Cubanacan Special Edition Event Cigar

Over the past couple of years, Cubanacan Cigars has been building a name for themselves in the boutique cigar industry. Earlier this year, the company streamlined its portfolio to focus on its three brands – Mederos, Soneros, and Cubanacan. Recently, the company has unveiled a new blend that is only available at Cubanacan events called the Cubanacan Special Edition Event Cigar. This cigar comes in a 6 x 60 perfecto size. I have recently had an opportunity to smoke the Cubanacan Special Edition Event Cigar. Not only is this an excellent cigar, but I think one that shines in the perfecto size with the large ring gauge.

Cubanacan Cigars is owned by the Mederos family.  The Mederos family has Cuban roots and actually has been involved with rolling cigars since the early 19th century.  This is a vertically integrated company.   Not only does the company own its own factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, but they are also involved with the growing of tobacco.  The company owns its own factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. In regards to the company name, Cubanacan’s web-site says, “The name Cubanacan was chosen for it’s vibrant history and the story behind it’s meaning. Cubanacan means ‘where fertile land is abundant’ and is derived from tobacco traditions that predate Cuba itself. The story of Cubanacan is not just one of our past, but one that is still being written.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Cubanacan Special Edition Event Cigar and see what this cigar brings to the table.

Blend Profile

One of the cigars under the Cubanacan brand is called the Cubanacan Habano.  While the blend profile of the Cubanacan Event cigar might look similar on the outside, Cubanacan Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jas Broome told us the Cubanacan Event cigar is a completely different blend than the core line Cubanacan Habano.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Nicaraguan

Vitolas Available

This blend is currently only available in one size – the 6 x 60 perfecto.  It is packaged in boxes of 5.

Appearance

The Cubanacan Event cigar has a medium brown colored wrapper with some colorado red mixed into it.  Upon closer examination, there is some darker marbling that can be seen.  There is a light amount of oil on the surface.  There are some visible wrapper seams and visible veins on the surface of the wrapper.  The perfecto is well-packed with no soft spots.  By the cap there is a slight taper, but it is still rounded at the head.  The footer itself is open.  There is a subtle cocoa aroma that can be detected from this cigar.

While it is a different blend than the Cubanacan Habano, the Cubanacan Event cigar does share the same band as the Habano. The band is white in color with gold trim. It features the three-ringed black, red, and gold colored Cubanacan logo on it. That logo has the name “CUBANACAN” in large black font that flanks the three rings. On the left ring is the contains the text “MEDEROS” around it. The ring on the right side contains the text “EXPORTACION DE LA REPÚBLICA DE NICARAGUA” across the top and “HECHO A MANO – ESTELI, NICARAGUA” on the bottom. Above the middle ring is the text “FABRICA DE TABACOS” in black font and below the middle ring is the text “HABANO”.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up the Cubanacan Event cigar I went with my usual selection of a straight cut. Once the cap is clipped I proceeded with the pre-light draw. The dry draw provided a mix of cocoa, nut, a little natural tobacco sweetness, and a very subtle spice. Overall this was an excellent pre-light draw and provided a great appetizer for the smoking experience itself. As I do with all perfectos, I toasted the foot of the Cubanacan Event cigar completely in order to facilitate the burning process. I was now ready to enter the smoking phase.

Flavor Profile

The start of the Cubanacan Event only cigar provided a strong blast of pepper.  The pepper quickly subsided and notes of nut, cocoa and natural tobacco sweetness emerged.  The pepper remained prominent on the retro-hale for most of the smoking experience.

As the Cubanacan Event cigar burned through the tapered section, the nut flavors became primary. The pepper was a close secondary note with the natural tobacco and cocoa notes were a little more distant. By about the 20 percent mark the natural tobacco sweetness became stronger and joined the nut flavors in the forefront – creating a sweet toasted nut flavor. The cocoa and pepper in the background complemented this perfectly.

By the second half, the nut flavors still were primary.  The spice flavors increased – this included the pepper notes as well as a nice baker’s spice.  The cocoa notes were more distant and there still was a natural tobacco flavor that could be detected.

The last third saw the spices take control.  This was not an overwhelming spice – and it did not assault the pallet.  I could still detect some nut and sweetness notes, but by this time the cocoa notes had now dissipated.  This is the way the flavor profile held until the end.  The resulting nub to this cigar was cool in temperature, but soft to the touch.

Burn and Draw

After I finished toasting the foot of the Cubanacan Event cigar, this became a low maintenance burn. The burn line remained sharp from start to finish – and required minimal touch-ups along the way. As far as perfectos go, this was simply an outstanding burn. The resulting ash was a light gray with some darker speckling in it. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Burn of the Cubanacan Special Edition Event Cigar

The draw was excellent as well.  It was not too tight and not too loose. The slight taper at the cap is going to help if you are not someone who enjoys puffing on a 60 ring gauge.  This made the Cubanacan Event cigar an excellent cigar to smoke.

Strength and Body

The Cubanacan Event Cigar provided an ideal balance of both strength and body. From a strength perspective, this cigar is going to have just enough kick to be medium to full in my book. As for the flavors, there was some decent depth to them. It also had what I term “just enough weight” on the pallet to qualify as a medium to full-bodied smoke in my book.

Final Thoughts

The concept of an event only cigar is one that I believe it.  It gives you a reason to come to an event and get something you normally cannot get.  With the cigars themselves, I have found many event only cigars to be hit or miss.  With the Cubanacan Special Edition Event Cigar, this is one that is special.  This cigar hits on all cylinders.  Many cigar connoisseurs have soured on big ring gauge cigars, but this cigar is a textbook study that when you blend for a 60 ring gauge cigar, it can work – and work very well.  This is a cigar I’d recommend to both the novice and experienced cigar enthusiast.  As for myself, this is a cigar I’d smoke again.  While they come in boxes of 5, this cigar would be box worthy if it were packaged in boxes of 20.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Good
Assessment: 4.0 – Box Worthy
Score: 93

References

News: n/a
Source: Sample Provided by Manufacturer (*)
Stogie Geeks Podcast: n/a
Stogie Feed: n/a

* The cigar for this assessment was given to Cigar Coop by Cubanacan Cigars.  Cigar Coop is appreciative for the sample, but this does not influence the review.