Gran Habano Persian King Maduro Review
Up for review today is one of the lesser known blends from Gran Habano, the Persian King Maduro. Coming in at roughly $5 per cigar, it’s a fairly economical cigar. Of course, in most cases you get what you pay for, so I’m curious to see how the cigar performs.
Blend Specifics
- Cigar Reviewed: Gran Habano Persian King Maduro
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua / Honduras
- Size: 6 x 50
Appearance and Construction
The Gran Habano Persian King Maduro is an unorthodox cigar from a construction standpoint. First, it’s sold without the traditional ornate Gran Habano band. Second, it sports a second, lighter wrapper leaf that makes up its closed foot. On further inspection, the outer sun grown maduro wrapper features two very prominent veins. After cutting the cap with a straight cut, the draw reveals itself to be somewhat loose, about a 5.5/10 in terms of restrictiveness.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
Once the closed foot ignites, the Gran Habano Persian King Maduro kicks off with highly concentrated, creamy, medium bodied smoke. The profile is nutty, spicy and creamy, with a core of espresso and highlights of chocolate. Very, very good. Smoke production certainly isn’t an issue with this cigar, and the smoke is nice and cool, if spicy. Overall, it’s an excellent start, and I’m interested to see if the rest of the maduro wrapped cigar will keep my attention.
When the ember burns past the lighter wrapper and into the sun grown maduro, the change of pace is stark. The creamy nuttiness disappears within just a few puffs, replaced by a more classic maduro profile of prominent spice on the tongue with layers of bitter sweet dark chocolate, espresso, some light pepper and charred wood. I’d describe both strength and body as medium plus. The retro on the other hand is a solid medium showcasing red and black pepper.
By the second third, I’m ready for some more change, and the Persian King Maduro delivers. The spice that up to this point hits the palate hard draws back, revealing smoother, sweeter notes of chocolate, toasted bread, and a delightful floral note that I’m not used to experiencing in Nicaraguan cigars. Some nice cinnamon and molasses flavors also make brief appearances, though never coming on strong enough to be primary notes in the broader palette.
In the final third, burn issues start to surface. The burn strays way off, requiring a relight to fix. Flavors though continue to develop nicely, with a mix of savory cooking spices, cinnamon, burnt wood and espresso. It’s a nice way for the cigar to end, but unfortunately the loose draw finally becomes problematic with the smoke production struggling and the heat picking up. It’s a natural place to put the cigar down.
Conclusion
The Persian King Maduro from Gran Habano cigars delivers big on flavor, but has some big trouble with construction in the final third of the cigar. Given that I only smoked one cigar for this review, and knowing that Gran Habano cigars tend to have excellent construction, I’m willing to look past it to a degree.
In either case, the Gran Habano Persian King Maduro is a cigar that I think beginners and enthusiasts alike will love, and at such a great price point it’s an easy cigar to recommend.