Quote Originally Posted by Lopaka


Shakespeare Vintage Maduro Robosto, Signature Series
As promised, here is my review of the Shakespeare cigar that I received.

The look of the cigar is a nice dark leaf, good construction and even color for a maduro. It had a very bland smell, nothing very pleasant like many maduros that I have smoked. Cutting off the cap gave me no problems. First draw was easy. Plenty of smoke. I got a hint of grass in first draw and then a light tobacco taste. Nothing empowering or strong however an Ok taste. Still hints of grass in the tobacco. Nothing unpleasant.

The smoke has a nice smell to it.

As I get a 1/8 into the cigar the grassy taste is mostly gone. The cigar takes on a better taste, like a typical Maduro…not very powering, however still nice and easy. So far, it’s even smoke, no problems, not really a special smoke. No spice or definite flavor. Still mild and pleasant, the smoke is a little sweet and calming.

About a quarter the way down and still nothing definite in the taste. Only one minor correction so far so mostly an even smoke.

As I got closer to the middle of the cigar the taste starting to get a little harsher and the minor sweetness in the smoke was leaving.

Half way down the Cigar the taste changes a lot. A more harsher and burning taste then anything. Not unpleasant, however odd change for a maduro. Smoke is changing a little bit…almost has the sent of smokeless tobacco.

Still a little harsh as I passed the half way point, however the nice pleasant taste started coming back with a very slight spice taste to the cigar, not very alarming, just very slight. The smoke returned to pleasant sweet smell.

Taking the wrapper off, I had to tear around it just like the Opus wrappers. I wonder what “Super-Wrapper” glue everyone uses.

Just slightly past the halfway mark and the grass taste returns. The harsh taste comes back. I feel like I’m smoking a blade of grass. As I kept smoking the taste starting to get worse and getting very harsh, not very pleasant.

I had to stop smoking about the ¾ mark because the taste wasn’t good at all. More of the grass flavor was returning with the harsh taste added in.

My impression was this was a descent smoke. I wouldn’t get a box, however I wouldn’t mind trying a 5 pack and allowing some age on the cigar to see how well it ages. As I was smoking it, I was thinking most of the time this really needed some age.
Lopaka - thanks for the honest, detailed review. Perhaps I should have advised earlier that the Maduros can sometimes use some aging.

I have been a smoker for 8 years. I have only been with Shakespeare Cigars since last August. The good thing about that is that I do not limit myself to only smoking the company's product. I smoke everything, which I think keeps my opinions honest and balanced.

In all honesty, I did have one experience similar to your review with our maduro. In contrast, I smoked a Shakespeare Vintage Maduro last night, and it was a dream.

I find the maduros smoke best after aging in the humi for a few weeks or more. I also find them most enjoyable after a hearty dinner. When I had one in the morning without eating breakfast, it was like the old highschool days of "wake & bake", lol.