Initial Smoke 

Oiled leather, soil, mild farmhouse, and milky cocoa are the first tastes I detect after light. Second, come the flavors and aromas of subtle baking spices, sweet, unrefined sugar, dark roast coffee, and a lasting finish that carries that odd perfume aromatic detected on the nose unlit. The draw is near perfect, smoke formation is fluid, and body is already medium, and despite an unexpected ash issue early on, the cigar combusts cleanly. 

1st Half

As Brazilian bean caffeine sweeps across the tongue, its bitterness is softened by a creamy milk cocoa aftertaste and a bit more rainforest floor. Leather and oil are slowly shifting to the back of the line, giving way to rye grain, which dries the palate and allows the perfume-like aromatics more room to wander. Faintly floral, and definitely sweet, this oddity is something that I do not recall from my earlier years.

Drying sensations shift the cigar flavor profile away from coffee and cocoa for the first big transition, which occurs somewhere around the start of the second third. Brazil nuts and stronger soil notes, accompanied by a mixture of oak and cedar make their move, and are joined by a larger amount of cinnamon sugar. 

2nd Half

While a bit spicy at first, retrohales have relaxed into mellow, milky state by the time you reach the middle of the barrel on this premium cigar blend. Toasty, with just a touch of sugary breadiness, breakfast pastry notes are one of the key underlying profiles to search for in this stick. Cinnamon and milder hints of vanilla and molasses funkiness wait for you deep down, and are clean and controlled in their approach.

One of the reasons for the cigar flavor profile's balance is the big-ass bowl of oatmeal that sits right in the center of the final third. Milky, creamy, and slightly sweet, this breakfast grain does a damn good job of smoothing over any of the rougher edges in the cigar, and serves as a testament to Glen Case's claim that Cuban-seed varietals are the best way of filling a cigar. This forms a canvas for the notes of tree nuts, cedar, light peppercorn, molasses funk, and the gradual return of Brazilian coffee beans to sprawl across uninhibited. 

Parting Puffs

Undeniably dark roast by this point, but not a bit charry, the final curtain call comes packed with oak-like tannin tastes and textures, an incredibly nutty aromatic, and a surprise smack of nicotine. Not bad, but not great either. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Burning cool, with not a touch-up in sight, the Original Maduro remains true to what I remember. It's a worry-free sort of smoke when it is stored right, and outside of an odd burn line upon light that self-corrected and some ash drops along the way I didn't run into any issues. The draw was also good, smoke formation was medium-plus, and the feel of the smoke was a nice medium texture that did not weigh too heavy on the tongue or nose at any point.

Final Thoughts

While it may not be nearly as ornate, nor as intense as something like the Le Bijou 1922 from My Father Cigars, there is still so much to appreciate about the first premium cigar blend ever created by Glen Case of Kristoff Cigars. Smoke his Original Maduro, and you will see why even after two decades the blend remains the same and is still the boutique brand's top selling smoke.

It's a medium dark cigar for any occasion, with enough character to keep it memorable, but not too much of anything to make it feel intense. The sort of cigar that you can smoke without worrying too much about focusing on flavors as you enjoy a conversation with someone over coffee. A backdrop to those everyday moments in life when it's time to relax, but you just need something reliable, affordable, and flavorful, without going too heavy.

Will I miss the aesthetics of the old version's boxing? A bit. But as long as the blend remains the same, and quality control stays on point, I get the feeling that this maduro is going to continue to captivate both new and experienced smokers for decades to come.