What are we going to do about Cuaba?

[El Presidente]

I can still taste the Distinguidos from 6 weeks ago. Magnificent. Peanut butter, toasted tobacco. Class. Had another the following day and it was the same.

have been going back through Cuaba's over the past month at least one every couple of days. Divino's, Traditionales, Generosos, Salomones.

Noted a few things:

1. Construction is so woefully inadequate in such a high poportion of boxes that purchasing is a crapshoot.

2. Underfilling is rampant. Divinos balance that our with overfilling.

3. When they are well rolled they are excellent, rich and engaging cigars. To me Distinguidos are the king of the line. Divinos get an honourable mebntion.

There is so much Cuaba rubbish in the market that I can't see how this line can survive. So many prospective Cuaba lovers who purchase it for the first time will be disappointed. The sales numbers don't show a huge band of existing bands.

Personally I would drop the Tradicionales, Generosos and keep just three in the Divino/Distinguido and Salomones.

Move to timber boxes.

Have head of quality control sign off on the boxes. GET QUALITY CONTROL RIGHT!

Cut quantities produced.

Essentially make Cuaba something special again.

Your experiences with Cuaba?

[Kangaroo495]

Well you've pretty much answered you own question there:

"Cut it down to Divino/Distinguido and Salomones.

GET QUALITY CONTROL RIGHT!"

My experience with Cuaba has always been excellent. I had a long love affair with the Distinguidos a while ago, before I got bored of it. My girlfriend smokes a lot of them and loves them all. In addition, the Divinos are a magical smoke when on.

I think the Cuaba taste has something to offer. It's delicious, unique, rich and engaging. I would not discontinue Cuaba.

[lemmycaution]

The only Cuaba I have ever had was the Divinos and that has to be at least four years ago. The few that I smoked were pretty nice but I have never gone back to them. I really don't know why, except that I usually never hear great things about them. It's time to revisit, I think l'll start with he Distinguidos.

[SethLG]

I would agree with you Rob.

I think they do need to cut down the line down, and above all else have more quality control.

I have had some great Divinos and Distinguiods but some poor ones as well, others in the line have always been major disappointments. It is sad to say but I just don't bother any more with them because they are so inconsistent. Hope for a positive change to give them another try.

Rob, I think your own responses are dead on, and you should write a memo in regards to this to Habanos S.A. :-)

[thechenman]

Personally the only Cuaba's that have not been utter disappointments to me are the Salomones and 2008 ELs. The Salomones can be hit or miss. Sometimes fantastic, sometimes less so. Only once did I ever have a bad 2008 EL...that one was almost flavorless. As for the rest of the vitolas. They can go the way of the dodo bird as far as I am concerned. I am glad to hear that there are others who like the marca more than I do. It always gives me hope.

[Colt45]

To the best of my recollection I've never smoked any of the line. The shapes are enough to keep me away, but that it seems these get panned

more often than not seals it for me.

That said, knowing there are fans, I would not want to see the line eliminated. Produce consistently great tasting cigars that perform properly,

and they will come. I guess the same could be said across the Habanos line up.

[hsmunoz]

I have a box of Duistinguidos, that I have been sampling (well 2 in the last 3 yrs) and they look beautiful, smell wonderful, but the first one sucked, second one was good for 1/2 then faded, but a marked improvement. I think time will heal the rest, and I do enjoy the vitola every once in a while. I say keep em around.

[sw15825]

I have only smoked the divinos. I had a single that was out of this world. I bought a box with 2 years age. They are very dark and oily, but many are rolled so tight to not draw . The other 2 did not have great flavor and a tight draw. Like Prez said, overfilling and poor construction on my box. It is a shame because the single was in the top 10 of cigars, for me I smoked last year. No consistency and I would not buy another box in the meantime.

[archosaur]

Haven't tried any of them yet, but have been meaning to. Sounds like I should wait until they either clean things up, or get discontinued!

[samb]

Never had a Cuaba, but have been interested in trying the Divinos,

[Rogers72]

Chalk me up as another who has never had one and I don't feel compelled to. I also think that the shapes are primarily what turns me away but they also tend to get poor reviews and very few reviews. There is something about the packaging that I don't like...maybe its the color of the band. That seems shallow but I just don't find it all very visually appealing. I tend to be a "sampler" too and enjoy branching out and trying things a little off the beaten path but doubt I would ever purchase any Cuaba as is.

[mkz]

My experience with cuaba? None!

[cigaraholic]

I'm a huge fan of this brand, love the unique flavor and the shape.

I've been thru many boxes and have luckily never had any real construction issues.

One box of flavorless Distinguidos otherwise dynamite cigars, but any reason you need Rob to give Habanos **** about quality control works for me.

[sfordham]

Had a Divinos last February that I bought from LCDH - it was hands down the worst smoking experience that I have had with a Cuban cigar. So overfilled that there was virtually no draw at all. After fighting with it, rolling it between my fingers and trying to open it up I tossed the cigar. A complete waste.

Haven't had another since.

[MontrealRon]

My experiences with Cuaba have been pretty good, though limited.

I have two boxes of '01 Exclusivos, bought fresh.

Every one has been excellent;

one box of '04 Generosos, pretty decent;

one box of '05 Salomones, still too young, but improving;

and one box of '08 LEs, which I will let rest for a few years.

Cuabas are enjoyable, if

- you appreciate the perfecto shapes, with their small opening at the head,

slow start, powerful mid-section, and strong finish.

- you appreciate the flavour profile of the R&J marca.

As I see it, Cuaba is the perfecto branch of R&J, which, perhaps by coincidence,

used to be famous in the old days especially for its perfectos.

- you are willing to be patient. These cigars really need time for the flavours to develop.

Like the R&Js, these are old-school smokes, not showing much in their youth.

Being a relatively new brand, there has been little accumulated experience among smokers

as to their capacity to improve with age,

and this may be partly responsable for their poor reputation.

Perfecto cigars demand excellent construction, though.

Traditionally, only the most experienced rollers were allowed to make them.

If the fill is not spot on, they are useless.

Again, I have no experience with recent production;

but if construction standards have been declining,

this would be a cause for serious concern.

[anacostiakat]

Here is a brand I don't acquire for the reasons stated.

[khomeinist]

I have purchased a couple of Salomones boxes here and there over the past few years. I love perfectos for special occasions. The problem.... as others have outlined extensively is the over-filling issue. There is quite possibly nothing worse than plugged Salomones. I was so annoyed with the last plugged Cuaba that I have not bothered to smoke another. I hope the line stays around. The initial concept is excellent. But please put some experienced rollers and overall quality control on this product!

[BobLobLaw]

Had a few Salamones as the shape intrigued me. They were pretty bland and tasteless to me. Otherwise, I have a few boxes of the 08 LE stashed away in the OHS. Picked them up on Prez's review as the best 08 LE.

[cgarner]

I've only tried the 08 LE and I absolutely love them. Have a 10er aging.

[gersonmorelli]

I've never had a single Cuaba in my life, even though I have always been curious to try from the brand. I have 5 singles of the 08 LE. My question to experienced Cuaba smokers: how do these compare to the original regular production Cuabas?

PS: On a side note, the singular form of Salomones is Salomon and not Salomone. This is true for every Spanish word that the plural ends in -nes.

[habone]

I bought a box of the Divinos EMA MAY 08...I havent smoked many. A couple were plugged but only in the beginning. I hated them at first but I think they r coming around. Honestly though i could take them or leave em!

[Ken Gargett]

bar the LE, they are dire. have tried and tried with these and as far as i am concerned, the entire lot should be discontinued. never had a single vaguely decent, half acceptable one. they are a toxic blot on the proud history of habanos. in time, they'll look back and experience a real 'what were we thinking' moment.

better yet, keep making them and put them out under bands from other countries - that will only enhance cuba's reputation against the other producers.

and i vote we make the forum a cuaba free zone.

[Wicky]

Interesting, all the the different takes. I have experienced only one box of Salomones but liked them very much. They were a tad loose but not really an issue since the flavor made up for it. A very unique flavor. Different from all other CCs I've smoked to this point. I seem to remember going through the box quickly and nubbing each one. I would definitely try another box.

[Wicky]

bar the LE, they are dire. have tried and tried with these and as far as i am concerned, the entire lot should be discontinued. never had a single vaguely decent, half acceptable one. they are a toxic blot on the proud history of habanos. in time, they'll look back and experience a real 'what were we thinking' moment.

better yet, keep making them and put them out under bands from other countries - that will only enhance cuba's reputation against the other producers.

and i vote we make the forum a cuaba free zone.

Yeah, but what do you really think Ken?

[Ken Gargett]

Yeah, but what do you really think Ken?

i actually think those wannabee dog droppings called the salamones are the worst of all. have tried those from rob, from vendors in spain, from cuba, from mates and so on. never one, not one single one, has been anything other than a foul wind tunnel that has absolutely no resemblance to a quality cigar in any way. for me, far and away the worst regular production cigar made. daylight second.

but each to their own.