After years of research and development, Mavros Cigars, the brainchild of Manuel Mavroleon have finally made it to the market in a very exclusive basis.
Manuel’s journey in the cigar world began as a teenager, when his father gave him a box of Cuban cigars. He was immediately taken in by the flavor and the experience of smoking cigars. Manuel began trying Cuban and Dominican cigars, and as he got older, he began appreciated more and more the ritual of smoking a cigar – be it alone or with friends – taking time out of a busy day to sit, slow down, and appreciate the taste of a good cigar.
As luck would have it, he landed a job in Veracruz, which put him in close proximity to San Andrés puros. Expanding his palate, he began to try them and learned to sort the good from the bad. As with all refined pleasures in life he found that the good ones were very good, due to the nutrient rich soil found in the area. He also learned the history of tobacco – originally a Mexican plant – and how Veracruz has always been integral to the production of cigars.
As Manuel uncovered the history of Mexican cigar production, he learned the story of two Cuban brothers who had fled the War of Independence to Veracruz, taking with them black Cuban tobacco. The brothers started a successful cigar company, but since its inception the workers had formed a strong working-class identity and organized many strikes. One of these strikes was very publicized in Mexico at the time (just before the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution), and as a result, in a show of solidarity, the Mexican Revolutionary generals took to smoking San Andrés puros.
After the revolution, the cigars remained popular and the company thrived, until the workers organized yet another strike. This strike was so successful that the workers won the company, keeping the antique machinery and using their knowledge of the local tobacco and the black tobacco, the workers started one of the first and only worker-run cigar cooperatives.
Manuel set out to find the cooperative, and worked with them for over a year to create a cigar blend that showcased the special flavors of both San Andrés’ local tobacco and the unique variety of San Andrés black Cuban tobacco that the cooperative has access to. He wanted to create a cigar that embodied the spirit of the cooperative – made by cigar smokers, for cigar smokers – and that carried on the revolutionary history. They are the closest thing to what a Charro general (such as Emiliano Zapata or Pancho Villa) would have smoked back in 1910.
The result was the creation of three vitolas from Mavros Cigars:
- Revolucionario
- Generalissimo
- Revolucionario Especial
Manuel, reached out to me and sent me two of the Mavros Cigars Revolucionario Especial which he told me is one of his favorite Mavros vitolas. It was crafted to recreate the cigars smoked by Mexican revolutionary generals – both in size, ring gauge and flavor.
Mavros Cigars describes the blend of the Revolucionario Especial as:
- Wrapper -San Andrés Cubano Negro natural
- Binder – San Andrés Cubano Negro maduro
- Filler – San Andrés Cubano negro añejo and San Andrés criollo morrón añejo
The Revolucionario Especiales come packaged in 10-count, hand made Spanish cedar boxes with an estimated MSRP of $230 USD/box ($23.00/cigar).
Pre-Light Examination
The Mavros Cigars Revolucionario Especiale is a lancero vitola that has a dark tan and veiny wrapper. It is a rather rugged looking cigar, but I can’t say it enough, I don’t judge heavily on the looks. The cigar is fairly solid to the touch with a mild tooth to the wrapper. It is finished with a simple cap.
A single band adorns the cigar that has an image of a Mexican general in the center with a tropical background and the brand name “MAVROS” proudly displayed on top. The band is surrounded with bright gold on the edges.
Running the Revolucionario Especiale along the nose, I have to say it reminded me of a richly peaty Islay Scotch. It was quite a unique note for a cigar!
I sliced the cap straight and proceeded to give it some old draw puffs that was a little looser than I would prefer and offered notes of walnut and pepper.
Cigar Review Notes
- Right off the first puff I was greeted with a natural sweetness from the wrapper encasing a mild peppery start
- A solid light grey ash forms on a well formed char line
- Thick full volume of smoke is present from the first puff
- Coffee aroma wafts off the foot
- Ash fell in a decent chunk revealing a pointed but centered burn cone
- Cream notes join the profile to add the enticing coffee aroma
- There is a mildly acidic after taste forming on the palate
- Chocolate sensors start to fire up moving through the second quarter
- A touch of orange citrus enters to brighten the palate
- Smoke is pleasantly full for a lancero
- Chocolate notes have now started to rest nicely on the palate
- Aroma shifted to a wonderful aniseed
- Spice starts to builds midway as the strength increases
- A delicious hint of caramel adds to the pleasure
- Moving into the final there is very unique note that enters and as I read the company’s description it was a bitter almond for sure
- Medium Strength
- Total Smoking time was 1 hour and 35 minutes
Overall, the Mavros Cigars Revolucionario Especiale was one of the most unique cigars I have smoked with a mix of notes from pre-light to the nub. Complex in its profile, including some of the most familiar notes of chocolate, spice, cream, caramel and coffee, the Revolucionario Especiale offered teasing and enticing notes of orange citrus, aniseed, and bitter almond along with a peaty pre-light aroma. Construction was quite fine with just an extended pointed burn cone once the ash fell. If you can locate these, grab some and enjoy some authentic Mexican craft. I rate this a 91.
Point Deductions: (-1) Slightly loose Pre-light Draw; (-1) Pointed Burn Cone; (-1) Mild Acid Note early in the burn; (-1) Wave in Burn
Bonus Points: (+1) Complex and Unique
