El Mago Mr. Almond #2

El Mago Cigars, founded by Nick Fusco, is named for his grandparents, Maria and Gonzalo Torre, using the first two letters of each of their names. It also means "the wizard" in Spanish. The brand honors the couple, who died in the 2021 Surfside condominium collapse.

The Tin Series is a planned run of seven collectible releases inspired by vintage tobacco tins, each pairing original artwork with a storyline. Production is capped at 5,000 cigars per release, sold through fewer than 30 retailers in the company's S Tier program.

Mr. Almond is Tin #2, following the Oyama Omen. It is a 5 x 50 box pressed robusto with a Mexican San Andrés maduro wrapper, U.S. Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan fillers, packed five to a tin. It began shipping to select retailers this year, with five more tins planned.

Sources: Cigar Dojo, Smoke Inn and Neptune Cigar.

Stogie At A Glance

Check out all our playlists for El Mago cigars here.

Curated Music PLaylist

Light up, become the hero. 🦸 Smooth, swaggering tracks inspired by Mr. Almond, the limited-run cigar from El Mago. Vintage tin vibes, comic-book swagger, and just enough mystery for the hero we've all been waiting for.

Check out more music pairings for your favorite cigars here.

Review

First Third

Nutty notes with a slight savoriness on the light. Lots of pepper on the retrohale and black coffee on the finish. The draw is smooth and the smoke is thick. Baking spices show up on the retrohale, with nutty notes and a little creaminess on the finish. The smoke stays thick, with baking spices, black coffee and pepper on the palate, plus a slight cocoa note. Cream, black coffee and pepper on the finish. A slight dark cherry note is hinted at but not yet developed. Soon the spices and dark cherry come through more, with a woody, nutty and peppery finish. The cocoa becomes more prominent and the profile gets a little spicier, while cream, black coffee and pepper remain on the finish. Near the end of the first third, anise emerges, along with a salted peanut note and coffee.

Second Third

An earthy note comes in alongside the woody, nutty cocoa note, and a slight mineral note joins the mix. The mineral note steps up, the dark cocoa becomes more pronounced, and the pepper is slightly stronger than in the first third. Dark cherry returns, with black coffee and salted peanuts on the finish. As the second third continues, a clear nutty note comes through with the dark cocoa and mineral notes. Every once in a while, a big hit of pepper comes through. Near the end of the second third, a slight leather note appears with more earthy black coffee. A very faint anise note comes out as well.

Final Third

The final third opens with a mineral chocolate note, a slightly creamy coffee note and pepper on the finish. Dark cherry and black coffee come through clearly, with a peppery, salted peanut note on the finish. The cocoa evolves into [full dark chocolate milk], with plenty of pepper still on the retrohale and finish. The mineral note increases, the chocolate stays consistent, and a peppery cedar note begins to emerge. Cedar, chocolate, dark cherry and baking spices show on the palate and finish. The finish eventually develops into mainly pepper.

Score

91/100