Even though a dark chocolate flavor is not exactly a rare note to pick up in a cigar, the amount that was present in the Serino Royale 20th Anniversary Maduro XX surprised me quite a bit. It was not only present during the entire smoke—much of as the dominant flavor—but it was pervasive, showing up just as strong in the cold draw, in the scent of the wrapper as well as the scent of the smoke. This is absolutely not a bad thing, at least when it comes to this blend, which also featured excellent construction, good balance and a nice cherry sweetness on the retrohale. A very good under the radar cigar that people should take the time to try, even at the prices that are being charged for them.

I really enjoyed this Serino Royale Maduro XX. To me, it was the best of the four inaugural blends the company sent to me and the most likely to find a place in my regular rotation. While it was a full-bodied and fairly strong stick, it didn’t sacrifice any flavor in the process making for a pleasurable smoking experience from end to end. 

A great smoke in just about every way. I am not normally a fan of anything bigger than 50 RG, and rarely chose to smoke anything toro length or longer, but I would gladly smoke one of these again. The blend was nice, the profile hit a personal sweet spot for me, and the complete lack of a need for maintenance despite my inconsistent smoking over a period of more than an hour and a half, made smoking this cigar a very enjoyable experience.