The Wise Man Maduro Robusto cigar from Foundation is a seriously delicious smoke. The adventurous and wise among you might remember the Corojo-wrapped and 93-rated ‘El Gueguense’ (pronounced el-way-when-say, and meaning, yes, ‘The Wise Man’) from just a couple of years ago, and if you do you know why we’re so excited for this updated version. Coated in a toothy and robust Mexican San Andres wrapper, the complex filler blend of longleaf Corojo and Criollo achieves a whole new level of sophistication and flavour. In counterpoint to the original, the band on a The Wise Man Maduro Robusto, is now primarily red with gold highlights and has swapped ‘The Wise Man’ and ‘El Gueguense’ as the headlining front mark name, but the mottled brown and black San Andres wrapper leaf is the true showpiece of this exquisite 5 1/2″ X 50 vitola. Smelling and tasting of rich sweet cocoa before lighting, you’ll also notice hints of maple syrup and pungent earth that carry forward into the flavour profile once the foot is properly lit. Loaded with a hefty dose of red and black pepper plus a meaty char, there’s still room during the first half of the smoke to layer in coffee, dark fruit, and cream. The second half of this medium-full strength delight provides welcome waves of sweetness, namely dark chocolate and cherries reminiscent of a Black Forest gateaux.
