Fleur de la Reine is a brand I’m very familiar with, in particular, the Fleur de la Reine Quatre Maduro. It is a cigar that I keep in rotation with my other go-to’s. One of the main reasons I enjoy them is for the use of Connecticut Broadleaf, which is one of my favorite wrappers on a premium cigar. Not only that, but this hand-made has fillers and binders from three different countries that are blended in an educated way. Not too much of this, great amount of that…
I’d also like to mention that I rarely find myself digging into a box of five-dollar smokes. Why? Because I’ve had some not-so-good cigars that share that same price tag, as I’m sure you have as well. It’s something we’ve all experienced; lighting up and being let down. But that’s no excuse to never try anything new, and because of that, I know a few lesser-priced cigars I won’t hesitate picking up.
Today I’ll be sparking up the Quatre Maduro, the smallest of four sizes in the Fleur de la Reine line.
What am I smoking?
- Cigar Review: Fleur de la Rein Quatre Maduro
- Country of Origin: Honduras
- Distribution: United Cigar
- Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
- Binder: Dominican Republic
- Filler: Nicaragua and Honduras
- Size: 4 7/8th inches
- Ring Gauge: 52
- Vitola: Quatre (Robusto)
- Strength: Medium
Packaging & Design
The Fleur de la Reine Quatre Maduro come packaged in boxes of 20. The box itself is made of a dark wood, like stained mahogany. It showcases the Fleur de la Reine crest in gold on the top, giving the box a nicely contrasting look.
The bands have a glossy look and feel, with a beautiful looking woman with wavy hair as the focus. Colors of red, white and gold cover the rest of the band, which I find to be an attractive color scheme.
First Impressions
If someone were to hand me this cigar without the band on it, I’d guess it was worth more than it actually is. I’m a big fan of maduros, and this one looks great. There is a slight tooth to it, hardly visible seams and minimal veins. The caps appear to be placed with care, which were clipped easily with a Quad Table Cutter with steel blades.
On the pre-light draw, I notice a lot of espresso and earthy notes along with a sweet touch of dark fruit. Draw resistance is slightly airy but not too airy, which is something I prefer in the construction department.
Lets get her toasted.
The Smoke
I torched the foot with a Vertigo Injector, which lit up quickly. The first few hauls off the Fleur de la Reine Quatre Maduro show many of the same flavors that were in the cold draw. Plenty of coffee notes up front with a sweet and lively flavor of dates and peppercorn. Off to a great start so far.
Approaching the halfway mark, spicy sensations pick up in a big way, especially when exhaled through the nose. The smoke has changed into a deeper and more full bodied profile, offering nuances of earth, malt and molasses that linger towards the back of my palate. At this point, this cigar reminds me of another well-known brand that has a similar looking lady on the band.
Closing in on the final third, this Fleur de la Reine keeps surprising me. In fact, if there’s an adult beverage this compares to, it would be Sam Adams Octoberfest. The flavors are very similar between these two products, including a balance between sweet malt and espresso with an almost hop-like sensation at the nub.
Anyone else thirsty?
Final Thoughts
The Fleur de la Reine Quatre Maduro left me feeling good. Construction was great, only needing a quick touch-up in the first third to even out a bad torching on my end. If I’m looking for a quick 45 minute smoke that won’t break the bank, its gonna be this one. And if you’re not into maduro cigars, Fleur de la Reine is also available in a natural shade wrapper as well.
For a cigar that falls just under six dollars a stick, there is no reason you shouldn’t try the Fleur de la Reine Quatre Maduro. Make yourself breakfast one of these days, save the money you would’ve spent at the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru, and pick up a Fleur de la Reine instead.
After all, cigars are the breakfast of champions.
Score Breakdown
-Appearance: 20
-Flavor: 19
-Balance: 18
-Burn: 18
-Quality: 18
Rating: 93
Price: $115.99 / $5.99
