Maxx 'The Fix' Maduro

The president of the Alec Bradley Cigar Co., Alan Rubin, likes to please so for those smokers for whom bigger is better and anything under a ring gauge of 50 is wimpy, he's your man! Each cigar in the line is quite large to maximize flavor and strength–the smallest ring measures 50; the largest a hefty 60. As Alan says, the MAXX line is "for smokers who want more--more flavor, power, and balance." Take a hearty four-country blend of aged long-fillers–Columbian, Nicaraguan, Honduran and Mexican tobaccos– add a tasty Costa Rican binder, cloak it in a dark Nicaraguan maduro leaf wrapper and you've got the Fix, a rich, medium to full-bodied smoke that's silky smooth and chock-full of earthy, toasty undertones. Our panelfound the burn slow and even, producing nice, thick smoke. The taste was a combination of rich espresso and woody flavors. A third of the way into the cigar creaminess predominated and the woodiness diminished. At the halfway point there was a hint of dark bitter chocolate complimenting the espresso flavor. Look for a sweet finish that lingers. Not surprisingly for a line of such depth and complexity, MAXX received an impressive 9.4' out of '10' from Smoke Magazine and a '91' rating from Cigar Insider. This stogie deserves Cognac or Armagnac, a French brandy even older than Cognac.