Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Brick House Mighty Mighty Maduro is dark brown and has a fair amount of color variation throughout, including what looks like a large water spot (size of half a penny) of a much lighter color near the foot on the back of the cigar. There are a couple of raised veins running the length of the cigar while the seams are easily visible as they are a bit raised. The head is finished off with a well applied quadruple cap. There are two bands, with the primary being the traditional design for the line. The secondary strip band carries the same color combination and denotes Maduro. The aroma from the wrapper is wood and dark chocolate while the foot brings a sweet and slightly spicy cedar. The pre-light draw brings sweet cedar with a mid-level spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Brick House Mighty Mighty Maduro is double banded, with a ‘Brick House’ primary band and a ‘Maduro’ secondary band. The UPC sticker on the cellophane is designed to tear open and leave the code intact. The cigar wrapper is chocolate brown and rustic in appearance. Aromas from the cigar included a fresh sweet cedar, with fresh light plus strength raisin from the foot.

First Third

The cigar begins with wood, baking spice and faint mustiness. At a half inch in, the mustiness has increased to become even with the wood while the baking spice is right behind. The retrohale begins with a bit of baking spice zing and then the musty wood comes through. As the third comes to a close, a light cocoa note joins the musty wood and baking spice. The strength in this third was right at medium.

First Third

My first flavor impressions are sweet bread, with delayed baking spices at medium strength into the post draw. The same flavors are present in the retrohale, along with cedar. An earth component quickly joins the middle of the profile, and starts to linger into the post draw. By the 25 minute mark, a lingering light plus cedar sits on my palate between draws.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the wood is up front with the mustiness, baking spice and cocoa even in the background and the profile is slightly dry. At a half inch in, the wood and mustiness become even while the baking spice is faint in the background and the cocoa has left. The retrohale is musty wood with a bit of baking spice zing. The third wraps up with musty wood while the light baking spice is now light black pepper. The strength in this third remained at medium.

Second Third

A sweet, earthy cedar carries the flavor profile into the second third. That earth moves into the middle of the profile almost immediately, and then works its way into the post draw at medium strength. No other flavor evolutions through the second third.

Final Third

The final third continues on with the musty wood and light black pepper. At a half inch in, some char joins the wood. The retrohale is lightly charred wood and mustiness. At an inch in, the char has increased a fair amount. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper has left the profile. As the cigar comes to a close, it finishes with the heavily charred wood and mustiness. Strength in this third bumped up to slightly above medium.

Final Third

Toasted earth is the primary flavor as the Mighty Mighty Maduro moves into the last third. Some cedar and earth finishes each draw into the post draw. By the halfway point, the toasted aspect of the earth falls away, replaced by sweet cedar. In the bottom half, the toasted earth works itself back up in strength, up to roughly medium plus, eventually taking over the palate.

Burn

The burn line was a bit wavy at times and the cigar went out once in the second third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

The burn was consistently straight through the review experience. Ash held on well up to 2 inches.

Draw

The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with wood, baking spice and faint mustiness. Some cocoa joined in as the third came to a close. The second third saw the cocoa depart and the baking spice morph into black pepper. The final third saw some char join in and increase as the third went along. The black pepper also dropped out in the second half. The construction was pretty good and strength was medium most of the way. The Brick House Mighty Mighty Maduro had a good start with a nice combination of flavors, but in the second third when the cocoa dropped out and baking spice morphed to black pepper, it became average. The final third dropped some more as the char joined and built up. You get a lot of cigar at a great price point, so there’s definitely value here. I’d recommend giving this a try if you haven’t done so as this might fit the budget category that you go to from time to time.

Draw

The draw had some resistance to it, roughly 2 to 2-1/2 notches.

Overall

The Brick House Mighty Mighty Maduro provided an above average smoking experience, with flavors that ranged from sweet bread to toasted earth. Construction was excellent, with some minor resistance to the draw. The Mighty Mighty Maduro size and flavor profile doesn’t appeal to me, and I already own boxes of the Brick House Maduro in the Robusto size that I would prefer. This cigar would appeal to smokers who really enjoy the darker and toasted flavors, and prefer larger ring gauge formats. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 59 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.55

Cost/Point

$1.33

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.80

Cost/Point

$1.28

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Brick House Mighty Mighty Maduro