Berger & Argenti Entubar Quad Maduro (New Cigar)

[OHRD]

Size: 4 5/8×48, Corona Macho (box-pressed)

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Maduro

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican

Strength: Full

Price: $9.99

Grade: 9.2

First off, be sure to check out our current contest – where we are giving away a box of Berger & Argenti’s new cigar, MOOCH, a 6 pack of the Enutbar, and a three pack of the Clasico. Details are found here.

Even though we’ve previously reviewed the Clasico, Exile, and the regular Entubar line, we’ve yet to provide information on Berger & Argenti Premium Cigars. They got their start in 2009, when Mike and Al Argenti teamed up with Enrique (Don Kiki) Berger, of Tabacalera Esteli. They are headquartered in Miami with agricultural and production facilities in Esteli, Nicaragua. They specialize in small batch and premium cigars. Their cigars are sold strictly in B&Ms, and every Berger & Argenti product we’ve smoked we’ve been blown away by. They are in the mix of our top manufacturers, and their product line continues to grow – at this year’s IPCPR they introduced two new lines, the Quad Maduro, which we are reviewing today, and the value line MOOCH, which we will review next week, and which is the feature stick in our current contest. Their Clasico was recently awarded Robb Report’s Best of the Best.

The Entubar Quad Maduro is one of the two newest offering from Berger & Argenti, and is a part of their Entubar line of cigars. The Entubar line of cigars is described this way:

Each deeply aged Nicaraguan filler leaf is carefully rolled into itself creating delicate ‘scrolls’ of rich, flavorful tobacco. This age-old method ensures open chambers of air flow from the foot to the head of the cigar, creating a superior draw…The ligero tobacco leaves that lend the cigar its unique full body is bunched independently from the rest of the blend before it’s re-bunched directly into the center of the remaining entubar rolled filler blend. This ligero channel ranges the full length of the cigar and extends ¼ beyond the finished trimmed foot, creating a startlingly unique fuse like appearance that virtually assures a perfect, conical burn with a long white ash.

The difference between the Entubar and Entubar Quad Maduro is the box pressed “Habano” and the Nicaraguan Cuban-seed Sun-Grown Maduro wrapper, which has been aged in oak barrels since 2002. The Quad Maduro is available in four sizes – Corona Macho (4 5/8×48), Robusto (5 3/8×54), Double Corona (7 5/8×54), and a Torpedo (6 7/8×56). The regular Entubar line is available in an additional size, a Gran Toro (6 5/8×64). Sold in boxes of 20, the price per stick ranges from $9.99-12.99 depending on size. You can learn more about the Entubar, and Berger & Argenti, on their website, or follow them on Facebook.

This smoke, like the regular Entubar, which we reviewed here, is an eye catcher…so on to the toast!

Pre-light, 1.9:
The first thing that jumps out on this smoke is the presentation. The dual bands and ligero bunch protruding from the foot are unique and heighten the anticipation for the smoke. The dark and oily maduro wrapper is smooth to the touch with no veins. The box press is very well done on the Corona Macho and there are no soft spots at all throughout the stick. Lastly, the triple cap is constructed atop the head flawlessly. The pre-light aroma is of clean tobacco with a woody barnyard note at the foot. The cold draw produces a hint of sweet spice that is very pleasant.

Burn, 1.8:
The Entubar takes quite a bit of time to toast, but after the protrusion is lit, the rest takes off well. The draw is nice and produces an adequate amount of smoke at a very pleasant smoke temperature. The ash holds well, is a consistent white in color, and only drops off after I help it out, about an inch in to the smoke. The draw tightens up a bit past the halfway point and this in turn causes the smoke temperature to rise a tad, but it is still pleasant on the palate, and this eventually corrects itself.

Flavor, 2.7:
The first puff on the Entubar Maduro produces notes of earthy tobacco, hints of nuts, and a sweetness on the finish. The first third stays with the same trend, but the tobacco takes on more nutty or woody notes. The sweetness is still present on the finish and there is no spice on my palate. The second third does not provide any movement or transition. As I move into the final third, the tobacco seems to become more earthy but the mild sweetness is still present on the finish. The smoke is creamy throughout, and I never picked up any spice to speak of, but I always felt like it was very close to punching through, it just never happened.

Overall, 2.8:
This smoke was enjoyable, but I did not enjoy it as much as the Entubar we reviewed earlier on the site, even though I love Maduros. Though I enjoy a Corona size smoke, I would like to try one of the other production sizes at some point. That being said, at around ten bucks a smoke, this offering from Berger and Argenti is a solid stick. The flavor profile is pleasant, the construction is excellent, and the presentation makes this a fun stick to smoke!

(Total: 9.2)