Maduro cigars offer some pretty complex flavors. While there are a few major cigar wrappers, from Connecticut and Corojo to Habano and Maduro, Maduro is one of the broadest categories in the cigar world, second only to Natural (Connecticut). The tobacco used to create Maduro wrappers is usually harvested from the top of a tobacco plant, where it gets the most sun exposure. They’re also aged and fermented, where most of the oils and darker colors come from. Maduro means “ripe” or “mature’ in Spanish and is also called Capa Negra.
You may recognize Maduro cigars by their markedly darker colors and shades. Still, the Maduro category includes many types, like Connecticut Broadleaf, Double Maduro, Mexican San Andres, Colorado Maduro, and more. Most people mistake Maduro cigars as being the strongest, but that’s not necessarily true, and it’s not always the case. Maduro flavors are rich and full-bodied for sure, but also usually very sweet. Depending on the type and the blend — including the filler and the binder — you’ll taste flavors like chocolate or cocoa, coffee, earth, wood, leather, and cream. Varying pepper levels may also come through, especially when smoking Nicaraguan cigars.
Maduro cigars make up some of my favorites, but they’re not my go-to in the mornings or early afternoons. If you’re going to smoke more than one cigar during your day, you’ll also want to smoke a Maduro after anything lighter. They tend to have higher concentrations of Nicotine, especially something like — which is a fantastic smoke, by the way. Either way, if you’re here, you’re interested in trying one or two, so I’ve compiled a list of the best Maduro cigars I’ve tried and tested in 2024. Let’s discuss.
The best Maduro cigars I’ve tried in 2024
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The best Maduro cigars I’ve tried in more detail
While the cheat sheet above allows you quick access to my top picks, I’ll explore them in more detail below. It’s a great way to learn the flavors, blend, and whether or not you might like to try them for yourself.
Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve Maduro
- Strength: Full-bodied
- Wrapper: San Andres
- Recommended Size: Toro
I know, I know, at this point, you’ve probably figured out I’m obsessed with the Aganorsa Rare Leaf Reserve, both the Corojo and the newer Maduro version. But also, I’m not wrong. It’s a delicious cigar and more like a dessert than anything else you might smoke. That’s because it’s packed from foot to head with sweetness, but you’ll also detect some saltiness, pepper, earth, and cocoa. Lighting one of these up while you’re tending a grill or during a cookout will make your day.
Caldwell Long Live the King Mad Mofo
- Strength: Full-bodied
- Wrapper: San Andres
- Recommended Size: Super Toro
Ignore the name — although it is fantastic, I might add. The is a must-try, but the Mad Mofo is one of the better Maduro cigars I’ve tried recently. It’s a Dominican cigar with a Mexican San Andres wrapper and a Limited Edition release, so if you see some available, you might want to get some for your humidor. The wrapper blends well with the Indonesian binder and Corojo ’98 and PA double ligero fillers to produce flavors like chocolate, a boost of black pepper, oak, and leather. Yes, please.
Cohiba Black
- Strength: Medium
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Recommended Size: Corona or Robusto Crystal
If you want a Maduro that’s not as full-bodied but still enriched with flavor, the Cohiba Black should be your top choice. It’s smooth, silky, and satisfying, with lots of cocoa, espresso, leather, and cream. It’s also a perfect example of why Cohiba continues to be so popular in the cigar world and why people love their cigars so much, myself included.
Illusione Original Documents MJ12 Maduro
- Strength: Full-bodied
- Wrapper: San Andres
- Recommended Size: Toro
Dollar for dollar, Illusione is one of those rare brands that you can always turn to for a highly accessible cigar that’s full-bodied, loaded with flavor, and will set the stage for premium and boutique smokes. The Maduro version is a new take on the original MJ12, wrapped with dark paper and perfect for aging. If you have a humidor at home, grab some of these, toss them in, and let them rest for a good four or five months, even longer. They get better with age. But don’t worry; if you can’t resist and want to smoke one immediately, they’re still delicious. Notes of leather, black cherry, floral undertones, and pepper will hit your taste buds, and I’m not kidding when I say these are nub-worthy — you’ll want to smoke them as far down as you can.
La Aurora Preferidos Ruby Brazilian Maduro
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Sun Grown Connecticut Broadleaf
- Recommended Size: Robusto or Toro
The dark, oily wrapper on the La Aurora Preferidos Ruby Brazilian Maduro is a sight to behold. It’s one of those cigars you can see from afar and looks terrific. You know it will taste good after you light it; frankly, it’s a rewarding experience, and there’s no other way to describe it. The oak barrel-aged Cameroon, Brazilian, and Dominican long filler tobaccos make this cigar something transcendental. It’s aromatic, with lots of earth, sweetness, and the beloved dark flavors you can expect from a Maduro, like cocoa, coffee, nuttiness, and more. I’ve worked myself up into a tizzy writing this, and I think I’m going to smoke one right now.
La Gloria Cubana Serie R Esteli Maduro
- Strength: Full-bodied
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Recommended Size: No. 52 or 60
I have a love-hate relationship with La Gloria Cubana. They have some wonderful cigars but can also be expensive because I go through them so quickly. They’re so good that I always like to keep some in my humidor. The good news is they’re almost always included in some deal or discount. Moreover, the Serie E Esteli Maduro is blended for seasoned cigar lovers looking for something full-bodied and flavorful. Don’t let that scare you off. It’s a fantastic Maduro, with flavors like sweet chocolate, spices, raisin and fruitiness, and earth.
Padron 3000 Maduro
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Habano Maduro
- Recommended Size: Robusto
Padron is, well, it’s Padron, and there’s a good chance I don’t need to introduce you to the brand or wax poetic about it. There’s a reason it’s one of the top recommended brands across many cigar lists. The Padron 3000 Maduro is no exception, offering probably one of the smoothest experiences I can ever remember from a cigar. Wood, cedar, pepper, cocoa, nuttiness, and spices await you.
Plasencia Alma Fuerte
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Habano Maduro
- Recommended Size: Robustus 1 (Robusto) or Sixto II Hexagon (Gordo)
If you’ve never had a cigar from Plasencia before, you’re in for a real treat with the Alma Fuerte. It’s smooth, and you’ll get some unique flavors like dark chocolate, plum, leather, oak, toastiness, and sweet molasses. It’s one of my favorite cigars to pair with a solid dram of whiskey or bourbon. It also goes well with coffee, sodas like Pepsi or Coke, or just about anything sweet if you don’t imbibe. If there’s only one cigar on this list that you decide to try, let it be this one.
Ramon Bueso Genesis The Project
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Recommended Size: Robusto or Toro
Ramon Bueso’s Genesis The Project, an older release from 2014 or so, is a regular in my humidor. It’s not super strong, but it’s packed with delicious flavors of dark chocolate, toastiness, exotic spices, wood, cinnamon, leather, and lots of creamy goodness. But here’s the best part. It’s not expensive at all. The only downside is that it’s only available at select retailers, particularly Cigars International and its many brands. If you can find some near you, scoop them up. It’s worth it.
Romeo y Julieta House of Montague
- Strength: Medium to Full
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
- Recommended Size: Robusto or Toro
Another medium option but still a flavor bomb, the Romeo y Julieta House of Montague will transport you to another time and place — a time when everyone spoke in Early Modern English and drank their tea, pinkies out, with an air of braggadocio. Master blender AJ Fernandez also crafted this one, so if you know nothing else about it, you already know it will be amazing. Expect some rich, creamy notes of earth, roasted coffee, wood, leather, and pepper. I’m not kidding when I say that every time I smoke one of these, without fail, I have to read some Hemingway, Kerouac, or Shakespeare. Maybe even some Poe or Lovecraft.
Get to know our expert
I smoke cigars all the time, and I have many recommendations and plenty of advice to share with others. But none of those things qualify me as an expert. Really, it’s the years of experience, the time I’ve invested in the world of cigars, the excellent connections I’ve made with cigar makers and sellers, and the vast wealth of knowledge I’ve gained during that time. I know what goes into a good cigar, and I’ve certainly earned the right to recommend some to others, whether you’re a beginner and this is your first time smoking or have your own cabinet humidor stocked and maintained. Instead of waxing poetic, I’d rather let my recommendations and advice columns speak for me.
