Tag Archives: nub

New Cigar: CAO Brazilia Corcovado – Friday September 3, 2010

The CAO Brazilia Corcovado was an IPCPR sample that was given to me by Paul Spence, whom I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting several times and is a real good guy.  I had my eye on a Brazila robusto in the humidor when I remembered having this one and figured it was one I really hadn’t seen any reviews or heard much buzz about.   This cigar is in a format that seems to be growing in popularity.  Sam Leccia’s NUb line came on the seen a few years ago in this short and fat format and I would guess it’s just about the most coppied vitola in recent memory.   The CAO Brazilia I had had a jet black wrapper and had a very prominent vein running the length of the cigar.  I will say right now that I should have left this one sit for a while longer in the humidor.  It seemed “not ready” to me, which is a shame for a IPCPR sample which is supposed to entice the smoker to buy these cigars.  I work near a company that manufactures molases, so I’ve occasionally smelled the pungeant aromas that is produced there. This had a raw molases flavor to it thatbrought to mind that factory.  It also left me a little queezy afterward, which is not a sensation I am looking for in a cigar.  No doubt a year or so of age would settle this cigar down in my opinion and I do regret smoking this one too soon.  In the same bag from CAO was a LX2 in a 60 ring gauge, but 6″ long which I will let mature for a year or so, as past experiece with the LX2 has told me that I like these more with some age.  I should have smoked the LA Traviata Maduro from the same bag, but it seems like it’s being reviewed to death and as much as I look forward to smoking that particular cigar I think I’ll wait a bit.   Unfortunately this particular sample didn’t really do it for me this time.  I would never trash a cigar based on one example though and I will try this one again if I have the chance.

Editorial

This cigar got me to thinking about why it is that everyone is putting out cigars with enormous ring gauges lately?  Is it possible that, since the SCHIP tax is the same for any size cigar, that fatter cigars are perceived as a better value?  Could it be that smoking bans cause people to have less time to enjoy a cigar and a short, fat cigar gives the impression that they smoke quicker?  I am really baffled by this as I had thought that (or hoped may be a better word) that we had moved past the “bigger is better” thing.  I’ve actually gotten to the point where a 50 ring gauge cigar looks pretty slim!  I personally enjoy a smaller ring gauge cigar, although I smoke darned few of them it seems.  Anyone who has any theories they’d like to share on the subject is welcome to leave them in the comments.

Contest Update!

I know I had promised a contest winner announcement, but I’ve been slacking off!  Hopefully by Sunday I will have concocted a clever and entertaining (yet totally fair and impartial) method of selecting the winner.  There have been 21 entries so far, and the contest remains open until at least midnight Saturday, September 4.  You can leave a comment to enter to win a hat, cutter and Liga Privada T52 Belicoso courtesy of Drew Estate here.

That’s about it for now (as I enjoy a Chateau Real maduro while writing this).  Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Filed under Contest, Editorial, Review

NUb, Hoyo de Tradicion Cigars and Contest Time! – Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Saturday’s cigar was a Nub Habano 460.  The Nubs are interesting cigars.  The creator, Sam Leccia, felt that a short, fat cigar took no time at all to develop flavors and burned for the same amount of time as longer, thinner cigars.  I’ve enjoyed these cigars for the impeccable construction and uniqueness.  The flavors in the Habano are OK to me, but I like the Cameroon wrapped version better.  I have yet to try the Maduro and Connecticut wrapped Nubs, but look forward to picking a few up some time.  I also see on the Cain website (another Sam Leccia/Oliva creation) that they will be making a Cain F Nub, which sounds like something worth trying.

Monday’s cigar was a Hoyo de Tradicion Epicure, another well crafted cigar that burned well and had a flavor that grew on me as the cigar progressed.  This was a solid, medium bodied cigar with fairly lush and savory flavors with a fairly long finish.  I’ve always enjoyed the Hoyo de Monterrey cigars (of which this is a line extension) especially the Excaliburs. It seems like Honduran cigars have taken a back seat to the Nicaraguan cigars lately, but there are still very nice cigars coming from Honduras.

Contest!

Click to enlarge

It’s March already and that means it’s contest time!  This month’s prize is a really cool 5 pack box of Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970 courtesy of our friends at Drew Estate.  Many thanks to Drew Estate for sending a bunch of stuff for this months contest, as well as future contests!  This assortment consists of a Machito, a Gran Consul, a Robusto Grande, a Belicoso and a Churchill.  The contest is a little different this time.  For Christmas I received a 28″ tall glass vase, which was intended as a receptacle for my cigar bands.  I dumped several bags full of bands I’d been saving in to get it started.  My wife has counted the bands that are in the vase as of this writing and sealed that number in an envelope which will be opened on the day this contest ends, which will be Saturday, March 13, 2010.  Entries will be in the form of  reply to this post with your guess of how many cigar bands are in the vase.  The winner will have the closest number without going over. BONUS:  In the event that some guesses the exact number, the winner will also receive a Joya de Nicaragua cap and cutter!   Must be 18 yeas of age to win, one entry per person.  Good luck!

That’s it for now, until the next cigar,

CigarCraig

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