The tobacco world is buzzing about the newest cigar in town.

The Macanudo Inspirado Red, released earlier this year, has got cigar aficionados talking. The Macanudo Inspirado Red belongs to the Inspirado line of the Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG). Otherwise known for their mild-bodied cigars, STG turned the tables this time around and went for a magnificently aged full-bodied cigar.

About the Macanudo Inspirado Red

Stogie lovers, me included, love that this cigar went all out regarding the blend. It combines 12-year aged Nicaraguan Ometepe, 10-year aged Honduran Jamastran, and 5-year aged Nicaraguan Esteli. The binder is a Nicaraguan Jalapa, and the wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano Ligero. This is a box pressed cigar with only three vitola, the Robusto (5x50), the Toro (6x50), and the Gigante (6x60)

History of the Inspirado Line

The Inspirado line was initially introduced in 2004. Due to STG’s popularity as one of the most influential cigar making companies in the world, the Inspirado line was marketed outside the US. The first Inspirados were introduced to the US in 2014. Even so, the first Inspirado cigars were sold in Canada and Europe. In 2016, STG released the Macanudo Inspirado Orange followed by Macanudo Inspirado Black and Macanudo Inspirado White in 2017. The Macanudo Inspirado Red was released in 2018 to celebrate STG’s 50th anniversary of producing premium handmade cigars. Even though most of the Macanudo cigars are produced at the General Cigar Dominicana Factory in the Dominican Republic, the Macanudo Inspirado Red is rolled at STG’s Esteli factory in Nicaragua.

Flavor Profile

With the amount of buzz that the Macanudo Inpirado Red created in the cigar grapevine, I had to get a taste and see what the fuss was about. I got myself a Robusto for $6.49.

Prelight

My Robusto was excellently constructed. It was boxy with soft corners. The wrapper was darker towards the cap. There is a slightly oily feel to it. The cap is clearly visible, the seams too, and there is a thorough network of veins all over the wrapper. There is a definite sweet tobacco aroma at the foot of the cigar which gives way to a dry, woody, barnyard aroma towards the cap. The general aroma of the stogie is dark cocoa, earthy, cedar notes with receding cinnamon spice zest. The cold draw is slightly airy. There is slight resistance in the draw. I got fresh notes of grassiness, cedar and chocolaty creaminess from the cold draw.

First Third

The first draw is excellent with ample smoke. There is a definite white and red pepper presence on the front of the palate. The body of the smoke is laden with dark chocolate and toasted nut flavors. The retrohale carries notes of oak and cinnamon. My Robusto feels like a light medium-body at this point. The strength is slightly overwhelmed by the peppery notes. The burn is a little shaky. There are occasional dips in the burn line, but no touch ups were necessary. The ash is a healthy dark gray that holds up well for up to half an inch.

Middle Third

In the middle third, the hot pepper zest mellows to the back of the palate. The front of the palate carries creamy sweet cocoa notes, cinnamon, and woody flavors. There are sweet fruity notes coupled with oak and freshly roasted espresso essence. The aftertaste is loaded with leather, almonds, and earthy tones. The burn is somewhat evening out. There are still a few runny streaks but nothing to be worried about. The draw continues to be excellent, and so does the ash. The strength goes up a few notches at this point. My stogie is a good medium-body with ample smoke output.

Final Third

The final third is a strong finish for this cigar. The strength goes up to a healthy medium bordering on full-body. Some of my cigar buddies say their experience ended at a full-body, but I have had stronger cigars. In my opinion, as much as the Macanudo Inspirado Red is much stronger than the other Macanudos in the market, it did not quite get to a full-body cigar strength. There are a lot of sweet notes in the final third. There are also cinnamon spice tones mixed with woody oak and buttery coffee. The flavor mostly settles at dark chocolate though there are peppery notes in the retrohale. The smoke output is still great as is the draw. The burn line finally stabilizes, and the ash remains solid. I did notice the stub was getting quite warm, probably because my Robusto was a tad airier than am used to. Overall, this cigar kicked ass. Aside from the few issues with the burn line, I thoroughly enjoyed the smoke and would definitely do it again.

What is Different About This Macanudo VS the Others

The Macanudo Inspirado Red is an attempt by the STG company to expand the palate of the Inspirado line. Previous lines like the Macanudo Cafe and Gold blends are widely loved mild-tempered cigars. Even kin cigars like the Inspirado Orange, Black, and White are also quite mild. By blending well-aged tobaccos, especially the Nicaraguan blends, the Inspirado Red became arguably the most full-bodied cigar in the Macanudo family.

Why You Should Try It

As earlier stated in my review, this is definitely a cigar worth having. It is not a haphazardly made cigar; it is perfectly blended with vintage tobaccos, a Jalapa binder and Ligero wrapper. Honestly, it is not every day that these tobacco blends work together. It takes a unique combination to balance these three tobacco seeds so that none overwhelms the other. Additionally, the flavor palate is quite impressive. You can taste the complex flavors right from the first draw to the last. And finally, the pricing works. For a cigar of this caliber buying a Robusto at $6.49, a Toro at $6.99 or a Gigante at $7.49 is not going to break your bank. Admittedly, the Macanudo Inspirado Red is not an everyday cigar, but it is definitely one worth having in your humidor at all times. You never know when the urge to have something special may arise.