True or False

I

Inthacup

Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2004
Messages
272
True or False:

99 out of 100 maduros are stronger than their natural counterparts


The consensus of the forum will help me with a wager. Thanks.

Cup
 
False. I believe Maduro means "ripe." These leaves are left on the plant much longer before being removed and therefore become more ripe. Like an over-ripe fruit, the result is that the leaf has a sweeter flavor, more mellow flavor.
 
Inthacup said:
99 out of 100 maduros are stronger than their natural counterparts
Click to expand...
False...

Maduro does mean "ripe" and it is a long process that makes the cigar mellow and sweeter.

Here is the catch...if the box of cigars has "Maduro" on it then, they have been processed as mentioned above.

HOWEVER if the cigars are dark in color (wrapper) and the box does not have any mention of "Maduro" on it, those are the ones that will make your eyes water! In this case the dark leaf has nothing to do with the ripening process, but the type of leaf used.(STRONG).

Good luck with the bet!

-Andre
 
Pick up the latest Cigar Af. (the one with 84 year old Sharon Stone on the cover)and read the article they wrote on that exact topic. Basically they squashed the misnomer that maduros are a stong wrapper. As stated by a few others here, a maduro wrapper is sweeter and supposidly has a better flavor.
 
Read the same article that marc mentions. Especially like the reference to the chisel and how the maduro isn't as strong. I woudn't know, but that's what it said.
 
It all depends on what one means by "stronger". I think the confusion is with defintions and classifications. Generally speaking maduro wrappers are always more flavourful and thus to some get classified as "stronger." Now if you would have asked "does maduro wrappers 99% of the time impart more flavour"-- all would agree.

Jim
 
False, typically the maduros are picked later and aged for more flavor. Strength of cigar does not always come with the length of aging or time on the stalk.
 
I dunno, I think most of you are missing the question:
stronger than their natural counterparts
Click to expand...

I take this to mean an Excalibur #1 natural vs. an Excalibur #1 maduro, NOT a Don Thomas maduro vs an Oliva "O" Bold Ovation. In the first case, "TRUE" in the Don Thomas vs Oliva "O" Bold, FALSE, but again, the original question did not ask about comparing DIFFERENT brands of cigars to each other, it said "counterparts"

I still say TRUE
 
I agree with Brother Mark in that Maddies are schweeter, have more cocoa flavors, probably more earthy flavors and are a rounder, richer smoke but IMO definitely not stronger.

A maduro wrapper is made by fermenting the leaf longer and at higher temperatures in the bales. Some manufacturers actually cook the leaves in a pot to make maduro wrappers. At the higher temps and longer fermentation the nicotine level naturally decreases and more of the sugars in the leaf are brought out. Maduro wrappers are definitely sweeter in flavor and don't have the same level of spice and kick as their natural counterparts. Just my $0.02 :p :D

Aloha,

Wade
 
wk-mang said:
I agree with Brother Mark in that Maddies are schweeter, have more cocoa flavors, probably more earthy flavors and are a rounder, richer smoke but IMO definitely not stronger.

A maduro wrapper is made by fermenting the leaf longer and at higher temperatures in the bales. Some manufacturers actually cook the leaves in a pot to make maduro wrappers. At the higher temps and longer fermentation the nicotine level naturally decreases and more of the sugars in the leaf are brought out. Maduro wrappers are definitely sweeter in flavor and don't have the same level of spice and kick as their natural counterparts. Just my $0.02 :p :D

Aloha,

Wade
Click to expand...
:thumbs: :thumbs:

It's pretty obvious when you try the same cigars side by side, like a Padrón Natural/Maduro or an Opus Natural/Maduro.

The flavors are mostly just different, but I agree that Maduros tend to be a bit sweeter/deeper in flavor, and with a bit less of the spice that can be found with natural wrappers.

So I suppose the question is at fault here; because we don't know what "stronger" means. Stronger flavors? Perhaps, if the cocoa/sweetness is what you mean. Stronger in terms of spice? Not in my opinion.
 
Stronger to me in the case of maddies means richer flavor. Sometimes naturals seem a bit flat.
 
Sorry for the late response.

I think it is clear here that stronger means... which cigar will make you lay down on the couch after you smoke it? Which cigar will make your head swim?

I read the same C.A. article, so I say FALSE.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top