Cain F550

[Don Fernando]

I got this cigar from The Longfiller Company as they release these cigars on the Dutch market and they wanted me to review it. Cain, made by Oliva and Sam Leccia and the Cain F is the strongest and boldest Cain blend available. F stands for "force revined" and there are 3 sizes on the marked, a robusto called the 550 (5¾x50), a toro called 660 (6x60) and 6x54 Torpedo with the name 654T. The cigars are pure ligero and contain Esteli, Condega and Jalapa ligero. This is the review for the 550



The wrapper looks tough with one big vein, and it feels silky. The construction is good and the cigar has a mild barnyard aroma. The wrapper is quite thick and that makes the cigar hard to punch. The peppery predraw is just fine.



The first thing I notice when I light the cigar is the peppery smell of the smoke. On my palate I taste a spicy coffee, mild bitter and not very pleasant but after a few puffs it gets much better and I also get a hint of chocolate. After an inch and a half I get herbs and chocolate, the coffee is gone. The chocolate becomes the main flavor and is much stronger than in the first inch of the cigar.



Halfway the chocolate is still the dominant flavor and an earthy flavor joins the herbs. At ¾ a wood flavor and the herbs, including something minty, become the main flavors and the chocolate is just a support. At ⅔ I also get a bit of salt on the palate.



During the 1¾ hours that I enjoyed this cigar I got plenty of smoke and a great burn. This full flavored, full bodied cigar with the firm pepper & salt colored ash packs more flavor and a much better flavor vs strength balance than his bigger brother the Cain F660.



Would I buy this cigar again? Yes, I really liked this cigar, it is so much better than the Cain F 660

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10