The Good Stuff: By now, we should all be familiar with Paul and his Maldonado Dynasty. Not only does he make a great cigar, but Paul is an amazing individual who has supported us every step of the way. When he announced that he was joining forces with the boys over at La Aurora we couldn’t have been more pleased. Both are known for their vision, quality, and attention to detail. You can read more about the collaborative effort here.

Paul is pretty tight-lipped when it comes to any specifics on the Mogul’s blend. I really don’t know any of the specifics at all, but I do know the previous blend was composed of a Brazilian Ariparaca Maduro wrapper with Dominican Binder and Fillers so I can only imagine that those may remain the same. Paul eluded to an additional tobacco added to the new blend to finish of the blend and raise the strength. Regardless, it’s how the cigar preforms that matters and not what’s in it. The new Mogul comes packaged in boxes of 20 and will run $220 a box or $11 a stick.

Size: 4.75 x 54
Wrapper: unknown (Brazilian Ariparaca Maduro?)
Binder: unknown (Dominican?)
Filler: unknown (Dominican?)
Strength: Medium/Full
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $11
Pairing: Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron (Imperial Brown Ale 12% ABV)

Prelight: The Mogul carries a ridiculously beautiful wrapper. The wrapper leaf is very dark brown with lots of darker brown webbing, a few larger veins, and a few orangish patches. I love when you can really see the natural characteristics of the leaf. The wrapper’s texture carries some slight tooth, and lots of oils. It feels pretty dense too as it leads up to the round, double cap. The Mogul is then polished off with the exact same yellow/beige band with the Maldonado Dynasty crest as presented on the first rendition of the cigar. In comparison to the old blend, the only real difference in appearance is the wrapper seems to be a bit darker in color. That doesn’t mean much though as similar wrapper leaf will almost always differ in darkness. The band looks as though it may be a different shade in printing, but I think a lot of that has to do with the amount of oils the old blend has soaked up. You can see the comparison above. The new blend is on the left, older blend on the right.

The Wrapper on the Mogul gives off a whole ton of cedar and tobacco aroma while the foot of the cigar carries some pepper, spice, and more strong tobacco aromas. The cap took a bit of work to cut due to the density of the wrapper leaf, but it was nice and clean once it sliced through. The cold draw revealed some strong pepper, natural tobacco, and spice flavors.

First Smoke: Maldonado Dynasty’s Mogul started out with a nice pepper greeting. Once that began to fade back the cigar revealed a very bold dark chocolate with notes of cedar, spice, and coffee. The draw is spot on kicking out tons of thick, white smoke. I was impressed with the just how thick the smoke was. It would just sit in from of my face as a huge cloud before slowly dissipating. The burnline is a bit wavy, but nothing too concerning leaving behind a very dark grey, flaky ash which held on for about an inch before falling into my ashtray.

Halfway There: As I jump into the second third of the Maldonado Dynasty’s Mogul, a really interesting tartness has begun to show it’s face in the flavor profile. As the tartness increases the cedar and spice mellow out leaving the dark chocolate and espresso running the show. The retrohale was way more stout than I was expecting coating my nasal passage with a very strong pepper and cedar. The burnline is still slightly wavy, but I haven’t had to pull my torch out yet while I am actually feeling a little bit of nicotine as I close out the second third.

Finish: Into the final third of Maldonado Dynasty’s Mogul and the flavors haven’t really switched up. The cigar is still very heavy on the dark chocolate and espresso with cedar, and spice notes. The black pepper did show back up a bit in the final third, but it remained on the mild side. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes to take this cigar down to the nub. I experience no real heat issues or harshness as I closed it out. I also never had to pull my torch out of my pocket despite the early on waves. The Mogul left me with a little nicotine kick, but nothing too bad.

Overview: Paul mentioned that the new blend is just slightly tweaked adding more strength and a more refined edge to the Mogul blend, and that pretty much sums it up perfectly. While I enjoyed the first version of the Mogul, it seemed to be lacking just a certain something that the new blend really polished off. The Mogul isn’t overly complex, but it did manage to keep my attention all the way through. The construction was flawless, and the flavor profile was solid. I would have liked to see a bit more complexity in there, but that’s just my pain in the ass opinion. The other thing is the price. $11 is really pushing it for a Robusto, but this is what you need to expect from more boutique blends. It’s become the norm and quite honestly the price tag fits right in which what I would expect this cigar to cost. This is a solid cigar that I’d keep a few around of, but I won’t be doing mass box purchases of.

Pairing: Holy Pairing Batman! This is the perfect example on how the perfect pairing can add so much to the experience. Dogfish Head’s Palo Santo Marron is the epitome of a perfect brown ale. Coming in at a massive 12% abv this beer isn’t for the faint of heart. The Palo Santo Marron leads in with some really strong berry, malt, and chocolate while finishing very sweet with some nice oaky notes, spice and a slight tartness. See where I am going with this? The Chocolate, malt, and spice paired brilliantly with the Mogul while the berry and sweetness added a whole new layer of greatness to the experience. I know that Palo Santo Marron is one of my go to beer pairings as it goes well with almost any stronger/bolder cigar but this pairing in particular knocked it out of the park.

The post The Maldonado Dynasty Mogul (New Blend) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Now typically we don’t post news or press releases on Casas Fumando but The Maldonado Dynasty is offering up a unique chance for anybody to win a whole box of cigars! Not only that, but they are doing it in a very classy way! Take a read through the press release I was sent below and I encourage you to enter and brag about your achievements and successes!

Determination…
Will…
Faith…
Courage.

The very essence of “The Mogul”

Times may be difficult in this economic climate but one thing is for sure, there are always people out there who dare take the risk, they have the vision and fierce will to go after what they know belongs to them.

It is with these people in mind, we are honored to launch “The Mogul campaign 2011.” Our goal is to reward those going against the odds and making their dreams real. These people are strong and possess a determination that is true to the spirit of “The Mogul.” It is our belief that they should not have to sacrifice their Super-Premium cigars to achieve their endeavors but rather be rewarded with some. With no further ado, we unveil your opportunity to win a box of our Ultra-Luxury, Super-Premium cigars “The Mogul.”

**Here are The Mogul Campaign 2011 guidelines for a chance to win. We will be choosing a cigar enthusiast every month for the remainder of 2011 and into 2012** (Please do NOT apply if you are not in fact a business owner/self-employed. We will be verifying every entree submission and you must be established either in your state or online. Must be 21 years old to submit. Thank you for your integrity).

• Must be self-employed and/or own his/her own company (i.e. writers, small business owners, bloggers, Presidents, C.E.O.s, chefs, etc.) Applies worldwide (not only U.S.)
• “Like,” The Maldonado Dynasty on Facebook.
• Print the logo above of “The Maldonado Dynasty,” (Found in our Facebook page under the The Mogul Campaign 2011 album)
• Hold the print out in front of yourself: centered and visible in your office: traditional office, coffee shop, where you conduct business.)
  (Get your employees involved if applicable in the photo.)
• And lastly CAPTION your business information, service(s) rendered, and major goals under the photo you submitted.
  (It is ok to submit more than one month throughout the contest).

We will be choosing the person who personifies the spirit of “The Mogul,” and has a true passion and vision for their company every month and rewarding them with a complimentary box of The Mogul. We will be selecting our Winner every month by number of “Likes,” under their photograph and our belief in them.

This is our token of our faith in your endeavors and our way of wishing you tremendous success in your business. We remind you to push HARD and “Always demand the finest.”

Sincerely,
Paul Maldonado
President/C.E.O.
The Maldonado Dynasty

www.MaldonadoDynasty.com
“Always demand the finest.”

The post The Mogul Campaign 2011 by The Maldonado Dynasty appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The name of this cigar also held sort of a special meaning at this time. The name “The Mogul” seemed to fit perfectly with a recent promotion I was lucky enough to receive at work. So what better cigar to celebrate that accomplishment then with this one. Along with the interesting name, the cigar also has a very intriguing and creative slogan:

“The World’s in Your Hand”

Not only does the cigar have in interesting slogan, the Maldonado Dynasty also portrays it’s own slogan of:

“Always Demand the Finest”

The press release of “The Mogul” sums up this cigar wonderfully so give it a read here:

From the very start, Arapiraca was the choice of Wrapper we had in mind. Never wanting to settle, we stayed true to the rich, strong, slightly sweet leaf. The perfect blend of aged, sun-grown Maduro sweetness, with the boldness of Dominican Binder and leaf, all blended to perfection with Peruvian leaf. The Mogul is the perfect medium-full body premium cigar that will become parallel with the best of the best. Strong and luxurious. After all, we here at The Maldonado Dynasty have a saying: “Always demand the finest.”

We invite you to pick a box up and experience this handcrafted premium cigar for yourself. Also wanting you to to be comfortable in reaching out to us and sharing your comments and questions. After all, we work diligently to make our premium cigars for you, to bring you only the finest. We like to think we create extraordinary moments in time, moments you share with the special people in your life, worthy of The Maldonado Dynasty.
“The Mogul,” is slated for release in late 2010.

Paul Maldonado
President/C.E.O.
www.MaldonadoDynasty.com

Paul and his team have also been busy launching various “Black and White Jazz Affair” events across the country and they plan to continue that in the new year. Double check their website for dates near you! If the pictures and stories I’ve heard are any indication it has been a great success and lots of fun for everyone. As the press release states, the cigars should be hitting stores near you very soon so keep your eyes peeled. Now I have to admit that I had high expectations for this cigar, please take a read through the review and let’s see if it lives up to name, slogan and expectations!

Cigar: Maldonado Dynasty “The Mogul”
Drink: Islay Mist 8yr Blended Scotch
Vitola: Toro (6 x 50)
Wrapper: Arapiraca Maduro
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price:
Burn Time: 1.5 hours

Construction:
• A beautiful dark shiny wrapper surrounds this very evenly constructed cigar
• The oily wrapper also has a fair bit of toothiness to it, very appealing to the eye
• There are a few minor veins but none that pose a threat to the burn of this cigar
• The top of the cigar is cleanly finished with a triple cap that seamlessly blends into the cigar
• The foot appears well packed
• There is a slight soft spring throughout the cigar that is even and consistent throughout
• The band has an interesting coat of arms style and a great attention to detail
• The cut was very clean and easy

Burn:
• Toasting was amazingly even, leaving a nice orange glow on the whole foot
• Considering all the smoke this is producing it seems to be burning surprisingly slow
• The first couple inches so far are razor sharp, no wavering at all
• A few minor burn imperfections happened here and there but they were always quickly corrected without my help
• Considering the freshness of this cigar and the cold temperatures here the burn was absolutely perfect!

Smoke & Ash:
• Lots of smoke right from the first draw
• Tons of resting smoke as well making for some interesting designs in the air
• The smoke off this cigar is just incredible, an absolute smoke machine!
• The ash here is a work of ark, almost a solid white with some minor darker accents and so tightly wound, not even moving
• Ash held on for about 1.5 inches before gently dropping off into the ashtray in one clean and neat piece
• The next couple of ashes weren’t as long but still nice and clean and they always fell off in the ashtray
• The amazing amount of smoke on this cigar actually made taking pictures difficult, but the designs it made were interesting enough just to watch

Tasting Notes:
• The wrapper has a nice cedar aroma with hints of sweet tobacco
• The foot has more cedar aroma complimented by a sweet cocoa and a touch of spice
• Pre-light was mostly cedar and spice, the spice left my lips and tongue tingling just a bit
• Initial draws are packed with a tasty cedar flavor and subtle hints of spice
• Retro-hale here is mostly cedar with no bite and a smooth finish, overall body is fairly mild so far
• As the cedar slowly started to back off a nice balance came into play with some nutmeg spice and a slight dried fruit flavor

• The dried fruit flavors, sorta like a sweet raisin, are developing very nicely with the nutmeg spice
• The cedar tapered off in the first third but as I approach the halfway mark it is making a comeback with a bit more spice as well
• The flavors here continue to develop with some nice coffee notes as the cedar and dried fruit go back and forth as the prominent notes
• Retrohale has also been passing between cedar and dried fruit, still smooth and no bite.
• Body is making a slow and steady progression approaching a smooth medium at the halfway mark
• The coffee has developed nicely into a sweet espresso flavor and is taking charge of the flavors, really enjoying all these subtle changes
• The cigar finished in the full range with a nice balance of espresso and cedar with no harshness at all

Final Thoughts:
There’s nothing negative that I can say about this cigar, this is what every experience should be like when you sit down with a cigar. It had lots of flavors and dimensions keeping it interesting the whole way through. The burn line was razor sharp right off the bat and never needed a correction or re-light even on this very cold day. Paul had warned me that there might have been burn issues since they were so fresh from the factory but I didn’t experience any at all. The smoke was astonishing and the ash was just perfect. A great experience all around and a definite must-try cigar with unique flavors and superb construction. The slogan for this brand is to “Always Demand the Finest” and rest assured, they live up to that!

Pairings:
At the recommendation of Paul Maldonado I paired this cigar with a Cognac. My choice of cognac today was the Remy Martin XO Special. I’m not a big cognac drinker but I do enjoy a glass occasionally and often with a cigar. Just as Paul had suggested, this made for an excellent pairing. The cognac itself was smooth and balanced and offered delicate floral notes and some raw cinnamon sweetness with a delicious finish. The floral notes seemed to go perfectly with the dried fruit flavors of the cigar. The subtle cinnamon sweetness was a perfect compliment to the cocoa and coffee notes. With both the cigar and pairing offering a fantastic finish this was an excellent match.
I believe this cigar would also pair excellently with a finely aged scotch or some aged Port, both of which are favorites of mine. As for non-alcoholic choices, I’d stick with a smooth and bold coffee. Water could even be a good choice to allow you to fully enjoy the flavors of the cigar.

The post The Maldonado Dynasty – The Mogul (Pre-Release) appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.