Cuaba Exclusivos JNL June 03

[El Presidente]

While I am reviewing the Cuaba line this week can I encourage other FOH members to do the same? If we can get say 15 reviews of Cuaba by end of Friday it will be ancellent resource as to how these cigars are travelling.

Perhaps we can even have a weekle "Marque" to review where all get involved :-D

[SmokinLightning]

I like the idea of a weekly "marque" tasting...

I am pretty sure I have nothing in this particular line, as I've never heard anything good about it, but I will dig through the singles drawer and see if I unearth anything.

Thanks for another excellent review!

[greenpimp]

You know I have a box of these from early 03 that is buried because of how much I hated them. Haven't had one for a couple years. I'll revisit them this week and report back.

[broozer]

» You know I have a box of these from early 03 that is buried because of how

» much I hated them. Haven't had one for a couple years. I'll revisit them

» this week and report back.

my first box of these was from '03 and i loved every single one of them. i now have a box of '07's in the humidor and have only smoked one of them. they are not ready to be smoked (IMHO) so i will wait a year or so before lighting up another one.

rob, this cigar is probably my favorite of the cuaba line.

bruce

[greenpimp]

I'm glad yours were/are great. I really wanted to like mine, especially because of my affinity for the cigar's shape. However, I distinctly remember a medicinal herbal quality to the finish that was unpleasant. Hopefully that has faded. If it has, there were other good qualities to it that could shine through and be noticed.

[El Presidente]

» I'm glad yours were/are great. I really wanted to like mine, especially

» because of my affinity for the cigar's shape. However, I distinctly

» remember a medicinal herbal quality to the finish that was unpleasant.

» Hopefully that has faded. If it has, there were other good qualities to

» it that could shine through and be noticed.

Try one of your 03's mate and do us a review. I would love to see a comparison to mine.

[greenpimp]

»

» Try one of your 03's mate and do us a review. I would love to see a

» comparison to mine.

Well I smoked one of mine today. Actually it is from OCT02, not 03, but a nods as good as a wink, I guess. Made some notes:

Cuaba Exclusivo OCT02

Slightly wrinkly, nice hue, good weight. Pre-draw a bit tight, moderate tobacco flavor with a bit of bite.

Lit it like a cigarette, started with the slightly herbal astringency, almost bitterness, between spicy and bitter. Toasty flavors crept through, some nuttiness.

1st 3rd—Decent strength, good amount of smoke. Interesting profile, that slight herbal bitterness coupled with the pleasant, toasted nuttiness. Light chocolate and woody notes creep in. Sort of an Upmann quality to an aspect of the smoke. Like an herbal Upmann. Some creamed coffee. Actuall enjoyable, although still astingent on the back of the palate.

2nd 3rd—Tar buildup. Strong. Much the same. Plagued by burn problems. Got stronger. Darker coffee notes, still some bitterness. Quite strong.

3rd 3rd—Clipped and purged, strong but smoother. More Upmannesque., still with the herbal qualities. Nice, muscular, heavy coffee aftertaste. Ended well if not overly complex.

Overall, the profile was improved, for me, and I think it still needs some time. Or perhaps that bitterness is just part of the profile, like extra hops in an IPA, which I really enjoy. However not my favorite combination in profile, though I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the cigar.

Overall I found the profile like an Herbal H. Upmann. I would probably give it an 88. And I will try another in a year or so.

[El Presidente]

Thanks for the follow up mate :-)

Your description of a "herbal H Upmann" is pretty spot on to me.

This is a hell of a line of cigars if you have to wait 6 years before they show anything that really captures your imagination(Divinos excluded).

[El Presidente]

Cuaba Exclusivos JNL June 03

I plan to smoke all the Cuaba line this week..some with a little age…some 06/07 stock…in order to get a grasp on a Marque which I have been continually disappointed with (excluding the Divino’s which I rate highly).

This Exclusivos 46 x 145 (5.7") is from a personal box of mine which I can only label as being woeful in terms of flavour. I have sampled cigars from this box in 05/06/07 and on each occasion the experience has been lackluster. Looking back at my notes previous examples have been pitched to the garden below twice. I have smoked 14 in all and none have rated higher than an 83.

Visually this cigar is a plain Jane. Good Colorado wrapper, no aroma at cold to speak of, good construction with no hard or soft spots. The wrapper feels a touch dry with little oil. The photo’s make it look better than it really is. Cut the cap on an angle and the pre light draw is fine with a familiar dry grass/tobacco resonating on the tongue.

Fired up the foot of the Figurado which I love doing. There is a cerebral quality to lighting the “bulb” and seeing it come to life. In this example the bulb took easily to flame and there was plenty of white smoke emanating from the foot. My initial reactions to the flavour were hesitantly positive. Mild to medium bodied but quality tobacco. The aroma is all toasted tobacco and heady. What I discern on the palate is unmistakable ginger bread spice and coffee biscuit. Impressive opening in a cigar which has shown me nothing but dry grass in the past (talking from this specific box).

There is little pepper through the nose but a building backbone of tobacco and light toast. The ginger notes are disappearing…more roasted almond showing on the draws. I have noticed that while the flavours are complex there is a light bitterness on the finish which is long. It takes a little away from what has started out as an excellent cigar.

The second third is almost Upmannesque in profile. Medium bodied, cake, strong milk coffee, roasted almonds. No sweetness to speak of. One of the strengths of the cigar is the aroma of the smoke which reminds me of old football socks. Yes I know…how can this be a strength? Don’t know but I like it.

The burn is excellent, the flavours complex and steady, the aroma great. The back end bitterness has dropped away.

The final third is a mirror image of the second. Smooth, rich flavours in a building medium/full profile. The aroma is stronger if possible. I love this format as the intensity/body of the cigar is building as the girth tapers away. There is a class to this cigar, a maturity which it showcases well.

Well there you have it. It has taken five years for this cigar to actually show something. The Cuaba Exclusivos has developed from a flavourless grassy piece of crap to a very enjoyable mature and complex cigar which I would be more than happy to put in my morning rotation. It is the ideal morning coffee cigar revealing the perfect balance of flavours to accompany a freshly brewed long black.

What I love about this hobby is that there are no finites. Pre-held positions are often challenged and here is yet another example.

All of a sudden a week of Cuaba tastings doesn’t hold the same dread it did at 9am this morning. I still suspect there will be plenty of duds but I will keep a more open mind.

89/100