Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is darker brown and has some visible bumps like goosebumps you’d get on your arm. The color is a bit of a matte finish and the wrapper feels like fine grit sandpaper. There are a couple of slightly raised veins and the seams are very smooth and slightly visible just due to color variations of the wrapper. The head is finished off with a well applied double cap. The band is a simple blue text on white and is a far departure from the company’s traditional bands. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of damp wood and cocoa while the foot brings wood along with some dark stone fruit sweetness. The pre-light draw brings a mix of wood and leather with a mid level spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The petit robusto is simple in presentation. The white band with blue font pops off the maduro wrapper, but it is by no means fancy. The cap is applied well to the cigar and the cigar is firm in hand. There are very few veins present on the cigar and the wrapper has a soft gritty texture. It is a simple maduro, dark chocolate coloring and everything about the cigar says simple. The foot gives off an aroma of dried wood, sweet earth, dark chocolate and spices. The wrapper is more chocolate focused with some wood on top of that.

Pre-light Experience

The Southern Draw 300 Hands Maduro Petit Edmundo has a simple blue on white band with rippled edges. The wrapper is dark chocolate and noticeably toothy. The wrapper has aromas of medium-plus strength leather, and buried underneath is some sweetness. In the foot I’m getting raisin like sweetness.

Pre-light Experience

The Southern Draw 300 Hands Maduro Petit Edmundo has a Colorado maduro nearing oscuro wrapper shade. Construction feels great as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll firm and even and head finished off with a thick cap. Aromas from the wrapper tell oak and dry barnyard. Aromas from the foot give mixed nuts, white pepper and creamy bread. Cold draw tells namely dried nuts, faint red pepper spice and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins quite heavy with dark wood, a good amount of black pepper along with a noticeable amount of strength. At a half inch in, a slight cream joins which smooths things out slightly. At three quarters of an inch in, some cocoa becomes detectable to go along with the dark wood and black pepper up front and the cream in the background. The retrohale presents a creamy dark wood note. At an inch and a quarter, some mustiness joins in with the wood, pepper and cream while the cocoa is no longer detectable. The strength in this third was medium-full.

First Third

The first third opens up with some nice rich earth and spice notes. There is some almond like qualities present with that and it is also delivering some milk chocolate and sweet coconut shaving qualities. It is not over the top in any of those flavor profiles but rather balanced throughout. I would classify the cigar overall as being medium in strength and body.

First Third

My first few puffs I taste powdered cocoa, that has some chalky mouthfeel to it. The post draw is lingering leather. On the retrohale, I get a rich combination of sweet, toasted, malty flavors, with just a hint of pepper. As the first third settles in, the post draw leather falls away, with the powdered cocoa now taking over the post draw as well. The chalky mouthfeel from the first few minutes is all gone.

First Third

The first third provides flavors of a semi-sweet milk chocolate and bitter oak. Retrohaling gives white pepper, more pronounced milk chocolate and cedar. The finish is earthy with a lingering leather and dry dirt. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the dark wood is up front while the cream and mustiness are not far behind. The black pepper is creamy and in the background. At a quarter inch in, the cream and mustiness have increased to become even with the dark wood while the creamy pepper is still present in the background and with a long finish. At a half inch in, the black pepper is gone and the profile is just creamy and musty dark wood. As the third comes to a close, the dark wood moves just slightly ahead of the cream and mustiness. The strength in this third dropped down to slightly above medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third of the cigar I find the flavor profile intensifies and it is showing more spice from before. There are some bread and toasty notes with that and it is accompanied by strong earth and dark chocolate notes. It has lost that coconut like flavor profile, but it is still delivering some nutty qualities with the cigar. It is slightly above medium now in strength and body, but not at that medium-full level.

Second Third

As the cigar transitions to the middle third, the post draw leather returns. Some creaminess joins the cocoa on the retrohale, as each puff finishes with that post draw leather. Once the second third has settled in, some cedar joins the leather on the post draw.

Second Third

The second third introduces spice into the mix. The semi-sweet milk chocolate and bitter oak is well complimented by a dry red pepper spice. The spice is also very much so prevalent on the retrohale and finish. Strength has moved to near medium-full and body still medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the dark wood gains some char while the cream has dropped out and the mustiness is right behind the wood. At a half inch in, the char drops out and the musty wood is the lone component of the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the cigar begins to warm up bringing in some mintiness with the musty wood. The strength in this third bumped back up to medium-full.

Final Third

The final third shows more growth from the cigar and it is delivering dark chocolate notes with spices and pepper. I am picking up some dried wood and toast qualities on top of that and it is a nice finish to the cigar. Smoking at a medium-full level, this is a cigar that has increased in strength and body from the start and also gotten stronger and darker in terms of flavors delivered.

Final Third

There’s some minor char moving into the last third. The char recedes after a purge, leaving some toasted earthiness. The profile is largely sweetness, some cocoa, absent of the creaminess from the prior thirds. The minor char leaves halfway through the last third.

Final Third

The last third shows a nice dose of minerals coming through. This widens the flavor profile with semi-sweet milk chocolate, bitter oak and dry red pepper spice. The strength finishes near medium-full and body medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy but never needed any attention. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

This was a well constructed cigar and from start to finish it smoked very well. There were moments where the burn was not perfect, but that is not a major deal as the burn imperfections did not impact how the cigar smoked.

Burn

The burn is exceptional, with only the slightest of waviness. Ash holds on well at 2+ inch increments.

Burn

The burn was almost perfect. The only issue I had was a quick touch-up and some flowering of the ash. Other than that, burn temperature was cool, ash marks averaging 1.5 inch increments and relatively even burn.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar started full throttle with dark wood and black pepper with the strength to go along with it. Some cream joined in and strength dropped down slightly. The profile settled in with the dark wood, cream and some mustiness and strength bumped up again in the final third. Construction was very good and required no attention. The concept behind this project is great and I urge people to read up on it. The price point is great as well, so for those that find they like this cigar, they’ll find it easy to purchase more to keep enjoying. The flavor profile didn’t wow me, but it is something I’d smoke on occasion. I am very interested in trying the Habano offering in this line.

Draw

In terms of draw, the cigar had a draw to my liking. It wasn’t too loose so the petit robusto smoked slow and it smoked cool as well. Very nice.

Overall

I really enjoyed this cigar and have enjoyed it in several vitola offerings. From offering to offering you can pick up the impact of the ring gauge and I actually think the cigar smokes better in a smaller ring gauge. With that being said, the Petit Edmundo delivered a nice chocolaty flavor profile that has some pepper spice with that. The touches of coconut, almonds and toast were positive additions as well and it smoked at a nice medium to medium-full level from start to finish. A solid cigar but nothing very special. I think the best aspect of the cigar is that the profits are given as donations to help Nicaraguan families. That is something that I think is fantastic. The coconut, almond and chocolate flavors presented throughout are the other positive additions for the cigar smoker. At times, it reminded me of the Girl Scout Cookies, Samoas.

Draw

The draw is slightly towards open but still in the ideal zone.

Overall

The Southern Draw 300 Hands Maduro Petit Edmundo represents one of my favorite Maduro releases in the past few years. The story behind the project is compelling, but at the end of the day, customers are going to want something that delivers great flavor if they’re going to buy it again. Fortunately, the 300 Hands Maduro delivers flavors that will have customers adding this to their regular rotation.

Draw

The draw was perfect. No issues.

Overall

Heartwarming story of the cigar line aside, the flavor profile was a good one. I thoroughly enjoyed the interplay of sweet and bitter with semi-sweet milk chocolate and bitter oak. That and the introduction of spice within the latter portion of the cigar made for enough transitions to not feel tedious and mundane. This is a no brainer pick up, especially knowing the attractive $6 price point.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.85

Cost/Point

$1.02

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$0.89

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.52

Cost/Point

$0.80

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.07

Cost/Point

$0.85

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Southern Draw 300 Hands Maduro Petit Edmundo