The guys at the Dogwatch Social Club have reviewed the new Ted's Aged Maduro, and we loved what they had to say.

From cigarcyclopedia.com's STARS OF THE SHOW VII:

Los Angeles, September 19 – One of the exciting aspects of trying new blends, especially by smaller makers, is to enjoy the blending concepts of individuals who create new cigars. This week, we tried six different cigars from three different makers, each with their own ideas of what’s right for today.

(The Ted's reviews are featured below)

Ted's Made by Hand – Natural wrapper:
(Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes)

The first Ted's Made by Hand blend to be introduced was the natural-wrapped version, using an elegant Connecticut wrapper and sporting a red band.

It's medium in body with a spicy aroma and a smooth and deep caramelized taste that also includes a sweet finish. The construction is excellent and the burn is even.

The smoothness and accessibility of this cigar are easy to appreciate and the spicy note that enters in the second half helps to maintain the balance of the blend. If you’re looking for a cigar that you can introduce to your friends who want to find out what the love of the leaf is all about, this would be an excellent candidate.

All three sizes (5 x 50, 6 x 50 and 7 x 50) are offered in boxes of 20, but instead of cellophane, each is packaged in a fire engine-red box with foil lining! Retail pricing runs from $7.00 to $9.25 each, before local sales and tobacco taxes.

Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Ted's Made by Hand – Maduro wrapper:
(Dominican Republic: available in 3 sizes)

The maduro-wrapped version of the Ted's line is easy to spot thanks to its black band with silver lettering. It's also offered in individual, foil-lined boxes, but these are black with red trim and offered in wood chests of 20.

The Nicaraguan-grown maduro wrapper gives this blend a medium-to-full-bodied taste, with a spicy aroma. There’s a rich, sweet taste from the start, with a spicy, long finish. The draw and burn are perfect and a welcome note of spice is present on the throat by midway.

The richness recedes a little in the second half, but there is more depth to this blend than the natural-wrapped edition and it comes out more strongly toward the end. Pricing is the same as for the Connecticut-wrapped cigars, from $7.00 to $9.25 each before local sales and tobacco taxes.

Overall grade: A-: Excellent.

Each of these cigars offers a unique approach to flavor from the man who created it and experiencing each of these concepts is one of the pleasures of cigars. After all, the best cigar you may ever smoke may be the next one you try. ~ Rich Perelman

Christian at the Beer Advocate describes the Ted's Made by Hand 5x50 Connecticut Shade: "The smoke is creamy and nutty, with a nice blend of tobaccos to give it a great complexity for a mild cigar."

Here's what the panelists from Smoke Mag had to say about Ted's 5x50 Connecticut Shade in their Spring 2008 Issue:

Panelist #1: "The more I smoked, the more interesting this experience became. Pleasing and fun."

Panelist #2: "This was a well constructed cigar, with the tobacco well rolled for an even and consistent draw."

Panelist #3: "Solid, good-looking stick with a nice oily sheen and light wrapper."

Panelist #4: "This stick surprised me. It was mild to medium in body but had more flavor than I expected."

We couldn't agree more. Thanks Smoke Mag!

excerpted from a customer review by Jamie in South Carolina:

It cut well and the draw was very good. Not too tight and not too loose. I could tell it was going to give plenty of smoke. I liked the construction. I love a cigar where you can hardly find the seam. This was Ted's Cigar. It looked like a one-piece wrapper, you know, like a sausage casing. It took a while to find the seam. The veins were small and didn't interfere at all with the appearance. It started off very smooth and didn't have any hints of harshness. The burn was perfect and, as expected, it did produce plenty of creamy smoke. I really liked it. The ash held together well and the construction continued to impress me. There weren’t any dry overtones and it continued to taste very good.

After about a third I was able to find the seam. The wrapper is awesome. It's advertised as "only the finest Connecticut shade wrapper." It gives the stick a mild flavor. I was really enjoying it.

Still burning well after 45 minutes or so. The burn was great. No relights. Lots of tasty, creamy white smoke. Another impressing feature was the cap. I cut a good 3/16" from the cap and there was plenty of the cap ring remaining. You know how it goes, half way through and the cap ring comes off in your mouth. Not with Ted's Cigar. It looks as though the wrapper leaf was just extended to make the cap itself. It was a one-piece construction, so there was no way for it to come off. It held tight and firm until the end. After about an hour, we get to the end. It never got hot and mushy. I was smoking it at a decent pace and it continued to perform well. It still was smooth and never got harsh or bitter.

Conclusion: I give the construction a solid 9 or 10. Quite beautiful. Burn and ash was also high with an 8 to 9. The flavor was quiet surprising. I really liked it. I give it an 8 or 9. Would I buy more to smoke? I'd have to say yes It was smooth, mild, produced lots of smoke and burned well. What else could you ask for?

The cigar is nicely constructed, with the wrapper having an almost velvety feel to it. Very solid from head to foot. I used a punch and was surprised to find that the draw was perfect. I have found that a lot of times if the cigar is nice and solid, the draw is tight - not the case with Ted's. I fired it up and immediately was puffing A LOT of white creamy smoke!! The initial taste was nutty with a very slightly sweet undertone that disappeared just moments later. The nutty/earthy taste continued from start to finish, picking up in strength ever so slightly. I would say that it started mild and finished on the mild side of medium. Overall - this cigar has a very solid construction, consistent taste, and a nice mild and mellow flavor. Perfect for a mid-morning smoke. The cigar lasted about 1 hour 15 mins. Do you ever go to get a cigar from the humi and you sit there for 10-15 mins trying to decide what to smoke? In times like those - Ted's is what I would pick.

"An elegant and delicious smoke."

Brian, Cigar & Co., Oklahoma City, OK

"It’s a great cigar. I would go as far as saying I love it."

Anne, Exotic Cigars, Savannah, GA

"A superbly balanced mild to medium cigar."

Jason, Smokin’ Joe’s, Lewiston, NY

"One of the best cigars I have smoked in years, and I am very picky."

Fred Howard, White River Tobacco Co., Eureka Springs, AR

"The best cigar I’ve ever smoked."

Ron Wollman, Capital Cigar Source, Columbia, MD

Thanks to everyone! Keep them coming. -Ted