Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill Review

Although better known for its core Cafe and Inspirado lines, cigar giant Macanudo’s best work is often to be found in its series of vintage cigars. These limited production releases feature tobaccos from particularly good years that have been aged to further refine their flavor. In the case of the Macanudo Vintage 2010, the crop in question is a harvest of Connecticut River valley shade-grown wrapper tobacco grown in, you guessed it, 2010. According to Macanudo, the unusually high temperatures and humidity in the region that year produced an exceptional wrapper leaf that was worthy of extended aging.

From the start, I’m extremely curious about this cigar. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed other Macanudo Vintage cigars, and the concept of a 10-year aged Connecticut shade grown wrapper is music to the ears of my inner cigar nerd. Let’s put this cigar to the test and see what Macanudo’s team has been able to do with this fascinating tobacco.

Critical Stats

• Vitola: Churchill
• Size: 7.25×48
• Wrapper: Vintage 2010 Connecticut shade grown
• Binder: Honduran
• Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Piloto Cubano ’94
• Strength: Medium-mild rising to medium toward the end
• Smoking time: *Note to the reader: I screwed up and failed to record the smoking time in my notes! My best recollection is that it was about 90-100 minutes, but for this one we’re left with just my estimate*

First Third

The cold draw on the Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill is surprisingly dynamic and enjoyable, presenting with notes of hay, nutmeg and some sweetness. The draw does seem a bit firm, but I proceed without a second cut in hopes that the cigar will open up as I begin to smoke.

The initial puffs of this cigar bring notes of cedar and light coffee, slightly reminiscent of an Ashton Cabinet. Interestingly, the flavors from the cold draw don’t show up much, with both the sweetness and the nutmeg being very faint in the background of the smoke. The hay note seems to vanish altogether. The draw remains somewhat firm, but it does improve and allow me to continue smoking with no difficulties.

As I get further into the first third, the Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill’s cedar note ramps up, at times making it a rather one-dimensional cigar. A slight gaminess does show up from time to time to add some variety, and I have to admit it’s a very interesting experience. That gamey note is something I rarely get from Connecticut shade grown wraps, so it’s quite different to see it show up here. In conjunction with the rich cedar and a bit of white pepper that flits around my palate, it’s a fairly enjoyable combination.

By the end of the first third, the draw has opened up and a firm ash has formed. While the cigar’s flavor hasn’t been as complex as I was hoping for given the uniqueness of the blend, the construction is immaculate.

Second Third

Going into the second third of the Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill, cedar is still the dominant flavor, though the gaminess I found in the first third has become a bit more prominent. Midway, the coffee note, which has been either hiding in the background or missing entirely since fairly early in the first third, begins to re-emerge.

As the second third progresses, I do find that the cedar note begins to shift toward deeper, darker wood flavors. An almost oaky character emerges, which is at the same time not unpleasant but a little jarring. I also begin to get a straw note that hasn’t been present up to this point to round out the flavor profile. The draw at this point remains open and the cigar is smoking extremely well.

Final Third

As we enter the final third, the oaky notes I mentioned in the second third resolve back toward cedar, which seems to just be this cigar’s default note. The smoke takes on a slightly more creamy profile here, and the coffee note remains light but still present. Enjoyable, but still not as unique as I was hoping for from this tobacco. The game note also fades here, leaving us after a long and pleasant stay.

Toward the end of the Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill, the flavor profile becomes less distinct, taking on an unremarkable toastiness that, while far from unpleasant, isn’t anything to write home about. The cigar does have one final trick up its sleeve, though, as a very unexpected splash of milk chocolate appears as a barely discernable backing note just before the end of the cigar. This was really interesting, and I wish it had shown up a bit earlier so I could have seen how it developed. As it is, the cigar is near its end, and there’s little room left for the flavor to change. I finish with an even draw, having been able to avoid touching up the cigar a single time while smoking.

Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill Review and Closing Thoughts

Flavor

The flavor of this cigar is best summed up by a note I quickly jotted down as I was finishing it: “A bit boring, but enjoyable.” I was expecting more from the cigar in this department, largely on account of the heavily aged tobacco it uses. Realistically, this cigar is one you’ll probably like, but I can’t say it fully justifies the careful curation and aging of tobacco that was necessary to produce it.

Construction

This is where the Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill really did outperform. The construction of this cigar is excellent. Despite a slightly tight draw to start, the cigar presented me with no difficulties and burned through without a single touch-up. This cigar also maintained a firm ash that held on much longer than I expected.

Value

I paid about $13 for the sample smoked for this review. If Macanudo Vintage 2010 had given me a little more to work with flavor-wise, I think it would have been a good value. As it is, we’ll call it a little overpriced, though not enough for me to reduce the score for poor value.

Final Verdict:

6/10

There’s a huge part of me that wants to give this cigar a higher score, mostly because I’m an unapologetic sucker for vintage and heavily aged tobaccos. Unfortunately, the Macanudo Vintage 2010 Churchill just didn’t live up to expectations as well as I had hope. Don’t get me wrong, this is an enjoyable cigar, but it certainly didn’t require extensive aging and carefully selected tobacco to achieve what it did. This is one I may put down for a second review, as there were a few interesting flavor notes. If you see one of these, it’s worth picking up, but I wouldn’t go to the ends of the earth for one.