Smoked: Southern Draw 300 Hands maduro

Smoked at: West Chester, Ohio

Southern Draw 300 Hands maduro is a base mazo/bundle offering from the Holts. I got a strong recommendation to try this from a tobacconist I trust.

This cigar features Nicaraguan and Dominican filler with an Indonesian binder within a firm, very dark Nicaraguan maduro wrapper. It’s medium-full in body and strength start to finish.

The draw is a bit loose at first, then tightens up to offer a little more resistance. The smoke production is solid. The light grey ash held well and the burn line required only a couple of touchups. Awfully good construction for a value base line mazo-bundle series.

Fire it up and it opens with a chocolate sweetness, coffee, cedar and pepper. The chocolate and coffee quickly combine to produce a mocha taste. Sneaking into the mix are some citrus (orange-ish) notes. By the end of the first third the flavors include spice, a chalky mineral notes, some leather, peanuts/walnuts, a rare occasional taste of coconut and the citrus is more like orange rind. The pepper increases during the 2nd 3rd. There’s a touch of creaminess on a few puffs as well.

This is a very good value smoke. I picked some up for $3 a stick. I haven’t been this surprised by a cigar in that price range since I smoked a Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte B many years ago. The complexity and balance of the flavors and the construction were surprising good for a value stick.