This past weekend on The Cigar Authority podcast we lit up the Four Kicks Maduro in the second hour while discussing the Ten Commandments for customers of cigar shops. The show is always a bit controversial and it shouldn’t be. The first commandment is do not bring your own cigar to a cigar shop to smoke. It amazes me how many people think this is acceptable. Can you bring your own beer to a bar? Can you get a whopper at Burger King and eat it at McDonalds because you like their dining room better? Or better yet, can you bring leftovers back to a restaurant and eat them at a table? The answer is no. Cigar Shop owners have to pay employees, rent, electric, cable, and heating or air conditioning. A cigar shop is not the extension of your living room, so stop treating it as such. Curious to the other Commandments? Give this show a listen.
Cigar Review: Four Kicks Maduro
Wrapper: Connecticut Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Size: Sublime (Toro)
The Look: The matte box that houses the Four Kicks Maduro reminds me a bit of a clay tile especially with the coloring of the box. Inside the Connecticut Habano Maduro is flat out ugly. While oils lift off the cigar as you smoke it, it is one of the ugliest wrappers I’ve seen right out of the box. Under the fingers it feels very coarse with no soft spots or voids of tobacco. The band on this release is black and gold with the words Four Kicks in white.
The Notes: Once we clip the cap there is a fair amount of sweetness in the form of warm chocolate cake and the sugar stick from Fun Dip. The aroma off the foot of the cigar has a subtle hint of cedar and pepper. Once the cigar is lit, there is an abundance of cedar present that dominated the palate and carried over throughout the first third of the cigar. There was some subtle licorice notes in the background as well with a touch of espresso.
The second third saw this cigar become the perfect cigar representation of an espresso right down to the lemon rind and a touch of sambuca making this cigar a choice option for an after dinner smoke. There is some spice on the retrohale, cedar on the aroma and the lengthy finish has some subtle sweetness to it.
As we close out the Four Kicks Maduro the cedar notes remain as the coffee and licorice notes are an afterthought. There is some hints of leather present, especially on the finish, but not enough to detract from the experience.
The Finish: Never judge a book by its cover, because chances are if I saw this cigar on the shelf I might just overlook it. Once you light it up, it’s a delicious cigar that falls right into my wheelhouse. The smaller sizes are a bit sweeter, and the Four Kicks Maduro shines in this vitola and making it my favorite in the line from Crowned Heads.
Score: 93
Price: $10.59 / $224.99
Four Kicks Maduro Sublime
Four Kicks Maduro Sublime Foot
Four Kicks Maduro Sublime Burn
