Macanudo Cigars Ecuadorian Shade & Sumatra in Review

Macanudo Cigars Ecuadorian Shade & Sumatra in Review

BRAND: Macanudo
BLEND: Ecuadorian Shade

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Shade
BINDER: American Broadleaf
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto box-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-medium
SPICE: 1/5

NOTES:
Cocoa butter | Vanilla bean | Lemon tart

TASTE: B
DRAW: B+
BURN: B
BUILD:B+

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: | :::

BRAND: Macanudo
BLEND: Sumatra

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
BINDER: American Broadleaf
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Robusto
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 2/5

NOTES:
Dark chocolate | Cumin | Leather

TASTE: B
DRAW: B+
BURN: B
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Powstanie Cigars Sumatra in Review

BRAND: Powstanie
BLEND: Sumatra

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed
BINDER: Mexican, Pennsylvanian (dual)
FILLER: Dominican, Honduran

FORMAT: Gran Toro (6.25x52) box-press
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 2.75/5

NOTES:
Chocolate sponge cake | Cherry Dr. Pepper | Spices

Clove and sweet paprika lead the orange-reddish feeling spices. Cake and soda are very huddled together. The whole profile is a bit hard to pull apart throughout the 1/3. A toasted-scorched pine wood vegetality comes in at the 2/3 to lend delineation. Wide line coasts from there-out, smoothly-so.

Draw's a tick-toward open, and could be rather easily over-smoked. Big smoke out-put with a chocolaty, herbaceous olfactory. Ash is a hair airy. Press rounds some. Lips get salted, coated in light oils. Body builds nicely, uncloyingly. Well-rounded, nuanced blend. I'd recommend a Tawny Port pairing.

TASTE: A-
DRAW: B+
BURN: B+
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Partagas Cigars Y Nada Mas Cibao in Review

BRAND: Partagas
BLEND: Y Nada Mas Cibao

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Corojo
BINDER: Sumatran
FILLER: Dominican, Pennsylvanian

FORMAT: Robusto (550)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Medium
SPICE: 1.75/5

NOTES:
Whoppers | Ginger snaps | Cafe au lait

Pleasant tasting, harmoniously-so, but a bit lemony drying and somewhat vacant in spots. Creaminess, almost an egg cream, rallies against the drying and really does do quite well for itself via progression. Does fill out come the 2/3. Ginger snaps dial back some in favor of salted caramel around then.

Honey flavored graham crackers. An evolving and transitional (for the best) smoke. Migrates to where it needs to be at the 1/2 and then coasts slowly with a rising lemon meringue. Seams are a bit uneven. Burn-line waves and is a tick thick in spots. Excellent ash. Sweet, creamy olfactory with a slight zetz.

TASTE: B+
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: B

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Kaplowitz Media. Cigars of the Month for May 2026

Kaplowitz Media.
Cigars of the Month
for May 2026

(listed in alphabetical order)
(names are links to full reviews)

El Rey del Mundo King of the World VSOP
La Gloria Cubana Intencion
La Sirena Original Trident

::: very :::