Reviewed by: Matt Sackmann & Larry Watkins
Cigar: Macanudo Cru Royale Toro
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Habano Filler
Binder: La Vega Especial (Dominican Republic)
Filler: : Dominican, Brazilian, Nicaraguan
Size: 6″ X 54
Construction/Appearance (10 points):
Matt » The Cru Royale offers a rich dark brown Ecuadorian wrapper that contrasts well with the band, making it a sharp looking cigar. It does look a little dry, not offering a nice oily sheen like many cigars, but is well constructed. Minor veins show, but nothing out of the ordinary. The cap is a little rough looking (you can see some dried glue), but does the job. The pre-light aroma is of chocolate, coffee and tobacco, which is telling me to quit looking at the cigar and start smoking it. So here we go. - Points 8 out of 10
Larry » This a dark and oily cigar, a bit veiny, with some tooth…pleasing to the eye. – Points:10 of 10
Draw, Ash Quality, Burn Quality (20 points):
Matt » Draw: I’ve smoked a few of these now and they have all had consistently medium to light draws. This just shows the quality of rolling. / Ash Quality: Bright silver/white ash, solid stack, falling off at half way point. / Burn Quality: The burn was a little uneven throughout. Only during the final third did I need to touch it up because there was a run, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment. - Points: 18 of 20
Larry » Draw: Firm but good. It offers just the right amount of resistance. / Ash Quality: The ash was light gray and held on fairly well. / Burn Quality: The burn was even throughout with no runs. – Points: 18 of 20
Smoking Characteristics (30 points):
Matt » Start: Right from the first puffs, huge plumes of smoke filled my mouth with semi sweet chocolate, pepper, wood, and just a hint of salt in the background. The finish is clean, and left just a hint of that spice lingering on my pallet. / Middle: Nothing changed at this point. If anything the flavors intensified. I noticed that this cigar likes to be smoked slowly. Initially I was puffing pretty regularly and it started to heat up a bit, but when I let it sit a little longer between puffs it remained cool and the flavors were more intense. It was as if it was telling me to relax and enjoy it, and not to rush things. I also noticed that it put off a ton of smoke while puffing, but while resting it put off very little smoke. I almost thought it had gone out, but it hadn’t. It’s just patiently waited for me to tend to it. / Finish: Usually towards the end of a cigar, I start to get some bitterness or rancid flavors. With the Cru Royale, the chocolate notes intensified leaving a savory sweetness on my pallet. Awesome cigar is all I can say. - Points: 30 of 30
Larry » This was a medium to full bodied cigar with a sweet spicy flavor that seemed to build as I smoked it. It left a pleasing aroma in the room. The firm draw allowed a large volume of smoke. There was not a lot of changes in the flavors. They simply intensified as I continued to smoke it. – Points: 27 of 30
Overall Impression (40 points):
Matt » All I kept saying to myself as I smoked the Cru Royale was, “This is a damn good cigar”. That sums it up. Sure the burn was a bit off, but at no time did it detract from the fantastic blend of flavors. And to end on a chocolaty note with a little spice, just capped off the experience. If you like a medium to full bodied cigar, you have to try this one. If you haven’t tried a Macanudo in a while, this one will bring you back to the brand. I’ll take another please! – Points: 38 of 40
Larry » A good, well made cigar that produced a lot of smoke and burned well. Overall it is medium to full bodied, leaving some spice lingering on my pallet and nose. This is by far my favorite Macanudo. - Points: 37 of 40
Matt’s Total Points: 94 out of 100
Larry’s Total Points: 92 out of 100
Average Score: 93 out of 100