Today I offer the third in a series of reviews of Madre Tierra Cigars. The just released Madre Tierra Sumatra Toro is the subject of today’s review.
According to the company’s website:
“Madre Tierra is a family-owned and operated brand of fine cigars, all hand made in Tamboril, Dominican Republic. Our blended Cigars compliment the finest tobacco grown in Ecuador and Dominican Republic and we own the entire process from “seed to smoke”.
Madre Tierra has been blending cigars since 1982 and just recently owners Juanna De La Cruz, John Deans and Jacob Senior introduced the cigars to the U.S.”
Like all current offerings from this young cigar company, the Madre Tierra Sumatra is expressed in a (6 x 52) toro vitola with an MSRP of $12.00/cigar. They come packaged in 5/10/20 count bundles.
The company also notes they plan on releasing 6×60 version in the near future.
The blend of the Madre Tierra Habano is described as:
- Wrapper – Ecuadorian Sumatra
- Binder – Dominican
- Filler – Dominican
With regards to the wrapper the company stated:
“The ‘Sumatra’ name refers to the seed, originally from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. But when cultivated in our Ecuador fields, it develops a totally different profile. Ecuador’s Cloud Cover Advantage: Grown under the country’s natural cloud cover (especially in the highlands), the leaves are “shade-grown” without expensive artificial tenting. This produces thinner, silkier wrappers with fewer veins. This was our first batch of the Sumatra and nearly sold out immediately. Here is what sets us apart: most companies blend their Sumatra tobacco with Nicaraguan and Dominican…we decided to make it a more full-bodied cigar and blended the Sumatra wrapper with our Dominican Filler and Binders. Making it a true Med/Full bodied cigar.“
For this review I sampled three of the Madre Tierra Sumatra Toros which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
The Madre Tierra Sumatra is wrapped with a dark tan and heavily marbled leaf that exhibits a light oily sheen. There are a few veins noticeable along the barrel but otherwise it is smooth to the touch and nicely packed from head to foot. Construction is finished with a simple cap.
A single band adorns the cigar. It uses a black, green and gold motif, proudly displaying the company logo in the center and “MADRE TIERRA” along the top. Like the Habano, I like how the band pops on the background of the wrapper leaf.
Running the cigar along the nose, I detected sweet curing barn aromas along the barrel while the foot exuded notes of floral and earthy essence.
Using my double blade cutter, I sliced the cap and gave it some cold draw puffs that I found to be perfectly restricted and offering notes of natural tobacco sweetness and a light pepper note.
I used my dual flame lighter to warm the foot to an even orange glow and drew in the first puffs of sweet and spicy notes. There is a bit of a bite on the initial puffs. Follow along as I burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Sweet and spicy start the journey
- Thick creamy smoke engulfs the palate
- Light grey ash forms on top of a thick char line
- Gentle fruit notes add to the pleasure
- Dry leather note
- The burn gets wavy
- The early fruit morphs into a sour cherry note midway through the first third
- Ash fell in a decent chunk revealing a flat burn cone
- Sweetness is growing moving into the second third
- Dark chocolate notes weave into the profile midway through the burn
- Cracker aromas waft off the foot
- Cherry note evolves into a dry fruit note with as the spice develops into mild cinnamon
- Spice, fruit, and subtle sweetness down in the final with a touch of bitterness
- Medium in Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 25 minutes
Final Analysis
The Madre Tierra Sumatra Toro opened up with a sweet and spicy burst to start the journey. Thick, creamy smoke immediately engulfed the palate, delivering solid flavor right out of the gate. Early in the 1st third a pleasant fruit note graces the palate. Moving through the first third, the fruit morphs into a sour cherry note, offering a tangy contrast to the initial sweetness. The ash held firm for a while before falling in a decent chunk, revealing a flat burn cone.
As it transitioned into the second third, the sweetness began to grow more pronounced. Dark chocolate notes entered the mix about midway, adding depth and balance. From the foot, cracker-like aromas wafted up, enhancing the overall experience. The cherry notes slowly evolved into a dry fruit character, with the spice gradually morphing into cinnamon as the burn progressed.
Down to the final, the cigar closed out with a flavorful combination of spice, fruit, and a subtle underlying sweetness, rounding out a journey that offered pleasant transitions and kept the palate engaged from start to finish.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn; (-1) Flat Burn Cone;
Bonus Points: (+1) Complex and nuanced; (+1) Box Buy
