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Stogie Reviews: Cuban Crafters Cubano Claro Churchill

27 Jan 2010

Cuban Crafters Cubano Claro ChurchillSince I reviewed it in May, the Cubano Claro Toro has been a staple in my humidor for its affordable price, unique flavor, and solid construction. Now it seems appropriate to examine another size in this blend: the seven inch by 48 ring gauge Churchill.

It, too, is made by Cuban Crafters from desflorado tobacco, a difficult and finicky leaf that’s often reserved for rare and expensive cigars. The desflorado process requires the buds on tobacco plants to be cut off before they flower to give the leaves a rich, smooth taste. Then, in the case of Cubano Claro, the best leaves are hand selected from the tops of each plant to create the Connecticut desflorado wrapper for this line, a project that was four years in the making.

But don’t let the phrase “Connecticut wrapper” fool you. With a relatively dark complexion and a reddish-yellow hue, this cigar doesn’t look, smell, or feel like a traditional Connecticut leaf. It is highlighted by a clean cap, few noticeable veins or seams, and a pre-light aroma of salty hay.

Like the Toro, which also has a slender physique, the Churchill’s dimensions allow for more of the wrapper—the highlight of the blend—and a little less of the Cuban-seed long-filler from the Cupido tobacco fields to shine through in each puff. This must have been a conscious strategy when the nine Cubano Claro sizes were chosen; the widest vitola is the 50 ring gauge Torpedo.

I sampled five Churchills for this review. This size, which retails for $6.50 apiece when bought by the cedar humidor box of 20, starts with a flourish of onion, olive, and bread after an easy light. Each medium-bodied puff produces ample tufts of cool smoke.

Then, as was the case with the Toro, the midway point is characterized by a creamier taste of nuts and milk chocolate. While the overall profile is slightly subdued here, the Churchill is still flavorful with a well-balanced, somewhat dry profile. Truly a pleasure to smoke.

The cigar’s combustion, all the while, remains outstanding. My samples all included a razor-sharp burn with a shiny mascara, a firm white ash, and an easy draw. These set-it-and-forget-it physical properties enable you to focus on the development of the taste without interruption.

Overall, like many other Cuban Crafters creations, the Cubano Claro Churchill is an excellent value that won’t disappoint. It demonstrates superb aging potential and, for now, earns four stogies out of five.

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

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

7 Responses to “Stogie Reviews: Cuban Crafters Cubano Claro Churchill”

  1. Tim Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 2:11 pm #

    What exactlt does “Claro” mean? It seems to be the new hot term in cigars.

  2. Patrick A Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 4:49 pm #

    Good question. “Claro” is a term used to describe a light-colored wrapper with a pale, sometimes greenish, hue.

  3. ethan kurland Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 8:00 pm #

    Did I really read that you tasted onion? That's a first for me, and it sounds interesting. Was that cooked or raw; spring, vidalia, Bermuda…?

    Thanks for the review. So far from Cuban Crafters I haven't had anything that is equal or better than their J L y Salazars, which with a bit of aging taste wonderful and rich to me.

  4. Patrick A Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 10:12 am #

    Onion indeed. I’ve found this flavor–which is akin to a salty, somewhat tangy, spice–in several different cigars. It’s a nice complement to the profile of the Cubano Claro.

  5. Agis Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 10:31 pm #

    I am very disappointed by Cuban Crafters client service team.I've

    bought months ago, 2 bundles of Don Quijote Robustos and the

    transaction went smooth and with no problems. I've received the cigars

    within a month and I must admit I enjoyed ……this

    Don Quijote very much. I've placed a new order, this time a much more

    …expensive one and this time, after 2 whole months, my package is nowhere

    to be found. The CC client service didn't respond to any of my 4

    e-mails, so I've called them to speak directly with somebody, only to

    get informed that they've send the package by Global service,meaning

    they can't track it. No "sorry", no cigars, no refund, no compensation.

    Thanks for nothing CUBAN CRAFTERS. You've just lost my business…

    • H Lester jerome Friday, May 27, 2011 at 12:49 pm #

      Seriously, we get the point. You had a bad experience with Cuban Crafter's so you feel the need to go on EVERY SINGLE web page you can find and post this exact same whine. Give it a rest already. I a negative experience with JR Cigars. But, DUDE, seriously, it happens. Again…WE GET IT…YOU'RE UNHAPPY WITH CUBAN CRAFTER'S.

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