Cigar Review: Cubanacan Maduro

Vitola: Lonsdale
Size: 6.5” x 42 ring gauge
Price ~$7.50
Received during Chattanooga Tweet-Up

Background

It’s been a year of growth for Cubanacan. Early in 2014, the company broke ties to the company that had been distributing products for them in the United States, opting to employ their own sales force and distribution.* New sales people, an improved web site and a better focus on what they offer led to much more buzz around the time of the IPCPR and the Chattanooga Tweet-Up, which is where I was able to talk to Lawrence and Nate, two of Cubanacan’s cigar purveyors. I also picked up a few samples of the new (to me anyway) Maduro blend in a size that really intrigued me: a Lonsdale. This is the second Lonsdale in as many weeks that I thought would have been called a Lancero…and by some companies it probably would.

One thing that did strike me about the company now is how much better their website is. Good and mostly up-to-date information as well as history and story-telling…because every great cigar brand needs a great story to go with it. This is what they wrote about themselves on the site:

As long as there have been people, there have been stories. From the stories told in paintings on ancient caves to the family stories shared around the table, stories make up our history and guide our traditions. Cubanacan cigars embraces not only tradition, but strives to tell our story in every cigar.

Our tale begins in the rich tobacco history of Cuba. As the stories of tradition and quality were passed from generation to generation, that tradition was carried forward to the fertile soil of Esteli and Jalapa Nicaragua in 2006 where we started to grow our own tobacco. Shortly after we established our factory in Esteli with just five pairs of rollers set out to create cigars that will share our story with the world.

The name Cubanacan was chosen for it’s vibrant history and the story behind it’s meaning. Cubanacan means “where fertile land is abundant” and is derived from tobacco traditions that predate Cuba itself. The story of Cubanacan is not just one of our past, but one that is still being written.

Our goal is not just to be the storyteller, but to have each person that enjoys our cigar help write the next part of our tale. A story of tradition, pride in our quality, and an appreciation for those that carry our story forward.

The Cubanacan Maduro uses Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuadorian binder, and an Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper leaf (which I’ve also heard described as “Oscuro”…which is not really the same thing as “Maduro”). I’ve smoked a couple of these sticks before getting around to the sample I saved for this review.

*Note: I thought I understood the story right…but either I didn’t or my memory was faulty…at any rate, Spence Drake and Lawrence Miltenberger both let me know that I got the “distribution” story above wrong. Instead of trying to get it right myself, I asked Spence to give me something I could quote verbatim: “I wanted to clarify one thing that seems to be often misunderstood about our company. We have always handled our own distribution. We have put more emphasis in the last few months of expanding the breadth of our distribution into parts of the country less familiar with our brands. The company has taken a controlled growth strategy to this point and will continue that moving forward. It helps us keep ahead on inventory and age our cigars for much longer than is the standard in the industry as well as ensuring that our retail partners are rarely put on backorder with our lines.”

Prelight

I must admit to being very drawn simply by the look of this cigar. The size is just about perfect…a little thicker than a traditional Lancero, and a bit shorter as well. The band is attractive, while not being overdone. The only thing I would change on it is to make the type size of the variety a bit larger. “Maduro” appears to be about 4 point type and is barely readable to me…and my eyesight simply isn’t bad yet. For those whose eyes aren’t as good as mine, I’m sure they wouldn’t be able to make it out. Minor quibble, but it might make a difference to someone at some point. The wrapper leaf is as oily and dark as I’ve ever seen an Ecuadorian Habano. Basic leaf and vein structure appears about the same, but the color was slightly darker than milk chocolate and it had a thickly oily feel under my fingertips. The aroma from the leaf was leather and hay and a bit of earth. I sniffed at the foot of the stogie and got riper earthiness and notes of sweeter chocolate.

The cap cracked a bit when I laid into this cigar with my Xikar Xi…unusual in general, but unfortunately not the first time it happened with this blend. The Ecuadorian Habano is not the hardiest wrapper out there, though it’s usually not the most delicate, either. I wonder if the extra fermentation caused it to be a bit more susceptible to cracking and/or tearing. My advice is to be extra careful when cutting these. The prelight draw was very good and tasted of cedar, cinnamon and just a touch of pepper spice.

Flavor

Initial flavors from the Cubanacan Maduro were of sweet hay and cedar, with some earthy undertones and some red pepper on the finish. The retrohale was definitely hotter in the pepper category. Through the first third, the cigar was quite tasty, but it didn’t have much in the way of sweetness that I normally associate with “Maduro” wrapper leaves.

During the second third, I did detect a start of some dried fruit, almost raisin, sweetness. It meshed well with the pepper spice that lingered still and the earthy and wood notes. In the last third everything came together with a resurgence of red pepper, a subtle sweetness, and a solid earthy base.

Construction

Aside from the cracked cap, I experienced no other construction issues. The draw was flawless, the ash was solid for a half inch or more, and the burn line was very even with little need for touching up.

Value

The price is nice on these. For a smaller company to offer great smoking experiences for far less than $10 a stick is always a good thing to see.

Conclusions

Overall, I found the Cubanacan Maduro to be a very pleasant smoking experience. It was at the lower end of full-bodied and about the same in strength. While there wasn’t a great deal of natural sweetness in the blend, there was enough to balance out the earthy and peppery notes. If you are looking for a “true Maduro” experience, this probably isn’t it, but it is a very nice addition to the Cubanacan portfolio and stands apart from the Habano blend.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10