Cuaba Tradicionales OEB NOV 06

[atomross13]

Great review Prez. I love the Divinos and have couple of 5 packs of other sizes but have never been able to force myself to try them. after your review I might fire up a Tradicionales or Salomones this weekend.

[Ginseng]

Nicely reviewed, Rob. I enjoy the Divinos but have not much experience with the others aside from singles here and there. It certainly doesn't sound like it sucked, though. :-D

Wilkey

[Colt45]

Thanks for the review

Don't know what to make of the Greg Louganis references.....

[happy1]

Never had one but your review makes me want one.Another on my long list of "to buy"

Thanks for making me drool,I mean for the review

[broozer]

i have one of these being sent to me at the moment so i can't wait to try it. out of the entire cuaba line the exclusivo is my favorite w/ the divino coming in second.

bruce

[TexaSmoke]

Nice Review...I have stayed away from these after reading about them, but I might need to try one sometime.

[bobsled]

Had a box of these a few years back, they were as you described when on, there were probably 4 in the box that were like cardboard.

Altogether a good smoke for me when on, although I haven't bought one since, they are little too mild for me personally.

Fantastic review!

[El Presidente]

Cuaba Tradicionales OEB NOV 06

There are reviews I look forward to and reviews that have all the appeal of going to the dentist. The latter is how I feel every time I force myself to review a Cuaba …..excluding the Divinos which I thoroughly enjoy and which should be launching a court action to divorce itself from the rest of its abysmal family.

No other Marque of cigar has been pitched so often from the deck of Czar house to the garden below. I swear that Cuaba is preparing for the 3m diving competition at the Beijing Olympics.

What comes to mind when the word Cuaba comes into the conversation? Crap Underfilled And Bloody Awfull

So it was with an open mind that I reached for a Cuaba Tradicionales from NOV 06. I reached for it with all the poise of Superman reaching for a stick of Kryptonite.

I purposefully reached for the ugliest stick in the box. It appeared to be the best filled although with a small tear at the foot. I can forgive the small tear but I didn’t want another underfilled piece of Cuaba trash. The wrapper was Colorado Maduro with little oil or sheen. The aroma at cold was an interesting mix of toasted tobacco and Moroccan spice.

Clipped the cap and the test draw was good requiring the slightest of pulls. Eureka! Minimal taste on the tongue from the draw at cold. Simple pure tobacco… just as it should be.

Fired up the bulbous foot. I do love firing up these Perfecto's….it is like lighting a fuse and it appeals to the 14 year old boy in all of us. Slowly takes to the torch….you don’t think it is truly lit but it is…glowing embers appearing and quickly disappearing as the slow calculated combustion takes effect. A long draw reveals power and black pepper spice. Full bodied opening with a touch of evil, a touch of petulance. Nice start as the Tradicional decides that when dealing with a non believer the best form of defence is attack. The intense opening of the cigar surprises me…could this be a Divino in disguise? ……God I hope so.

For the first inch the Tradicional takes its time in climbing ever slowly the bulbous foot. It is quite brutal at times in terms of the pepper spices it delivers but it is no one trick pony with a core of quality Vuelta Abajo tobacco which is rich and decadent. The smoke emanating is slow and black. If this cigar maintains this level of quality it is heading into my rotation.

Having conquered the bulb the cigar changes profile. Black pepper now gone. White pepper through the nose. Tobacco core remains but the throttle is pared back to medium body. Leather and chewy sour cream blend in with the tobacco making it an interesting and balanced cigar. Diana brings me a cup of fresh roasted black coffee and it matches the cigar perfectly. I suspect the cigar has settled into this new profile for the duration but I am interested to see if it will build in strength again as it narrows slowly down to the cap. Right now it is completely controlled delivering exactly what it should… presence, Marque definition, balance, complexity.

Into the last third and the profile has not changed. Strictly medium bodied, core tobacco flavour with leather and sour cream. It is a chewy cigar, the smoke is thick and coating on the palate. One cannot sense any pepper unless purged through the nose which reminds you that an underlying kick remains. Nearing the end now and the black pepper returns to the cigar with an accompanying increase in body. Touché young Tradicional….the cigar equivalence of a triple pike with a twist.

I would give this Cuaba Tradicional an 89 on that performance. Solid, quality cigar which was very enjoyable and took me on a journey. Flavour complexity was simple but clean and clear. The flavours easily discernable. At no stage did it become unbalanced or displayed its youth.

I am not a converted Cuaba fan as one win does not make a season. Yet it is a start and the next time I reach for a Cuaba I may not do so with such utter disdain. Lets hope it continues.