Ocean State Cigars Floats a New Maduro.

Rhode Island is home to Ocean State Cigars, a relative newcomer to the cigar making industry. Paul Joyal, founder and President of the company and active in the cigar industry itself for many years, launched his J Grotto line which, for 2014, included a new “Anniversary Maduro” series. This series uses a maduro fermented Connecticut broadleaf wrapper, Dominican Habano binder and fillers from Dominican and other Central American tobaccos. There are 4 sizes ranging from 4 X 58 to 6 X 60, enough to satisfy most preferences.

Ocean State ages its tobacco for at least 3 years, the finished cigars a few more months and then sells them exclusively through brick and mortar stores. Ocean States gave me an E660 at the 2014 IPCPR in Las Vegas to review, a 6 X 60 maduro cigar. The E660 was a little soft near the cap but otherwise was firm. The color was an attractive dark shade and there was no oily sheen. The initial aroma was slightly woodsy. The smoke volume and ash were good and the maduro wrapper delivered on the expected sweetness throughout the smoke.

The flavor started with wood, mellowed a little to coffee with cream and finished a little stronger with bitter chocolate. The cigar is marketed as full flavored and full bodied but I found it to be on the low end of full bodied. The draw was average and it took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to enjoy the cigar. The SRP is $9.50, a little high for this above average cigar. I rate it a 3.5 out of 5.