El Yayabo Maduro 6×60 Cigar Review

The first day of this years IPCPR in New Orleans we were walking the floor looking for new and exciting cigar manufacturers and came upon El Yayabo Cigars. Though new to cigar manufacturing,  El Yayabo is not new to the cigar industry, as they have been cultivating and selling leaf to some of the top manufacturers in the world including such names as: Oliva Cigar Co., AJ Fernández, NACSA Cigar Co. and many other smaller companies but no less important. So being a supplier of premium tobacco the company decided to venture into the always challenging cigar manufacturing and released the El Yayabo line of cigars.

As the El Yayabo website states:

Not being satisfied with this success, and having the tools at hand necessary, such as high quality raw material as well as the facilities to be able to produce a final product; a cigar that met the highest standards, we decided that our company would embrace the task and expand our dream, so that any cigar that our company would produce, will be met with the acceptance and satisfaction that the international community has bestowed on our products in the past.

After a brief sit down with the El Yayabo team, they were so kind to present us with a beautiful sample box of their new release. Today I sampled the Sun Grown Maduro which is a deliciously dark Ecuadorian Maduro wrapped cigar that encases Nicaraguan binder and filler grown on the El Yayabo farm in Esteli.

The first observation is the aroma of sweet hay along the barrel and sweet nut on the foot. The wrapper is smooth with a slight sheen under the light. It has some veins to it but not something I would concern myself about.

The El Yayabo torpedo is adorned with two bands. The primary band is well designed with a picture of a tobacco field in the center surrouned with a gold foil shield. The words “Reserva” and “2012” are imprinted on the sidesand the “El Yayabo” imprinted in white on a red ribbon on the bottom. The footer band is more than just a ribbon it is a red ribbon that is imprinted with the words Yayabo Cigars in gold. The primary band just makes it around the girth of the cigar, but applied so well that it is not sticking to the wrapper leaf.

Thanks El Yayabo for taking the care to not let the glue affect the wrapper and allowing it to easily be removed.

I sliced the cap and gave it some dry draw puffs. There was a touch of red pepper and cocoa that makes me want to enjoy a few more draws of the El Yayabo before lighting her up.

As I toast the foot and take the first few introductory puffs I am greeted with a very smooth full volume of smoke. The draw is all but perfect. The first flavors detected were cocoa powder with a slight butter component and sweetness that lit up the palate. The ash is light grey and solid and rests on a slightly wavy burn.

A citrus tang is noticable about an inch into the burn that morphs into a delicious cherry like note that has a long finish. The ash has some flake to it but holds tight at this point. The early wave straightens itself out with no touch up.

The smoke is getting nice and creamy now and the wrapper is oiling up nicely by the end of first third.

A touch of vanilla now enters the profile with a hint of spice that adds a delightful blend of flavor. I have to say I am really enjoying the El Yayabo. The smoke is ultra smooth as the cherry dances in and out feeding the palate constant flavor sensations.

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At the half way point I am getting that wonderful maple syrup aroma I love so much filling my nostrils. The ash is outstanding at this point carrying for more than half the burn so far!

The spice starts to move more front and center approaching the middle of the second third.

Moving into the final third the cherry becomes more prominent like a dark black cherry flavor and there is a woody component that adds to the flavor. The maple aroma has faded at this point.

The El Yayabo was a solid 1 hour and 45 minute delightful smoking experience.

I commend team El Yayabo for creating a terrific cigar that I am sure will be in demand as more cigar lovers get to experience it. This may well be contender for our 2015 Top 25 new cigars.

I am looking forward to sampling the other blends in the El Yayabo line soon.

We would thank Yayabo for the samples.