Serino Royale Maduro Cigar Review

Back in November of 2016, we introduced and reviewed the Serino Cigar Company’s Royale Maduro XX. It was certainly a great cigar and made our top 25 Boutique Cigars for 2016. The company itself has been talked about a lot lately on social media groups and is even a major sponsor of my friend Cigar Coop. Today I would like to introduce you to the sibling of this fine cigar, the Serino Royale Maduro, one of the four inaugural cigars the company released in 2016. As sublte as the name is (Maduro vs Maduro XX), the real difference is in the wrapper. the Maduro XX used an Ecuadorian Habano 2000 seed Oscuro Maduro whereas the Maduro uses a Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro Maduro – note, it is not the Habano 2000 seed variety. All 4 inaugural introductions of the Serino Cigar Company used the same fillers and binders but different wrapper leaf.

So what does a change in wrapper do for a cigar? Read on and you will learn. If you visit the Serino Cigars website, they describe the Royale Maduro as:

“For those yearning for a taste of the past, the Serino Royale Maduro is a medium to full-bodied cigar delivering rich aromas and flavors reminiscent of pre-revolution Cuba.

Tenderly aged Nicaraguan fillers have been selected to produce a complex array of tastes. It is wrapped in an oily, Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper, as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.”

The blend is simply described as:

• Wrapper –  Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
• Binder– Nicaragua
• Filler – Nicaragua (Estelí and Jalapa)

The Serino Royale Maduro is available in 4 vitolas and come packaged in 20-count boxes (humidors), yep the box is that well designed.

• Robusto Gordo – (5.5 x 60) MSRP $10.20
• Belicoso – (5.5 x 60) MSRP $10.25
• Toro – (6 x 52) MSRP $10.00
• Petite Sublime – (5.75 x 54) MSRP $10.00

For this review I sampled the Petite Sublime vitola which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.

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The Serino Royale Maduro

Pre-Light Examination

The Serino Royale Maduro has a glistening dark brown wrapper that is smooth to the touch and solidly packed. While the other 3 vitolas are finished with standard caps the Petite Sublime is finished with a tiny pig tail cap. Looking at the foot you will notice some enticing strands of dark black leaf.

The cigar is adorned with 2 bands. The primary band is the standard Serino Cigar band with its bright blue and gold motif and the name Serino centered and a gold letter “S” in bright red circle. The words “20th Anniversary” is printed below the logo. the footer band uses the same motif and declares the cigar as the Royale Maduro.

Running the Serino Royale Maduro across the nose you pick up a hay stack aroma off the foot. there was not much aroma along the barrel.

I clips the cap with my Zikar double blade and gave it some cold draw puffs. The draw was somewhat restricted and offered notes of  earth, pepper, and a subtle sweetness. I like this cold draw as the flavors are nicely enveloping my palate and creating a savory taste sensation.

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Cigar Review Notes

• Initial light offers a warming pepper sensation
• Pepper easily settles
• Salt and pepper ash develops
• Sweetness enters after an inch of solid burn
• Mild spice enters near the end of the first third
• Ash fell with a fairly centered burn cone
• Caramel notes grace the palate
• Walnut follows giving a me candy brittle sensation
• Mild to medium in strength
• Spice builds some
• Cocoa powder joins the caramel
• Caramel recedes as the cocoa increases along with a hint of raisin
• The oiling on the wrapper is simply amazing
• End of second third there is a hint of floral
• The floral gives way to a cedar and peppery spice through the final third
• Ends with a medium to full strength
• Total Smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes

Overall, the Serino Royale Maduro was uniquely different form the Royale Maduro XX. It had a richer sweetness from the start and the cocoa did not appear until later in the burn. I was especially intrigued by the Caramel Nut brittle notes. This was a fine smoke and like the Maduro XX it represents a proper 20th anniversary. HAd i sampled this last year i would have had a difficult time deciding which one was better and perhaps they both would have made the top 25.