Cigars International had an amazing deal on these a while back and I told a friend about it. He was so grateful he gave me one to say thanks. It sat in my humidor for months, and I finally got around to smoking it on Sunday night, after watching my beloved Packers beat the Bears in the NFC Championship game. Any Packer fans reading this will understand that this cigar could have been made of dog hair and it would have still tasted like heaven after watching that.
But, I'm happy to report, that wasn't the case. The Macanudo Gold Label (Tudor: 6" x 52) is a fine cigar, and it's easy to see why it's one of the best-selling cigars on the market. Good looking in its golden Connecticut Shade wrapper, it's very well constructed. It cut cleanly, lit easily and burned evenly. The draw was just right, and the ash was pale gray and very firm. With faint notes of cedar, black pepper and a sweet-and-sour citrus, the taste was interesting (and good), but a little bland. This is a very mild cigar. For me, it was kind of like eating a store-brand frozen pizza: it's still good, but you find yourself reaching for the Tabasco to doctor it up a little.
Appearance and Construction: 13/15
Flavor: 17/25
Smoking Characteristics: 23/25
Overall Impression: 28/35
Total: 81/100
