The @casdaglicigars company was at one time none as Bespoke cigars you if you are not familiar with the current namesake you may have come across the line by its former title. The original #GrandCafé was released in 2012 to celebrate the Bespoke launch, but the Maduro version is a special release. Casdagli is seen as the top shelf of boutique brands, so I’m expecting nothing less than the finest bouquet of flavors and exceptional structure.
Initial Light and First 3rd
Embodying the previous name Bespoke, the cigar presents itself with a reserved high-class construction. The hickory brown outer leaf, displaying small veins, is perfectly rolled with minimal seem showing. Its packed firm but not too tight that it will hinder the ventilation. The flavor is quick to come on with notes of premium new leather, saltiness, cedar, and clove. Getting past the first inch or two, the leather grows, and the clove turns spicier to more green pepper.
Second 3rd
The profile of spice and earthy mineral continues…imagine if the salt, leather, and cedar all combined into a single balanced flavor. Halfway through the cigar is a rich, bitter coffee similar to a quality Columbian roast. Not a blemish on my experience, but I did have to relight the cigar a few times. I will contribute this to, whether wrong or right, the diameter of the lancero. With less filler, I’m sure there’s not a lot to keep it burning when compared to other sizes. Joyful complexity would be how I describe this cigar.
Final 3rd
The final portion of the cigar sees it settling in with the intensity dwindling. The leather is now faint but is still playing in the background. What comes now is a new contrasting sweetness of dark sap and cocoa. I perked up when I began to get a bright citrus nearing the end. This cigar has layers on layers of flavors. It is full-bodied and medium to full on the strength. The special edition of the Grande Café has richer, darker flavors than the original. If toastier bright notes are your thing, stay with that version. I paired this with the Woodford Reserve Double Oak that filled in for those sweeter notes missing early.