Let's talk about this flavor-packed Espinosa Knuckle Sandwich Maduro Corona Gorda - a 5⅝"x46 Nicaraguan puro wrapped in dark Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro leaf. Born from the unlikely collaboration between chef Guy Fieri and cigar maestro Erik Espinosa, this box-pressed corona gorda delivers medium-bodied smoke with serious attitude. Priced at $230.40 for 20 sticks, it's the culinary-inspired cigar that actually lives up to its hype.
First Third: Instant coffee blast with black pepper kick, transitioning to burnt caramel sweetness. Thick smoke output with tight ash formation. Watch that razor-sharp burn line.
Middle Third: Earthy core develops - think damp forest floor meets 70% dark chocolate. Nicaraguan pepper resurfaces through the nose. Retrohale reveals baking spices (clove > cinnamon).
Final Third: Leather tannins dominate as sweetness fades. Mineral quality emerges in last inch, with increased nicotine buzz. Best nubbed at 1-hour mark before tar buildup.
Rolled at AJ Fernandez's San Lotano factory in Estelí, this blend uses Ometepe-grown filler leaves for that signature Nicaraguan punch. The Mexican San Andrés wrapper undergoes extended fermentation to achieve its maduro classification, contributing cocoa powder sweetness that balances the core strength.
