The Stogie Guys

Spanish for “Free Cuba,” the Cuba Libre brand signifies Nestor Plasencia’s hope of one day returning to a homeland that embraces liberty. Like so many of today’s best cigar makers, he fled Cuba after the Castro regime took over his family’s thriving tobacco operation and confiscated their factories and fields.

With five generations of Cuban tobacco cultivation as a compass, Nestor reestablished the family business in Nicaragua to make use of the fertile Eselí and Jalapa Valley regions. Today his successful factories turn out many Rocky Patel blends, some Gurkha lines, and the Alec Bradley Maxx.

Cuba Libre, Nestor’s take on a value brand, is appropriately made from 100 percent Cuban-seed tobacco. The filler and Nicaraguan binder are covered by a smooth yet veiny wrapper with a reddish hue and a wrinkled complexion.

This cigar is by no means unattractive—the sharp box-press adds character and the red, gold, and blue band is appealing—but something about the appearance compels me to mentally liken it to a typical house brand. Maybe it’s the haphazardly applied cap. Or maybe it’s the prevalence of soft spots from head to foot.

Notwithstanding the Unico’s torpedo-like frame, and despite the fact that I only clipped a bit of tobacco off the top, the pre- and post-light draw is easy. Too easy, if you ask me. The flavors from this six and ¼ inch by 54 ring gauge cigar seemed to be watered down by each airy puff.

When I could sort through the taste in the voluminous tufts of smoke, I found mild- to medium-bodied flavors of earth, leather, and traces of pepper. Some acidic or sweet notes would have helped balance out the predominantly dry profile.

Aside from the hollowed-out draw, the physical properties were excellent—especially considering the price range. Boxes of 20 Unicos go for $75-90, and you can find singles for less than $3 apiece in various online samplers.

That’s ultimately why this cigar makes a decent golf course or barbeque companion: It offers good construction and consistent flavors for little cost. It just doesn’t have enough complexity or personality to be the main event.

Cuba Libre has a compelling story but, in the end, I am neither disappointed nor impressed with the Unico. It earns three stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

Passing along pointers to novice cigar smokers is one of our major goals at StogieGuys.com. So, with that in mind, here are a few more tips to help you enjoy this beloved hobby even more.

No stubbing! Absolutely, positively, do not put your premium cigar out as you would a cigarette. It will release a mass of foul odors and unpleasant smoke. Always, repeat, always, let cigars die peacefully on their own. Premium cigars are pure tobacco and, unlike cigarettes or most machine-made cigars, will not burn on their own.

Carrying a torch. Some torch lighters are incredibly hot, particularly multi-jet and tabletop models. Occasionally, I’ll fire one up and think I should be wearing a welder’s helmet. Ponder for a moment what all that heat is doing to the cigar. It’s burning it nearly like the surface of the sun. Now, there’s nothing wrong with torch lighters. Just be careful and use the farthest reaches of the flame to ignite your cigar. You just want to light it, not charbroil it.

White ash. You’ll undoubtedly hear it said that a white ash is the sign of a good cigar. Well, tobacco people tell me that isn’t true. The color of the ash, they say, is mainly just a reflection of the minerals, salts, and chemical compounds absorbed by the tobacco from its soil. Some Cuban cigars, though by no means all, have very white ashes and that may be the origin of this belief.

–George E

photo credit: Flickr

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief take on a single cigar. The following is a Guest Quick Smoke, submitted by a StogieGuys.com reader. If you’d like to submit your own for publication, please contact us.

This is a well-constructed Robusto with a blemish-free “café au lait”-colored wrapper. Easy draw and light with a consistent burn. Ash is flaky but holds for about an inch. While the first inch of this mild- to medium-bodied stick had a hay flavor, the taste evolved to stronger notes of wood and cream. The second half had a few harsh puffs that quickly faded into a smooth, creamy smoke which was abundant with a pleasant aroma. One drawback is price; I paid $11.50 for a single at my local cigar shop, and I’m not quite sure I’d want to pay that amount again for this stick. I paired this with a hot milk chai and I recommend that combo. This stick will be best enjoyed by lovers of mild smokes who want something a bit stronger but still creamy.

Verdict = Buy.

-Submitted by Marc from Pasadena, CA