Cuaba Tradicionales 2011 (NTYRW)

[Hollywood Ninja]

Cigar : Cuaba Tradicionales (4.75 x 42)

Specs : This was a gift, so I don't have a box code, but have been told it's from 2011, 2 weeks humidor rest, 58% RH, single torch butane lighter, smoking outside on the deck, 42 degrees F here in the Pacific Northwest.  Paired with plain water.

Disclaimer : I'm a noob with just a little over a year in CC.  I really really want to like this smoke because of it's format and under-dog nature.

Initial notes : The length of this cigar is a bit misleading.  Because of the nub at the foot (is there a textbook term for that) and the tapper at the head (and how much of it you have to cut off), I feel like this cigar is more like 4.25 in length.  That's fine by me as it's cold out and I don't have hours to smoke tonight anyway, but from a cost perspective, it makes this cigar feel a little more expensive than it should.

Construction is spot on.  Perfect draw, perfect burn line and lots of smoke output for such a small stick.  Initial flavors are spicy/bitter wood.  Aroma is fantastic.  Doesn't take long for the bitterness to subside and be replaced by very mild sweetness, wood and general tobacco.

Final notes : Didn't get a lot of flavor off this.  Certainly no transitions given it's length.  I found that double puffing and smoking a little hotter gave me better, stronger flavors.  Mostly very light sweet wood and leather.  I'm generally a fan of mild/medium smokes but fear maybe this aged past it's prime.  I'm curious how a 3 year old example would compare to this nearly 8 year old example.  With that being said, it was incredibly smooth with great construction and awesome aroma.  Didn't get hot or bitter at all, probably would have nubbed it if I had something around me to poke it with.

Smoke time : 35 minutes

Score : 7.5/10