Throwback Weekend Review: Jose Marti Masaya Figurado

[Islandboy]

I liked the idea behind this review challenge as soon as I read it. After all, I’ve only been into cigars for about 4 years now, and in that time, I’ve made many progressions in what I’ve smoked, starting from rock bottom. And I know I’ve tossed a few of the early ones into a forgotten corner of the back-up to the back-up humidor as my tastes have developed. So I dug deep, and found a Jose Marti Masaya Figurado.

This definitely goes back to my start. One of my first purchases was a Nicaraguan sampler, or the NACSA sampler as they called it. An 8 cigar sampler of Nic puros, mostly of the no-name variety (didn’t know s**t from shinola back then). There were 2 each of 4 different Marcas. I picked the figurado sampler because they were cool looking, I thought. If I recall, the price was around $34, so a tad over $4 a stick.

I remember smoking through one sampler, but I don’t recall them tasting like anything but pepper....and smoke. But they were still cool looking, and I still didn’t know s**t, so I ordered another. By the time the 2nd sampler came, I had already moved on to something that I thought was the bomb....that I’m sure was only slightly more tolerable. Thus started the accumulation of forgotten sticks in the humi, many of which my occasional-smoking neighbor has been the recipient of. 

So, here we are - A Jose Marti dog-rocket with at least 4 years of age on it, and some time to kill. I’m a bit anxious, expecting the worst and fearing the sheer size of this thing - 6 3/4 x 54. But hey, I’m ready to embrace the challenge and take one for the team. 

Turns out, it wasn’t bad. I’ll let you read my smoking notes below for the details, but I can definitely attest that time has been berry berry good for this stick. It wasn’t a flavor-bomb by any means, but It has at least been elevated out of its dog-rocket purgatory and is now well into the good yard gar category. I think the biggest surprise was the lack of pepper, and its overall smoothness - an obvious result of time. And its outstanding burn throughout, even burning perfectly through a crack that developed in the wrapper about half way through.  

I have one more, I saw it. I can now hand it over the fence to my neighbor in good conscience. 

Aloha, and happy smoking! Brad

[MooseAMuffin]

Really enjoyed the back story. Always enjoy your pictures as well!