The Wise Man Maduro like the Wise Man Corojo was re-branded and re-blended for 2024. Foundation Cigars the company that makes these lines took the production of one of their signature cigars from Aganorsa Leaf and moved production down the road to My Father Cigars S.A. No official reason for the change was given but Foundation has ceased all production with the former.
Whenever a company makes a totally new cigar of an existing brand I often wonder why not just create something new. I can’t think of one company that saw a cigar rebranded in the middle of production where that cigar succeeded. Those who love the brand as it was will most certainly not like the new brand the same way. Those who didn’t like the original will already have a pre-conceived notion for the cigar before they even light it. It’s a no win situation and perhaps a time for a death watch to begin.
Cigar Review: Foundation Cigars The Wise Man Maduro (Red)
Size: 6 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: San Andres Maduro
Binder: Dual Nicaragua (Esteli & Jalapa)
Fillers: Nicaragua (Condega, Esteli & Jalapa)
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Release Date: April 2024
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: Fans of Foundation Cigars, the parent company of The Wise Man will recognize the Maltese Cross that serves as the logo. Often synonymous with the Fire Department the Maltese Cross is a symbol of protection and a badge of honor. The logo was also used on the Menelik brand which served as a LE. The new Foundation Maduro is not as dark as the original, nor is it box pressed. The San Andres wrapper has very subtle oils and a reddish brown hue with some tooth in the form of magnesium bumps on the wrapper. In the hand the cigar is well packed but feels a bit light.
The Taste: The cold draw reveals some well defined marshmallow fluff with touch of paprika and red pepper. The foot of the cigar has more subtle marshmallow fluff hidden behind an abundance of earth. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is a muted espresso component with a touch of leather.
Moving into the first third the cigar comes off as medium in strength and body at best. There aren’t any defined notes that develop on this very balanced mellow cigar. There are some subtle bread like notes with a touch of roasted coffee and earth but none of them reach out and really grab hold of the palate. The retrohale adds some cayenne pepper to the mix without the heat of cayenne pepper on the nostrils.
As we approach the second third the cigar begins to open up considerably with notes of coffee becoming more defined with an increasing mocha component. As we cross over the halfway point the Wise Man Maduro becomes medium plus in perceived strength and body although it doesn’t seem as balanced. The finish has some cacao and leather that lingers but doesn’t overstay its welcome
The last third of the Foundation Cigars Wise Man Maduro doesn’t have much going on. There is some cayenne spice with a touch of heat this time, leather and earth. There is a subtle cacao and caramel that you need to search for with a touch of cedar. The finish is earthy with a touch of rye while the retrohale sees added earth. It seems like on paper for the profile is very muted at best.
Conclusion: As noted earlier the problem with changing the blend and the bands is you can’t help but compare the original to the new one. The original one was an epic flavor bomb with incredibly rich notes. The new one is a dud that never materializes once the fuse is lit.
When a cigar is made at a certain factory you expect some characteristics the factory is know for as well as the blender who created it. For me that meant some of that classic Pepin spice and a rich flavorful cigar complex cigar from Nick. This didn’t happen and while I like the Corojo version a lot, the Maduro was a huge let down.
Score: 82
Price: $12.50
