Vitola: Double Robusto- 5” x 56 ring gauge
- ~$2.75
- Purchased at Burns Tobacconist
Background
A couple weeks ago, Randy at Burns Tobacconist told me, “The Havana Q really isn’t a bad cigar.” This was the new release from the Quorum line from J.C. Newman, so I probably looked at him like he was growing a third eye in the middle of his forehead. He insisted, though, that while he didn’t like the other releases in the Quorum line, this one was actually worth smoking. So I bought one and discovered that he was right…and decided to go for a second one to review here today.
J.C. Newman is officially calling Havana Q a “cousin” of the Quorum brand, which is the number one selling bundle cigar out of Nicaragua. Havana Q is another “value cigar” line, but they opted for larger ring gauge sizes in order to cater to the “modern cigar smoker’s contemporary preferences.” As with other Quorum releases, these use Nicaraguan filler and binder and the filler is classified as “mixed” meaning there is some long filler and some short. The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano leaf “grown by the Oliva family on the alluvial plains at the foot of the Cotuguay Mountains in the renowned Guayas tobacco-growing region of Ecuador. The special soil and climate there are comparable to the famed Vinales Valley in the Pinar del Rio province in Cuba.”
This review is based on the second time I smoked this blend and I bought them both at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga.
Prelight
These aren’t going to win any packaging awards, although the packaging and appearance isn’t likely to be detrimental either. To be blunt, the bar is pretty low for this kind of thing in the bundle/value cigar category. This has red, yellow, black and metallic gold printed on a band made of cheaper, glossy paper that has no die cut and very little in the way of embossing. They come packaged 20 to a resealable bag. Bottom line…the packaging is adequate if not impressive. The only thing that I found particularly impressive was that it doesn’t stand out immediately as a Quorum line…you have to look at the back of the band to find that logo.
The wrapper leaf was a peanut butter medium brown with a decent amount of oiliness to the touch and an aroma that combined manure, cedar, and nuts. Writing the words “peanut butter” put that in my mind and that could be why I picked up some peanut butter nuttiness on the foot, along with more earth, and a hint of chocolate.
After clipping the head with a straight cut, I got a very good draw that had touches of sweet berries, bell pepper, earth, and wood.
Flavor
I got the Havana Q fired up and immediately got a mix of cedar and hay, along with an earthy undercurrent, and a slightly peppery finish. The retrohale had more red pepper and cedar. As I made my way through the first third, that same flavor profile pretty much held steady. I hadn’t expected much complexity and that’s what I got…but it was a steadily good flavor.
The second third featured a bit more hay with woody notes subsiding a bit. There was some earthiness coming through in the background but most of the pepper had dissipated, both on palate and nose.
The last third of the Havana Q was more cedar and hay with an increasing earthiness and natural tobacco flavor. There was a touch of sweetness creeping into the mix as I finished.
Construction
I had a good draw, fairly even burn line that needed a few touch ups, and as solid an ash a could be expected on a bundle cigar. The wrapper ended up cracking apart a bit during the second third, which was unfortunate and affected the burn qualities.
Value
Good cigar at an excellent price.
Conclusions
The Havana Q is definitely a good addition to the Quorum lineup and in my opinion is the best of the lot. The first one I smoked would have scored half a point better in terms of the construction which would have put it at a solid 8.5, but this one had severe cracking, which is bound to happen sometimes in cheaper cigars. Still, I would call this a solid smoking experience from a flavor perspective and it’s something I would definitely smoke again on occasion, especially at a time when money was tight.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
