Stogie Reviews: Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta Serie No. 7
19 Apr 2010
Barber pole cigars were all the rage back in 2007. Sure, many dual-wrapper, diagonally striped sticks are still around. But I’d argue they hit their peak three years ago when CAO released America, Camacho introduced its ’07 Liberty, and everyone seemed to be talking about other barber pole smokes from Felipe Gregorio, Gurkha, and Arganese.
Now the “dos capas†trend has shifted away from diagonal and towards two contrasting wrappers stacked on top of each other. This is evidenced by the new Artesanos de Tabaqueros from La Gloria Cubana, which features a Connecticut wrapper at the foot and an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper at the head.
Not to be outdone, this year Joya de Nicaragua launched its own two-wrapper line: Cabinetta. It is rolled completely in a golden Ecuadorian wrapper and topped off with a dark Nicaraguan leaf at the head. The goal is to impart a creamy, mellow taste and add a sweet spiciness to the lips.
Aside from its two wrappers, Cabinetta marks a departure for Joya de Nicaragua. The 42-year-old brand has built a reputation for power and strength anchored by its bold Antaño line. Cabinetta, however, is intended to have a mild to medium body with, according to its website, an “elegant and attractive look but also a complex and particular taste.â€
Four Cabinetta sizes are available for approximately $5-6.50 apiece. The toro-sized No. 7, measuring six inches with a 50 ring gauge, has a soft feel, faint pre-light notes of sawdust, and a somewhat lumpy terrain. All three of my samples suffered from superficial aesthetic imperfections like small tears.
Once lit, the initial flavor is more papery and bready than creamy. Slowly, though, as the effortless draw produces ample tufts of smoke, the medium-bodied taste develops with hazelnut and coffee. Not terribly complex but certainly not boring—especially as the creaminess increases into the midway point.
From what I can gather, the dark second wrapper isn’t necessarily intended to be smoked. Curiosity got the better of me, though, and I pushed ahead past the band to see how the profile changes. What I found was a stub that’s too short to smoke and a flavor that’s only marginally intensified.
Nevertheless, with near-perfect physical properties, a wallet-friendly price, and a pleasant taste with aromatic resting smoke, the Cabinetta Serie No. 7 shouldn’t be dismissed as a mere gimmick. It works as a respectable complement to a morning brew or an afternoon beer. And it earns three and a half stogies out of five.
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photo credit: Stogie Guys
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I agree. Interesting smoke (I had the #4), hope to get better construction next time. Nice with coffee early in the day.
I've enjoyed both the Cabinetta and the Celebracion (here's a link to my review of the Celebracion – http://www.toastedfoot.com/2010/08/cigar-review-j…
I found them both complex and interesting, without being over-poweringly strong (the Cabinetta being the milder of the two). I also tried to smoke the Cabinetta into the darker portion, and was not able to detect a noticable difference in flavor.
I would definitely both cigars!
My only experience with Joya was the 1970 Antano and The Antano Reserve. I thought the Antano was a bit brash and the Reserve was better because it tamed some of that brashness. I wanted to try another Joya, but have just not got around to it until the Cabinetta struck my eye. Immediately it promised to be a different Joya and I must say as I smoke my first one it surely is. This one is much more rounded and mild than the many years gone by experience I had with that first Antano. It is actually a bit nutty, but slightly sweet nutty like hazelnt/caramel. It has much less spice, but I have plenty os strong and spicy sticks right now so this is a nice departure. When I go mild I always hope for at least mild done interesting…The Cabinetta has such a pleasant taste that it certainly gets my approval.