Marcus Daniel Bartolomé Masó Maduro Cigar Review – A Hidden Gem

Back in the summer I received a message from a  cigar shop in Naples, Florida asking if they could get some of their cigars reviewed on Stogie Press. That shop was Marcus Daniel. I will be honest, I heard of the man but I have never been to the shop or tried his cigars. Personally, now that I have sampled some, I think I need to make a trek over to Naples in the future to talk to him and review his shop, but until then I will talk about the brand and post reviews of the samples that I received for that purpose.

Who is Marcus Daniel

Before I get into today’s review, let me introduce you to Marcus Daniel Morine.  A native of Northern California, Marcus was raised in wine country, in fact his great-grandparents, immigrated from Europe and planted the original grape vines in the area.  By the time he was 23, Marcus found himself in the cigar business. and developed his craft and is recognized as master tobacconist, vitolier and cigar maker.

The Company Website explains:

“Marcus Daniel Morine has been behind the creation of more than two dozen proprietary blends of handmade cigars that are manufactured in four countries and sold worldwide.  These countries include the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Honduras and Little Havana in Miami, Florida.  He is an icon and national cigar celebrity who has dedicated his life’s work to follow the trail blazed by the great generation of cigar makers and tobacconists.”

We live and learn every day and while doing the background research on the company I learned what a Vitolier is. We all know that a vitola is the word that represents the size and shape of a cigar. A Vitolier is described by Marcus Daniel:

“In fine-dining restaurants, an experienced sommelier is on hand to advise customers in their wine selections. Similarly, the vitolier is knowledgeable in matters concerning tobacco and cigars, and advises clients in restaurants or cigar shops.”

So there ya go, maybe we all learned something today even before we talk about the Bartolomé Masó Maduro cigar. One more note, the name Bartolomé Masó is a Cuban municipality that was named after the Cuban patriot Bartolomé Masó Márquez.

The Marcus Daniel Bartolomé Masó Maduro

With the many different countries Marcus has done business with to produce his cigars he selected Little Havana. Miami in the United States to produce the Bartolomé Masó maduro. It is known as a favorite among Cubans in Miami. Let’s start the journey and understand why. I chose a cool early October evening to enjoy this cigar in the Stogie Press lounge. The humidity was down a few notches and the breeze was blowing in as I leaned back on the couch and took in the quiet solitude after a busy day of work. It hasn’t been this nice in months. I actually sampled this cigar last month, as I had a few samples to try, My notes reflect the earlier experience so tonight I chose to pair it with a dark, full bodied, blended red wine which made for an excellent pairing.

The Marcus Daniel Bartolome Maso Maduro blend is simply described as:

• Wrapper – San Adres
• Binder -Nicaragua
• Filler – Nicaragua

This cigar is available in 3 vitolas and are packaged in 24-count boxes and also 6-packs.

• Rothchild (5 x 50 Box Pressed) MSRP $269.95/box
• Toro (6 x 52 Box Pressed) MSRP $279.95/box
• Churchill (7 x 48 Box Pressed) MSRP $289.95/box

You can order these directly from Marcus Daniel through their website. For this review I sampled the Marcus Daniel Bartolomé Masó maduro toro.

Pre-Light Examination

Initial examination reveals a well constructed box press cigar that is dark brown with a mild tooth to it. There is more of a silky feel to the wrapper which has very few veins on it. There is a decent amount of marbling through the wrapper.

The cigar is finished with a well applied triple cap and there are two bands on the foot. The bands use a cream, red, and bronze motif with an antique look to them. The first band declares this is the Bartolomé Masó and the second states “By Marcus Daniel”.

Pre-light aroma along the barrel was sweet fermented leaf and the foot exudes notes of hay and pepper. 

The cap was easily removed with my double blade Palio cutter. Giving it some cold draw puffs, the palate was graced with a red pepper note on the tongue along with earth on the palate, all delivered through a mild restriction. The pepper grows little by little as you cold puff it. I would suggest doing just that – cold puff on it for a while and enjoy before firing it up and you will understand why a full body red wine pairs well with this cigar.

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Cigar Review Notes

• First light offers a pleasant medium pepper burn
• Buttery spice and sweetness enter
• Espresso follows with a slice of citrus
• Light grey – slightly flaky ash
• Falls early about an inch into the burn
• Thin char line with a flat centered cone
• Sweetness builds well into the second third as the coffee and citrus balance well on the palate
• Very smooth smoke
• Medium smoke volume and pristine burn
• Hint of black licorice enters in the second third
• Followed by some astringent notes before turning sweet again
• Spicy sweet aroma plays through
• Medium strength so far
• Fruit breaks through end of second third
• Finished with a coffee and fruit note  and peppery spice
• Final Strength was full
• Total Smoking Time was a pleasant 1 hour and 30 minutes down to the nub.

Overall, the Marcus Daniel Bartolomé Masó Maduro was one of those hidden gems in the crowded cigar market. It offered a pristine burn and excellent flavor and aromas. I highly suggest trying this cigar and it certainly would make any of our top list of cigars. At a price point of under $12.00 per cigar for the toro,  I have to say this is priced right and worth every minute of the smoking experience. As I noted earlier, this paired perfectly with a dark full-bodied red wine.