Pre-light Experience

Seth: The Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda is a nice looking cigar. The length and ring gauge are to my liking, and I like the small pigtail cap. The cigar sports small to medium sized veins throughout and a dark Natural to Maduro wrapper. The color is dark coffee bean and milk chocolate. Firm in hand, the cigar has aromas of rich earth, tobacco, spices and leather.
John: The Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda appears to be a corona-esque vitola, although the ring gauge is noticeably larger than a traditional corona. It features a Colorado Maduro wrapper with the artisanal complication of a nipple cap. The wrapper is exceptionally smooth with a very attractive appearance, and my best guess would be that it’s Broadleaf. I weighed the cigar at 11.8 grams and measured the humidity at 63.5% using the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro. One thing worth noting is that the cigar was packed so densely I struggled to insert the HumidiMeter Pro probes into it. Aromas from the wrapper included fresh wood and tobacco, while the foot offered similar aromas, albeit at a milder intensity.
Jiunn: The Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda has a hearty Colorado maduro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the man… twist is nicely… twisted. Aromas give pungent barnyard and cedar.

Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda

First Third

Seth: The first third begins with dark earth, tobacco, damp wood and faint cocoa notes. There are subtle spice qualities, and it is not overly rich or spicy. Semi-dark earth profile on the medium side.
John: The first third gets things going with mild, sweet tobacco leading off, followed by wood. Both notes linger into the post draw. Through the retrohale, the profile consists of creamy tobacco sweetness with restrained medium-minus baking spices through the center. As the first third settles in, the baking spices begin to linger on the post draw and are joined by some mild earth. The baking spices on the post draw evolve into a more defined cinnamon note as the first third continues. One interesting observation was the room note, which reminded me of pepperoni and cured meats.
Jiunn: The first third is abundantly sweet and creamy with a side of rustic, tannic oak. Retrohaling gives a great combination of cherry cordials and dried red pepper spice. The finish is lengthy with oak tannins. Strength is medium and body is medium-full.

Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda

Second Third

Seth: The second third is line with the first. Strong cocoa qualities, but still the cigar is smooth and on the medium side. I don’t want to say it gives hot chocolate or mocha qualities, because it is not that sweet or creamy, but softer.
John: The second third begins with creamy wood combining with earth and baking spices to lead the profile, while some minerality follows through the center. As the cigar settles in, a savory cured meat flavor moves into the center of the profile. The baking spices on the post draw fluctuate between light-plus and medium-minus strength from puff to puff. By the halfway point, the tobacco sweetness has reasserted itself, combining nicely with the wood.
Jiunn: A shift occurs within the second third where it’s more about rustic oak tannins than sweet and creamy. The oak builds a bitterness to it that doesn’t mix well with the other flavors. My favorite part of the retrohale is still intact though. Strength and body continues to be medium and medium-full, respectively.

Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda

Final Third

Seth: The final third is right in line with the first and second. The cigar comes off as stronger in appearance, but when smoking, is much softer. Medium in strength and body, the cigar has a cool finish.
John: The last third kicks off with a combination of creamy baking spices and wood. The minerality that was present in the second third returns through the center of the profile as the final third settles in. Some mild bitterness develops through the bottom half as the cigar begins to heat up.
Jiunn: Some nice black coffee notes comes through in the final third which is a perfect complement to the sweet and creamy nature of the cigar. However, it’s not enough to overtake the existing bitterness in oak tannins. Strength and body is unchanged at medium and medium-full, respectively.

Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda

Burn

Seth: The burn is very good from start to finish.
John: I lit my cigar with the standard lighter that I use, which is a Xikar Tactical single torch flame. The burn was razor straight throughout the entire review. I always know a burn is exceptional when I look over my burn notes afterward and there are only a few words written down for the entire smoking experience.
Jiunn: No issues with the burn as the burn was even, with tight ashes, cool burning temperatures and ample smoke production.

Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda

Draw

Seth: The drawing is perfect from beginning to end.
John: For the cut I used the same cutter that I typically use, which is a v-cut with the Colibri SV cutter. The draw measured 70 inches of water on the CigarMedics Draw Tester. Subjectively, it started between three and three-and-a-half notches into the resistant spectrum, making it snug. At some point during the first third the draw opened to between two and two-and-a-half notches into the resistant spectrum, improving it to merely resistant and ultimately earning a Good rating.
Jiunn: No issues with the draw either, giving the ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

Seth: I am all over the place with the Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda. The flavor profile delivered is average, and while it is not lacking, it’s disappointing. The cigar is great in appearance, and the aroma is wonderful, but the flavor is lacking in the depth and complexity. The burn and draw are also great with the cigar. It’s a flavor profile that would have done better in a regular toro vitola. This is too cool of a vitola for the lacking profile.
John: Blind Cigar #1591 delivered one of the more distinctive experiences among the recent blind cigars. The profile centered around creamy, sweet tobacco and wood, but what made it memorable were the subtle savory characteristics that emerged as it progressed. The cured meat-like room note in the first third and the savory meat quality that developed in the second third added complexity without ever overwhelming the core profile. Baking spices remained well-integrated throughout, transitioning naturally from general baking spice into a more defined cinnamon character before settling back into a supporting role. Construction was very good on the whole, with a flawless burn that required no attention whatsoever. While the draw began noticeably snug, it opened enough during the first third to become much more enjoyable. The final third lost some of the earlier refinement as bitterness crept in with the increasing heat, but it never completely unraveled. Overall, this Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda was a well-balanced, nuanced cigar with enough unique characteristics to stand apart from the typical profile, earning a solid Good rating despite a finish that couldn’t quite maintain the momentum established during the first two thirds. Total smoking time was very quick at 1 hour and 24 minutes. I would have expected the smoking time to be closer to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Jiunn: The first third of the Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda was the best part, creating a hefty body smoke experience highlighting a plethora of sweet creaminess with oak. But by the time the second third came, the oak turned bitter and that bitterness overshadowed the favored notes. Given the majority of the cigar was like this, it’s a pass for me.

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$2.39

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.52

Cost/Point

$2.07

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.21

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Black Label Trading Co. Macabre Corona Gorda