CUABA SALOMONES 09

[Jnaube]

Here I am again with another cigar review. This time, Ichose to smoke a Cuaba Salomones, a gentle behemoth who deserves to bediscovered.

First off, I know that many CC’s smokers don’t like the brand, maybe because it’s too young, maybe because it doesn’t use Ligerio, who knows.

For my part, I bought two boxesof these while in Varadero a couple of years ago and I never regretted the transaction.

At 90 CUC for a box of 10, this is probably one of the bestdeals you’re gonna get in Cuba for a big stick like this. With it’s 57 ringgauge and it’s double figurado allure, the cigar really is a feast for theeyes.

I had this cigar with a bottle of Sweet mead (honey wine)called Le medieval. It’s really rich like a tawny port but tastes like aliquor. It’s a rich produce tasting like caramel, nuts, honey, really a greatproduct from québec.

PRE SMOKE OBSERVATIONS

As said earlier, the cigar looks great. Hard to beat size, plus it can only be rolled by the mostexperience rollers in Cuba. My Cuaba hasspent 4 years in my humi and it’s important to state that it is necessary toage these cigars. If you smoke ‘em rightout of the box, they’ll be really green and harsh but give them time and you won’tregret it.

As you can see in the pictures, the wrapper of my Salomoneswas medium brown with some small veins but nothing alarming. Construction issuperb. The cigar is densely rolled but not packed.

It smells like Spanish cedar, coffee and chocolate. The prelight draw reveals discreet yet distinct caramel and milk chocolate aromas. Thedraw is perfect.

FIRST THIRD

As you know, because of it’s weird shape, this is one trickycigar to light. I used a soft flame lighter and some cedar to start the thingand it went great.

The cigar started pretty smooth. Taste was oscillatingbetween wood essences like maple and Graham Cookies. Found some roasted aromasand some wood shavings taste notes.

After one inch smoked, it got a bit bitter. The ash was darkand solidely attached.

Burn is steady. Detecting some horsey / leathery aromas +bitter green cedar.

SECOND THIRD

The ash is still there.

Not a lot of smoke but a really even burn. I’m essentiallyin the woods department in terms of flavours. It’s also bitter but in acoffeeish kind of way.

Around the sweet spot, I detected some mushroom flavours,moss and even some ammonia. It got a bit bitter an herbaceous. Very vegetal.Wet wood notes followed by nuts and cocoa notes appeared.

What strikes me is that the taste never ceased to evolve.Going from strong to creamy flavours and vice versa. Hard to define adominating aroma. Around the end of second third, it surely was a grassy,medium bodied cigar.

LAST THIRD

The last third started with Spanish cedar aromas mixed withcaramel and nuts. I’m still on this flavour rollercoaster going from strong tosmooth aromas.

At one point, near the end, i even detected black cherriesaromas followed by leather, cream cocoa, coffee.

With an inch left, it was still a really enjoyable cigar.

I smoked it to the point where i almost burnt my fingers.The last tasting notes were Spanish cedar, spices and some maple.

CONCLUSION

This is certainly not the best cigar I ever smoked but it’sfar from the worst. I honestly enjoyed it and, to refer to a previous reviewposted on this board, it never tasted like mothballs and gasoline.

Cheers!

Pictures here:

http://s1057.photobucket.com/albums/t400/jnaube/Cuaba%20Salomones%2009/

[Montaigut]

Here I am again with another cigar review. This time, Ichose to smoke a Cuaba Salomones, a gentle behemoth who deserves to bediscovered.

First off, I know that many CC’s smokers don’t like the brand, maybe because it’s too young, maybe because it doesn’t use Ligerio, who knows.

For my part, I bought two boxesof these while in Varadero a couple of years ago and I never regretted the transaction.

At 90 CUC for a box of 10, this is probably one of the bestdeals you’re gonna get in Cuba for a big stick like this. With it’s 57 ringgauge and it’s double figurado allure, the cigar really is a feast for theeyes.

I had this cigar with a bottle of Sweet mead (honey wine)called Le medieval. It’s really rich like a tawny port but tastes like aliquor. It’s a rich produce tasting like caramel, nuts, honey, really a greatproduct from québec.

PRE SMOKE OBSERVATIONS

As said earlier, the cigar looks great. Hard to beat size, plus it can only be rolled by the mostexperience rollers in Cuba. My Cuaba hasspent 4 years in my humi and it’s important to state that it is necessary toage these cigars. If you smoke ‘em rightout of the box, they’ll be really green and harsh but give them time and you won’tregret it.

As you can see in the pictures, the wrapper of my Salomoneswas medium brown with some small veins but nothing alarming. Construction issuperb. The cigar is densely rolled but not packed.

It smells like Spanish cedar, coffee and chocolate. The prelight draw reveals discreet yet distinct caramel and milk chocolate aromas. Thedraw is perfect.

FIRST THIRD

As you know, because of it’s weird shape, this is one trickycigar to light. I used a soft flame lighter and some cedar to start the thingand it went great.

The cigar started pretty smooth. Taste was oscillatingbetween wood essences like maple and Graham Cookies. Found some roasted aromasand some wood shavings taste notes.

After one inch smoked, it got a bit bitter. The ash was darkand solidely attached.

Burn is steady. Detecting some horsey / leathery aromas +bitter green cedar.

SECOND THIRD

The ash is still there.

Not a lot of smoke but a really even burn. I’m essentiallyin the woods department in terms of flavours. It’s also bitter but in acoffeeish kind of way.

Around the sweet spot, I detected some mushroom flavours,moss and even some ammonia. It got a bit bitter an herbaceous. Very vegetal.Wet wood notes followed by nuts and cocoa notes appeared.

What strikes me is that the taste never ceased to evolve.Going from strong to creamy flavours and vice versa. Hard to define adominating aroma. Around the end of second third, it surely was a grassy,medium bodied cigar.

LAST THIRD

The last third started with Spanish cedar aromas mixed withcaramel and nuts. I’m still on this flavour rollercoaster going from strong tosmooth aromas.

At one point, near the end, i even detected black cherriesaromas followed by leather, cream cocoa, coffee.

With an inch left, it was still a really enjoyable cigar.

I smoked it to the point where i almost burnt my fingers.The last tasting notes were Spanish cedar, spices and some maple.

CONCLUSION

This is certainly not the best cigar I ever smoked but it’sfar from the worst. I honestly enjoyed it and, to refer to a previous reviewposted on this board, it never tasted like mothballs and gasoline.

Cheers!

Pictures here:

http://s1057.photobucket.com/albums/t400/jnaube/Cuaba%20Salomones%2009/

Great review mate!

You are a better man than me. I could not have a cigar sit in my humidor for more than a week before smoking it.

Nice to see another start up (Intermiel) doing well. First conquer the beer market with Unibroue and now the mead and hydromel markets. I reckon a poutine flambe with cognac would have made all the menus of the Michelin rated restaurants by now if anyone had thought about it!

What was the smoking time?

[Jnaube]

1341746359[/url]' post='321452']

Great review mate!

You are a better man than me. I could not have a cigar sit in my humidor for more than a week before smoking it.

Nice to see another start up (Intermiel) doing well. First conquer the beer market with Unibroue and now the mead and hydromel markets. I reckon a poutine flambe with cognac would have made all the menus of the Michelin rated restaurants by now if anyone had thought about it!

What was the smoking time?

Nearl two hours.

[Bernid]

thanks for the review

[Jnaube]

1341784586[/url]' post='321540']

Nice. Your second third sounds as if it may have been overly humidified. Or maybe even smoked in a high humidity area.

You got some flavours from this cigar that I have never noticed (mushroom, cocoa) But the Maple syrup and Graham crackers was what really surprised me. Are you sure those flavours didnt come from your mead instead of your cigar?

The Graham Crackers surprised me a bit but I wasn't the only one to find that in a cigar. Art detected it too in his RA Phoenicia review. For the musroomy part, i really don't know how to explain it but if you ever go mushroom picking in the woods and you fill your basket with morilles, the smell was pretty much what i tasted for a brief instant. Cheers!

[kevtheis]

Ahhh, the Salomones... A wonderful stick. Last time I had one of these I enjoyed it while walking across the Golden Gate Bridge about 6 years ago. Lasted me the whole way across and back! I too aged it for a bit... A year or two. It probably could have rested a bit longer, but the flavors never really hit a bad note from what I remember. It had some of my favorite flavors that a cigar can offer including espresso, milk chocolate, leather, and a touch of cedar. I did have a few burn issues, but I think it was due to the humid wind that always blows over the bridge. I had a second one about a month prior and had no such problems. That cigar plus a gorgeous view of San Fran from the bridge made for one memorable day!

[Blakes]

Another salomones fan here!! Really wonderfull smoke! Just had one on monday to celebrate my birthbay, perfect!

I'm not sure why so many hate this cigar... but its all about personal preference i suppose. I for one though truely LOVE it!

Thanks for the great review Jeannick!