6.5" X 52, pigtail cap and unfinished foot
$4.75 at the (overpriced) B&M
I remember when the JFR maddies first came out, the wrappers were...well...obviously "enhanced". I know that very few cigar makers
don't use some kind of process to darken their maduro wrappers, but these things were dark enough that it made me pass on them.
Fast forward to this past Wednesday. I met up with Hal (HK3) for a smoke at the B&M. Noticed 2 boxes of JFR maddies with a much lighter wrapper than I remember. I grabbed one.
First 1/3
First few puffs are kinda mellow, until you get past the tobacco foreskin on the foot. Then this baby opens right up. Very nice flavors, fairly typical of a Maduro. Sweet, cocoa, coffee with a spice in the background that I can't describe. Nice aroma coming from the foot. Perfect burn and draw. Honestly reminds me of a milder Padron Anni maduro. Similar flavor profile but not as much "oomph".
Second 1/3
Not much change in the flavor (again, reminds me of a PAM
:-)). The finish, however, is lingering on the palate a bit longer, and the aroma coming from the foot is a bit different. So far, so good. I am enjoying this cigar. Also, this baby is burning nice and slow. Burn is getting a little crooked but nothing major.
Final 1/3
Man, this is a really nice maddie. A bit milder than the JFR corojo blend. The sweetness on the draw is intensifying as is the spice on the finish. Makes for a unique experience when I go from draw, French inhale, nose exhale, finish. Not a lot of major flavor changes, but enough subtle changes to keep the cigar interesting all the way through. Strength wise, a solid medium, maybe even on the mild side for those who chain smoke ligero bombs all the time. Let 'er die around 1.5".
Final thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed the JFR maduro, though I like the corojo blend way more. Poking around online, I see they are around a $4 stick pretty much everywhere. I would shell out $200 for a box of the corojo blend, but honestly not for the maddies. But this is a nice stick to grab a few of when at the B&M.
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