Macanudo Gold Label Capa Especial

Hello Cigar smokers,
Today I've selected a special cigar to share with you all, the Macanudo Gold Label. Capa Especial is Spanish for "Special wrapper" and this cigar does have a special wrapper. The wrapper is a Connecticut Shade from the first priming of the plant, which means it was harvested first off the plant and got less sunlight that the other leaves. Tobacco is harvested in segments from bottom to top, so the bottom most leaves get the least sunlight and are the thinnest. Tobaccos that come off of the first primings give a very mild body and a smooth flavor, and the veins in the leaves are much smaller than the leaves that come higher off the plant. Working within the confines of low priming tobaccos, Macanudo made a very decadent, good tasting blend using exclusively leaves that come off the lower primings of the plant. This cigar is a 2/5 on our strength scale.

This Cigar's dimensions are very similar to the Montecristo No 2 Torpedo, it's a pretty fat figurado that goes to a 54 ring gauge at the foot. From the initial light up this cigar draws well and easy, and the flavor starts off very mild. As the cigar progresses it doesn't become stronger, but it becomes much less one dimensional, the different flavors work together nicely in this blend without being a strong, or even a medium bodied cigar. It's not very often that I find a cigar that is mild that also features a complex blend with a strong finish. This cigar is sure to wow the casual Macanudo smoker, anybody who prefers mild, Connecticut shade cigars, or people who can't believe how much flavor this mild cigar brings. In my mind this is a perfect Memorial Day stogie to enjoy with any drink.

Our strength rating system

Hello Cigar smokers,
I've received a lot of questions about this in the store, so I thought I'd clear it up with a blog post. Each box we put on the shelf has a yellow or red sticker on it, that is not the price, numbered 1-5 or with an F on it. This has created mass confusion before so I'm going to concisely run through our strength rating system and give an example of a cigar of that strength.

F: Flavored, infused with natural flavors. Very Aromatic. Drew Estate's ACID line is the most famous and popular example of these.

1: Mild, delicate and mellow. Great for beginner smokers. This includes many cigarillos and most notably the Macanudo cafe line.

2: Mild to Medium, a smooth and balanced smoke. This includes crowd pleasing favorites such as Montecristo classics and the AVO classic line.

3:Medium bodied, stronger in flavor and strength. Oliva O Serie is a good example of a true medium cigar, in my opinion.

4: Medium to full, slightly stronger and complex. This is the ranking where a lot more dark wrappers come into play. Fuente Anejo's and Padron 1964 Anniversario are good examples of a 4 in the store.

5: Full Bodied, rich, powerful and full-flavored. My Father Le Bijou and Ashton Virgin Sun Grown are good examples of the high end of the flavor spectrum.

All this flavor rankings are subjective, we do this to  give the customer a better idea of what to expect from an unfamiliar cigar. The ranking on the box is not gospel, but I've smoked every cigar that has a sticker on it, so you can expect consistency in the flavor rankings. If you don't agree perhaps with the strength I've ranked a cigar at or just have any cigar related questions, come in the store at 801 Woodside Road suite 1 Redwood City, CA and let me know or email me at jtcigarsofwoodside@gmail.com