book. Our smoke shop has a wide variety of cigars that will meet the needs of a novice cigar smoker, to the casual only on “special occasions” smoker, all the way to the true cigar aficionado.
Cigars are often thought of as an acquired taste by many people, and due to their unique and complex characteristics, it may take a little while for someone to really learn to enjoy every aspect of a cigar, but with the proper knowledge and education, many people, including myself, have been sucked into the true complexity and uniqueness that comes with a good cigar. So be prepared every month for an informative and educational look at a certain brand of cigar. I will touch on everything from the flavors you may find in the draw, to potential pairing with fine liquor or wine, as well as the rich history and background that make each and every cigar different, yet unique.
It is my hope that this newsletter will help you to find a better idea of what you are looking for in a cigar, and hopefully intrigue you enough to try something you may not have tried before.

October Cigar of the Month

“Macanudo Gold Label”

Macanudo Gold Label is a limited edition line of Macanudo cigars that adds a new taste to America’s best-selling premium cigar brand. The wrapper is golden Connecticut shade, culled from the first and second primings, the filler is Cuban seed Dominican and Mexican. This brand is smooth, consistent, and has an unusual lemony sweetness that is hard to describe and may differ from one palette to another. These limited edition cigars will appeal to someone who isn’t looking for a real robust or spicy smoke. There are five cigars included in this fine line, all bringing something a little different to the table, while maintaining a well rounded and elegantly crafted blend of complex characteristics that make these cigars a must have for any smoker with a passion for a unique sweetness, yet easy and rich smoke.

Macanudo “Gold Label” Shakespeare

The Macanudo “Gold Label” Shakespeare cigar is 6.5 in. long with a 45 ring gauge. It features Cuban-seed Dominican and Mexican fillers with a Connecticut shade wrapper that is culled from the first and second primings. The wrapper is a beautiful golden hue and remains affixed to the filler throughout the smoke. It is a well constructed cigar, which you would expect from Macanudo. The cigar, when unlit has a mild aroma to it. The draw from the cigar is quite smooth and the flavor is very mild with hints of pepper and spice, almost like a very mild jalapeño. This has maintained a rating between 8.0-8.5 depending on the reviewer. A definite must for those who enjoy a cigar that is mild yet, well balanced and well made. Being how mild this is, it would be a great mild smoke for the morning.

Macanudo “Gold Label” Tudor

The Macanudo “Gold Label” Tudor cigar maintains the quality and the craftsmanship one can expect from Macanudo. It has a very smooth draw and very nice nutty taste. The burn is even and produces a light grey ash. For the price this is a steal for those who enjoy a nice cigar with earthy hints and an easy and dependable smoke. Perfect for in solitude or with a bunch of friends and a nice single malt scotch.

Macanudo “Gold Label” Duke of York

This Macanudo “Gold Label” is consistent with the rest of the cigars in this limited edition series. This cigar is handmade from the 1st and 2nd primings of a specially grown Connecticut shade crop. The smoke has the same smoothness and consistency found in all Macanudo cigars. When unlit there is a mild and earthy aroma, with some hints of spice; I found cinnamon to be one that seemed prevalent. It produces an even burn and light grey ash. You may find notes of spice towards the finish. This is a cigar that requires a taste for more spice and less sweetness. The cigar has a great taste and is very consistent from the draw to the finish.

Macanudo “Gold Label” Lord Nelson

This cigar burns very well and very consistent with a mild almost sweet taste. The draw come fairly easy and it produces an even burning white/grey ash. This is a high quality cigar at a price that won’t burn a hole in your wallet. Enjoy this one when you have a little time to devote, cause if you only smoke half and then come back to it later, you will not get the same great flavor and consistency you would have smoking it to your liking in one sitting. That is just common knowledge though. Sure you can eat half a pizza and then come back to it the next day, but with cigars you are better off tossing it in the waste cause if you smoke half and then attempt to come back to it, all you are going to get is a waste...A WASTE OF TIME!

Macanudo “Gold Label” Somerset

After researching this cigar and looking at other reviews on it, I decided that I would personally smoke this one myself, because people either loved this one or hated it. Therefore I needed to see exactly for myself why it had people on two different sides of the spectrum. I took the liberty of enjoying this beautiful cigar on a nice starlit night under the watchful eye of a full moon. To be completely fair towards our readers I am giving you my own review which may or may not be consistent with your opinion on this cigar, but that makes it all the more reason to give this one a whirl. At first glance I really loved the craftsmanship of this cigar. Unlike the other cigars, this one is rolled in a cone shape, and has nice mild and sweet aroma to it when unlit. While the draw was very inconsistent and at times even a chore to get a nice smooth and clean smoke out of it, I detected hints of cinnamon and pepper, which gave this cigar quite a bit more spice than I fancy. The burn was also very uneven. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to a cigar is in the draw, and the consistency of flavor in the smoke. This one failed in both departments for me, as I would rate this 5 on a scale of 1-10, making it only mediocre at best, but at such a reasonable price you may want to experience one of these for yourself. Just because I didn’t like it, doesn’t mean someone else won’t fall in love with this one, because like I said, this one was torn for many people that reviewed it, so it is time for you to be the judge.

The cigars in this series will be our featured “Cigar Newsletter Special of the Month” for the month of October, and with a sale price on all of them 20% off you almost need to grab one of each from the series, to see for yourself the true complexity and great craftsmanship each one brings to the table. So stop into our smoke shop and ask for me, Matt, at the Waite Park location, if you have any questions. Our humidor offers such a great selection of all types of cigars, for the novice smoker all the way to the aficionado; we will have something to suit your taste and budget. See you next month with another dose of information from my cigar world.