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Initial Smoke

Herbal and spicy for just a moment at first, the cigar quickly shifts into being a big ol' Broadleaf blend, with dark malted grains, rich soil, lush leather, and a bittersweet chocolate bite on the backend for balance. That Indonesian binder is doing double-time in the aromatics department, with retrohales pulling a beautiful little spiced tea number out of the hat. Body is medium, flow rates are fantastic, and there isn't much in the way of funk to be found, at least not yet...

1st Half

Energetic is a good way to describe the first half of this premium cigar blend. Roasty, earthy, leather-strong, and moderately spiced, the build-up begins with classic Connecticut Broadleaf, while still allowing that Sumatran binder to do its thing. This is where you will discover spicier scents of peppercorn and roasted chilies, along with a slightly sweet, relatively creamy milk tea taste and texture, especially on the finish or when retrohaling.

Gradually, the cigar grows drier and spicier, likely due to the stronger notes of Spanish cedar striking the tongue. The cigar smoke is still cool and creamy in a medium-bodied format, and both the bitterness and taste of black tea turn the Sumatran side of the stogie into a stronger, far more fascinating facet. Crushed suede has decided to join the party, fitting cleanly inside those oilier leather top notes, making for a very enjoyable center section of the cigar.

2nd Half

Still burning incredibly clean and cool, the concoction of tastes, smells, and textures found within the second third increases the Broadleaf wrapper's capabilities, and for a moment there everything seems to go a little bit sweet on you. Earthy, nutty, malty in a dark ale sense of the word, and heavy on the leather and suede, the build-up to medium-full seems all but given. Although I have found stronger transitions in other Broadleaf blends, this one doesn't seem to be in any hurry; it just lets everything slowly unfurl, allowing the palate to decide what is best detected and when.

Eventually, this results in a final third that is spicier, stronger, maltier, and far more Sumatran spice-aligned. Although that roasted red chili flake heat may hit hard at first, it quickly becomes just another component in the ever-evolving Sumatran tobacco aromatic machine, and when melded with all of the tea and tropical spice notes from that tobacco leaf, it all turns into a wondrous retrohale. The smoke is still fairly dry, though, and with the combination of salt and leather weighing heavily upon the tongue, an imbalanced mouthfeel forms from the flavors being detected. Nothing catastrophic, but a dash off for sure.

Parting Puffs

Heavy leather and big Broadleaf tastes may dominate the finish, but up front, parting puffs are all roasty cedar, creamy, sweet chai tea, and nutty goodness. Although there certainly is a smack of bitterness, there isn't much in the way of char or tar, making for a solid closure to an above-average, medium-full-bodied maduro smoke.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Combustion success rates with this blend have been favorable. Out of the four cigars I burned, there was only one that needed any considerable amount of correction, and even then it was just your run-of-the-mill burn line touch-up. Draw rates are ideal, burn times are slow enough to be considered leisurely, smoke creation is good, and ash formation is solid in the first half, with a satisfactory rating being handed out in the second half due to some blooming and flaking. Oh, and I didn't notice a lot of heat on any of the cigars either, with the body of the blend eventually becoming medium-full, just as advertised.

Final Thoughts

Like a number of other cigars that I have purposefully set aside for review, the Blind Man's Bluff Maduro only improves with a few months of rest. In this case, that translated to nearly eight months of downtime in my Kobi humidor, which I find to be a good time frame for many darker cigars I find to be a fuzz too intense upon arrival. 

Not only did this extra humidor conditioning allow the Broadleaf wrapper to build a little more tooth, but it also cut down considerably on the sharper sides of the cigar that were present when I smoked the first two cigars "fresh" upon arrival. The third stick was pretty solid, what with six months of humidor resting being thrown its way, but this blend seems to taste best with even more downtime. Not only do the flavors get rounder and less bitter, but the spiciness of those peppercorn notes and red chili flakes mellows out a good amount, thus allowing you to taste more of the Indonesian binder inside the blend.

The result is a maduro that is just as Sumatran as it is Broadleaf, with a good amount of creamy, spiced aromatics complimenting the leathery, earthy outer leaf. It may still be a fair deal drier and spicier than what some people are accustomed to encountering in a dark cigar, but it isn't imbalanced or rough either. I also found the first third of the blend to be exceptionally good, and I like how it tends to be a "no-fuss" sort of smoke session when it comes to combustion. 

However, if you are looking for a sticky-sweet maduro or a chocolate and mocha bomb of a smoke, you had best look toward other options. This cigar certainly has these things, but in small sums, and to be honest, I think that's perfectly fine when a creamy homemade chai is in my my sipping mug.