Summary:

This Honduran cigar is a medium to full bodied, flavorful and spicy smoke that starts with a peppery note and then settles to become almost as mild as the Cuban Sancho Panza variety. From the half-way point on, there is a pleasant shift in flavor and fullness that leads into a very satisfying finish. The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Quixote is a very flavorful smoke and a true bargain at the price.

While they are a good cigar fresh from the box, they improve remarkably by resting for several weeks to several months. Humidor storage is recommended before smoking, and after storage are not only a bargain but a best buy. The rating and points assigned in this review are based on cigars after about four months of humidor storage. Explanations are given below of problems or defects that you might find in fresh-from-the-box Sancho Panza Double Maduro cigars.

Background Information:

At 4 1/2 inches with a 50 ring guage, this box-pressed Robusto has an impressive appearance. The Quixote is a mild to medium bodied cigar with a a dark maduro wrapper — almost dark enought to legitimately call it an oscuro. It also has a dark maduro binder, and this is where the “double maduro” name comes from, not from the color of the cigar. The wrapper and binder leaves are selected from the richest, full-sun-tops of Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco plants and then aged for four years before rolling. The filler is a flavorful mix of Cuban-seed Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican tobacco. Crafted by Honduran cigar master Estelo Padrón at Honduras American Tabaco S. A., for Villazon & Co., a subsidiary of General Cigar Co.

From the Manufacturer:

“Sancho Panza is a superbly constructed, square-pressed cigar. The new Double Maduro cigar follows in the footsteps of its highly-rated, natural wrapper predecessor. And like the brand¿s line of natural cigars Sancho Panza Double Maduros are so surprisingly affordable they can be enjoyed every day.

The Sancho Panza Double Maduro cigar gets its name from the fact that it has both a maduro wrapper and a maduro binder. Each Sancho Panza Double Maduro cigar is made with a hand-selected, extra-dark Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and a specially aged, dark Connecticut Shade binder plus a premium blend of Honduran, Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobaccos that delivers the rich, full taste for which Sancho Panza has become renowned.”

CigarEnvy Cigar Review:

Appearance:  9 of 10 points

The Quixote is box-pressed and rectangular. Fresh from the box, the cigars may appear somewhat light and rough and would probably rate a 7. Some time in the humidor works miracles. The wrapper then appears beautifully oily and quite shiny for a maduro. The color is so dark that it approaches oscuro. Veins are small. An attractive cigar.

Aroma:  14 of 15 points

Pre-light, the aroma is sweet and earthy with undertones of spice. The cigar produces large volumes of spicy and pleasantly aromatic smoke.

Burn:   8 of 10 points

Somewhat uneven burn, but easily correctable and not a real problem. The ash is white and firm, and contrasts well with the dark wrapper.

Consistency:   14 of 15 points

The SP Double Maduro Quixote is a very consistent cigar. You will find it consistent from start to finish, having a predictable but pleasant flavor profile (see below). It is also consistent from box to box.

Construction:   8 of 10 points

The biggest negative with these cigars is the cap. Some are poorly applied and come off during handling, punching or cutting. They seem to “set” to some extent while resting in the humidor and this becomes less of a problem — unaged, I would probably rate the construction a 6. Again, these cigars truly benefit from some storage.

Other than the loose cap, the construction is quite good.

Draw:   9 of 10 points

As with many box-pressed cigars, the draw is somewhat tight fresh from the box. Let them rest for several weeks in the humidor and they open up a bit. You will then find the draw excellent.

Flavor:   25 of 30 points

If you are looking for subtle and nuanced flavors in a cigar…look elsewhere. The Sancho Panza Double Maduro Quixote is bold and direct.

After the first peppery puffs, the flavor is balanced and very dependable. For the first half, the cigar is on the mild side of medium-bodied, like a Cuban Sancho Panza but without the undertones and sublte notes. In fact, you might find yourself wondering if you picked up a Macanudo Maduro by mistake. The most noticeable difference is the slight spiciness of the smoke aroma.

The cigar becomes creamier and chewier as you smoke. There is a nutty almond flavor mingled with notes of black coffee and occasional hints of cocoa and vanilla. Through it all, there is the sweetness of the double maduro wrapper and binder blending everything together.

At the half-way point, there is a noticeable ramping up of the body to full medium along with an increase in spiciness. From this point on, the cigar has little in common with its Cuban namesake and strikes out on its own. It becomes more flavorful and the spice and body both increase into fullness and a peppery and sweet kick at the finish.

Number Sampled For Review:   Three.

Other Reviewers:

Cigar Aficianado gave it a 90 in the Cigar Insider newsletter. Reviewers commented on the flavor as “creamy with notes of coffee and almonds.” Smoke Magazine reviewers haven’t rated the Quixote, but they gave the Churchill-sized SPDM Escudero a 4.0 out of 5.0, calling it “a maduro lover’s delight,” and “a good “anytime” cigar.”

Price:

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the Sancho Panza Double Maduro Quixote is US $65.00 per box of 20 ($3.25 each).

Full retail is a good price for a cigar of this quality — however the street price is even better. The lowest online price right now is about U.S. $35.95 a box, bringing the price per cigar down to only about $1.80 each.

Where can you find them? Well, this is one time that you can virtually pick your favorite retailer. TNT Cigars once more has the current online low price per box at US $35.95 (which is a savings of about 45% off the retail price). The next lowest price is at Atlantic Cigar for $39.00 a box. However, Mike’s Cigars has them for $39.50 (and they throw in two free SP Valientes — the natural wrapper Robusto version and also a very good smoke). Mike’s also includes free ground UPS shipping at that price. That’s a very hard deal to beat, and a definite best buy.

You’ll also find them at Mike’s Cigars for $39.50, and at Abner’s World of Discount Cigars and Payless Cigars for $39.95 a box. In fact, the highest price I’ve seen them offered is $43.50 a box at Best Cigar Prices, so the price range is very narrow.

For a five pack sampler of the Quixotes ($29.95 retail), the best price I’ve found is at ELighters.com for $13.81 ($2.76 each). Because of the low price per box, not many places offer them in five-packs — however, if you’d like to sample all four sizes in the Double Maduro line you can get an eight-pack with two each of the Robusto, Corona, Corona Gorda and Churchill sizes for $22.95 from Cigar King.

Also check CigarBid, Cigar Auctioneer, or the JR Cigars Auction. I’ve seen five pack samplers of these come up for under $10.00 at auction, although the full boxes are usually overbid and you’re usually better off simply ordering them direct.

Prices do not include shipping and are current at the time of this review.