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Unlit Impressions

Nearly two years of additional aging have resulted in some intriguing transformations taking place, both within and on the outside of this cigar. Take the color of the wrapper for instance, which was a light hazelnut color when it first arrived, but has since transformed into a faded straw color that is almost green in the right light. Removing the footband proves this fact, and with this fading comes the realization that much of the wrapper's aromatics have also faded away. Cedar and straw, but little else besides a bit of dustiness, can be detected from the deeply seamed outer leaf. 

Inside the foot, all of those darker, stronger tobacco strains have retained much of their original integrity, and with scents of spiced fruit cake, chewy fruit leather, and cowhide leather lighting up the nostrils, it's obvious that there's still plenty of life left in this blend. 

Cold draws get underway with some strong oak tannin tastes and the drying sensation they often impart. Cinnamon spiciness may hit next, but it is backed by a nutmeg and clove combo, and supported by an elusive brown sugar sweetness that when mixed makes me think of a gourmet Snickerdoodle cookie. Chewy and doughy, this cookie flavor profile is only made more obvious by the licks of vanilla latte foam on the finish. 

I also find the Flint Knoll wine label inspired primary band on this cigar to be extremely attractive. Classy but not too flashy, the bronze and white piece of paper is an exercise in high-brow marketing that flexes without straining.

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Initial Smoke

  Cedar, cream, and cinnamon spill forth the moment the foot of the cigar is touched by flame, followed by an impressive amount of oak and the tannins they contain. While a bit grassy and hay-like at times, the flavors of the blend pale in comparison to the tastes and aromatics of sun-grown tobacco leaf. Spiced, leather-like, resinous, and slightly sweet, the filler and binder in this blend is anything but mild, and I am thrilled to find that it is still alive and kicking. Roasted sunflower seeds of the unsalted variety can also be detected here and there, which is a wonderful surprise and fits right in with the rest of the sun-grown starting line.

1st Half

Buttery and heavily peppered, the first third starts off with a Ritz cracker flavor, and then retains it for much of the next hour. Sweetened oh-so slightly, with a smooth cedary retrohale, the overall cigar flavor profile retains its place on the brighter side, with a creamy vanilla accent keeping the whole latte experience alive.

A shovel load of dank soil in the last section of the first third signals the arrival of the first major transition, which is not so much a shift as it is an embellishment. Connecticut Shade flavors of grass, hay, grains, and butter in particular are accentuated, with the following notes being the wrapper's supporting nuances. Still doing its best to keep oak first, ask questions later, the tannins inside this blend are their own entity, and as retrohales gradually grow spicier, those sunflower seed tastes decide to become more of an aromatic than a flavor. 

By the time you reach the midsection of this Churchill, body strength, flavor, and finish have all become medium, as the burn and ash result in Macanudo-grade combustion points being added to the overall score.

2nd Half

Like a brisket on the smoker, the cigar suddenly seems to stall out right in the middle, as flavors and aromatics plateau and refuse to transform in any way. Normally, this would be a bit of a bother, but since the cigar flavor profile is so enjoyable, I take the second third as a bonus round and let the good times roll.

Nearing the final third, a fresh round of changes are finally detected, and there is a new addition to the tasting table: Tanginess. While the flavor would not be something I would classify as citrus-based, this tanginess does have many of the characteristics of citrus peel. In retrospect, this could be due to the magnitude of the oak tannins touching the tongue more than pithiness, as the same effects can be felt from both. 

Whatever it is, vanilla and cream come back in a big way as well at this moment, and with that latte taste touching down once more, body and flavor become slightly fuller, and far more complex. Those buttery Ritz crackers are still in there somewhere, too, topped with a few cracks of black pepper. I also detect the faintest touch of dark dried fruit, potentially from the wine cask, but that's more of an assumption than a statement. 

Parting Puffs

Charred oak barrel staves, anyone? How about some salt and pepper along with a load of sharpness on the tongue? No? I'm not much of a fan of these things either. Especially when they hit you all at once and overpower all of the enjoyable flavors and aromatics you were just embracing a few minutes prior. Pity...

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Although it may drop its ash on you every now and then, the burn on this blend is 100% Macanudo-grade, even after some lengthy downtime in the humidor. I found smoke production to be particularly good with this cigar, and that was primarily due to the draw, which was ideal. Not once did I feel concern about the burn line, and I appreciate how the texture and weight of the cigar's smoke gradually shifts from mild to medium-bodied.

Final Thoughts 

This blend was hard to come by for quite a while, so we should count ourselves fortunate that we are able to get it again, especially since it delivers so many stellar smoking perks. 

While by no means a transitional superstar, the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 1 does a really good job of keeping things intriguing, while not going too hard on your taste buds either. This is in stark contrast to what the blend provided when it was fresh, which I found to be quite spicy and imbalanced in sections, and unpleasantly sharp early on. Too bad parting puffs has yet to kick this unpleasant cigar flavor profile to the curb, because that would have aided this blend's overall score immensely. 

However, like many things in life, there is a bit of a trade-off if you decide to age this blend in your personal humidor like I did. On one hand, it is far smoother, which is what I was hoping to find. But you will also sacrifice a fair deal of those juicy wine flavors, and are left with more oak tannin and baking spice than fermented grapey goodness. So while I would have liked to have seen more wine-like fruitiness and baking spice accents, I must say that this blend does taste more balanced now than when it first arrived in 2023.

That's why I would suggest that you smoke one now, then set a stick or two aside for future consideration if your sample smoke seems a touch too potent or peppery. Either way, we are sure that you will find the Macanudo Estate Reserve Flint Knoll No. 1 to be a very good cigar, and one worth savoring with friends and family members, along with a bottle of cabernet sauvignon.

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