El Cubano White - A Texas Blended and Rolled Original

[kydsid]

Cigar Specs:
Shape: Various – Fav Lonsdale
Length: 6.5
Ring Gauge: 42

Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras
Filler: Nicaragua, Ecuador, Honduras
Body: Medium
Strength: See below
Price: $4-5


Background: El Cubano is a locally owned shop in League City, Texas. All of their tobacco is imported by the leaf, then blended and rolled by father and son Manuel & Manny Lopez. Manuel is the master roller who started out in the industry rolling cigars on a little island south of Miami before he managed to get some dry socks for his feet. Both father and son set out to recapture the cigars of Cuba hence why only the wrapper is from a single country. Manny doesn’t believe any single country, well besides one, gives the variety needed to make an ‘interesting’ smoke (and I find it hard to argue with him on that point). They make 4 different blends across all sizes and a fifth Nicaraguan puro. There are no names, at least that I know for the blends, just colored bands. My favorite is the white label and will be reviewed here.


Pre-Light: (White Label)
Construction is usually flawless with a few dings in feet or body, I suspect from customers since they don’t use cellophane, some veins but very consistent with cigars twice the price. Draw is perfect upon cutting the triple cap. Subdued aromas abound. This is not a typical NC power fest and pre light gives you a very cc feel.

First Third:
A mild cigar, but not uninteresting. Smoke is full, creamy and the draw is perfect. Subtle woodsy aromas define this cigar. At this point of the cigar it is to my mind more complex than an SLR but similarly mild and enjoyable.



Second Third:
The wood aromas pick up slightly and begin to dominate creating a much more single faceted cigar. The complexity seen in the first part is a muted but can vary across the sizes. This is why I tend towards the smaller rg as the wrappers lends a hand in keeping the cigar more than single sided in flavor.




Last Third:
The flavors continue but now represent a problem with tar buildup. Purging is absolutely needed but the cigar retains a great quality. By the last inch however no amount of purging will help this cigar and this is generally where I put it down.


Overall Impression:
A true Texas original cigar that has wowed me unilaterally. I smoke very few NC’s that appeal to me anymore. Essencia is the last cigar that wowed me in this way. This cigar has made it permanently into my rotation alongside Essencia. If it were not for the fact that Essencia makes a bolder flavor profile, to at least the white label of El Cubano, it would replace it.

Ah who am I kidding I’d buy both like the rest of you crazy bums. All in all I really can’t think of a $4 cigar I have enjoyed more.


- Jason

Overall Rating – 4/ 5 Stars
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By kydsid at 2011-01-17



By kydsid at 2011-01-17



By kydsid at 2011-01-17