jbrookeiv
New Member
Cigar Stats:
Size: 5″ x 60 ring, “V. Gigante”
Smoking Time: 1hr30
Beverage: Diet Coke
Price: $20 for a 5 pack from www.marcovcigars.com
First, before I get started with the review, I figured I’d give you guys some info on Marco V, since they might not be a company you’re familiar with. Here’s a direct quote from their site that gives you an idea of what they’re all about:
All their cigars are the same size and ring gauge, 5” x 60, and they are all priced the same, at $20 for a five pack. They have three different blends which basically correspond to mild, medium, and full bodied strengths. Their full bodied blend, which I will be reviewing in this article, is dubbed the “Gold Label”, and features a Brazilian maduro wrapper and Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. Marco V was kind enough to send me a sampler pack to review and included one of the full-bodied blend and two each of the mild and medium blend. The reviews of the other two blends will follow, so stay tuned!
The Pre-Smoke
The cigar has a beautiful dark brown wrapper, and is firm to the touch. The pre-light aroma is very pungent, and has that “barnyard” aroma typical of many of the cigars I smoke. I expected the cigar to be a little overbearing based on the large ring gauge, but it actually fit better in between my index and ring finger than most other cigars I’ve tried. The pre-light draw was fairly loose, but I think on cigars with this large of a ring gauge that is pretty typical. There wasn’t much to the pre-light flavor, just your standard tobacco flavor.
The Burn
The burn on this cigar was good enough, but one side did have a tendency to burn a little faster than the other side. Towards the band point, the cigar started to tunnel, but I caught it before it got out of hand. I think the high humidity levels in the area I live (Atlanta, GA) might have contributed to some of the burn issues I experienced, especially since these same issues have been presenting themselves in other cigars I’ve been smoking recently. I am going to try to start “dry-boxing” my cigars, or leaving them outside of my humidor, for a day or two before I smoke them, and hopefully this will alleviate some of the problems I’ve been having.
The Flavor
The initial flavor upon lighting was peppery, with some distinct flavors of wood and earth. As the cigar progressed, many of the flavors I have come to love in maduro-wrapped cigars began to present themselves. A subtle sweetness coupled with a mild spice made the smoking experience very enjoyable. The spicy notes definitely picked up towards the end of the smoke, but they were never overpowering. There was plenty of smoke, and the cigar didn’t heat up if I double or even triple-puffed it. This is one of the main reasons I have come to love large ring gauge cigars. I tend to smoke quickly and like a lot of smoke, and if I try to double-puff a lancero or a similar smaller ring gauge cigar, they tend to heat up and become bitter.
The Price
I think the price point on these cigars is dead on. It is in the lower range of the price spectrum, and is competitive with many budget level sticks. I believe that if the price was more, people might shy away from these smokes and stick with their regulars, but at this price point, they are cheap enough to entice people into trying them. I also follow Marco V on Twitter (@MarcoVCigars), and they run special offers pretty frequently.
The Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar, and will definitely pick up some more in the future. At the price, it would be a great everyday smoke. Marco V has different blends that will fit most smokers’ tastes, and the large ring gauge is perfect for fast smokers like me. I hope more companies will offer larger ring gauge cigars like this one in the future, especially in this length. It made for a perfect length smoke that didn’t heat up or become bitter even if puffed on frequently.
Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes, since I am currently out of this blend.
Recommend It: Yes, if you like full-bodied, maduro-wrapped cigars.
For images, go to http://theweeklycigar.com.
Size: 5″ x 60 ring, “V. Gigante”
Smoking Time: 1hr30
Beverage: Diet Coke
Price: $20 for a 5 pack from www.marcovcigars.com
First, before I get started with the review, I figured I’d give you guys some info on Marco V, since they might not be a company you’re familiar with. Here’s a direct quote from their site that gives you an idea of what they’re all about:
All their cigars are the same size and ring gauge, 5” x 60, and they are all priced the same, at $20 for a five pack. They have three different blends which basically correspond to mild, medium, and full bodied strengths. Their full bodied blend, which I will be reviewing in this article, is dubbed the “Gold Label”, and features a Brazilian maduro wrapper and Dominican binder and filler tobaccos. Marco V was kind enough to send me a sampler pack to review and included one of the full-bodied blend and two each of the mild and medium blend. The reviews of the other two blends will follow, so stay tuned!
The Pre-Smoke
The cigar has a beautiful dark brown wrapper, and is firm to the touch. The pre-light aroma is very pungent, and has that “barnyard” aroma typical of many of the cigars I smoke. I expected the cigar to be a little overbearing based on the large ring gauge, but it actually fit better in between my index and ring finger than most other cigars I’ve tried. The pre-light draw was fairly loose, but I think on cigars with this large of a ring gauge that is pretty typical. There wasn’t much to the pre-light flavor, just your standard tobacco flavor.
The Burn
The burn on this cigar was good enough, but one side did have a tendency to burn a little faster than the other side. Towards the band point, the cigar started to tunnel, but I caught it before it got out of hand. I think the high humidity levels in the area I live (Atlanta, GA) might have contributed to some of the burn issues I experienced, especially since these same issues have been presenting themselves in other cigars I’ve been smoking recently. I am going to try to start “dry-boxing” my cigars, or leaving them outside of my humidor, for a day or two before I smoke them, and hopefully this will alleviate some of the problems I’ve been having.
The Flavor
The initial flavor upon lighting was peppery, with some distinct flavors of wood and earth. As the cigar progressed, many of the flavors I have come to love in maduro-wrapped cigars began to present themselves. A subtle sweetness coupled with a mild spice made the smoking experience very enjoyable. The spicy notes definitely picked up towards the end of the smoke, but they were never overpowering. There was plenty of smoke, and the cigar didn’t heat up if I double or even triple-puffed it. This is one of the main reasons I have come to love large ring gauge cigars. I tend to smoke quickly and like a lot of smoke, and if I try to double-puff a lancero or a similar smaller ring gauge cigar, they tend to heat up and become bitter.
The Price
I think the price point on these cigars is dead on. It is in the lower range of the price spectrum, and is competitive with many budget level sticks. I believe that if the price was more, people might shy away from these smokes and stick with their regulars, but at this price point, they are cheap enough to entice people into trying them. I also follow Marco V on Twitter (@MarcoVCigars), and they run special offers pretty frequently.
The Verdict
I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar, and will definitely pick up some more in the future. At the price, it would be a great everyday smoke. Marco V has different blends that will fit most smokers’ tastes, and the large ring gauge is perfect for fast smokers like me. I hope more companies will offer larger ring gauge cigars like this one in the future, especially in this length. It made for a perfect length smoke that didn’t heat up or become bitter even if puffed on frequently.
Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes, since I am currently out of this blend.
Recommend It: Yes, if you like full-bodied, maduro-wrapped cigars.
For images, go to http://theweeklycigar.com.
