Learn with Lewis - Cuaba

As an apprentice, my role is extremely varied within the business here at C.Gars Ltd. I am extremely interested in the cigars, whisky and other products we have to offer and enthusiastic to learn about them. Follow me along on this learning journey, as I take you through what I have learnt about our brands so far; hopefully you can learn something new too!   Today I have been learning about the brand Cuaba.

Like Cohiba, Cuaba is a Taino Indian word dting back to the time of Columbus.

Cuaba was launched in 1996 at the Claridge’s hotel in London by Habanos President Francisco Linares. The lines of cigar produced were unique – the all-perfecto. This shape of cigar was inspired by the old double figurado shape popular in the late 19^th and eary 20^th century, suddenly being declined around 1950. At the release party, the creator of the line Carlos Izquierdo González and 14 other highly skilled torcedo
res (cigar rollers) made a demonstration on how they roll these figurado cigars.

Over the first year of production, the torcedores did not use a cigar mold, so some cigars would tend to be differing in size slightly. However, after the first year of production, they started using molds to ensure there was no size difference, and so the original cigars rolled without a mold became a rare collector’s item.

González would claim that the cigar blend was based on Montecristo cigars, however, most cigar aficionados disagree and say these cigars are much closer to the typical flavours of Romeo y Julieta’s - which is ironic as most Cuaba cigars are actually made at the Romeo y Julieta factory.

Cuaba are one of the lesser known Cuban brands, but don’t let that put you off; these cigars are premium and carefully made, using tobacco grown at the Vuelta Abajo region, and rolled by Grade 7 rollers. A grade 7 roller is the highest-grade roller possible, and takes years of practice to perfect the art.

Let’s have a look at some cigars from different lines:

Brand and Vitola	Size	Tasting notes
Distinguidos	4" length 43 Ring Gauge	A very earthy smoke with intermittent notes of wood and walnuts.
Divinos	5" length 42 Ring Gauge	The darker wrappers give a slightly sweeter taste with hints of spice and underlying earthy tones that are very pleasing. A good, sweet finish that leaves you wanting another one.
Exclusivos	5 3/4" length 46 Ring Gauge	Earthy and spicy without too much intesnsity.
Salomones	7 1/4" length 57 Ring Gauge	"...This salomon is heavily creased from the cigar mold. It's a floral, woody smoke with an underlying nuttiness. A pleasant and medium-bodied cigar..." - Cigar Aficionado
Tradicionales	4 3/4" length 42 Ring Gauge	Earthy and toasty, there's also a strong citrus presence of orange peel.

Summary

So, what have we learnt today?

Today I learnt about the unique brand Cuaba; a brand I consider an "underdog" in the cuban cigar world. The fact that they use the all-perfecto shape to honor the memory of the old double-figurado's really shows how much time and effort Cuaba put into their cigars, and how determined they are to be different from your 'average' cigar. We know they use some of the best tobacco in the world to ensure the premium experience you are paying for at a very reasonable price!

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog of Learn with Lewis, and I hope you learnt something new! Until next time, take care and happy smoking!

Lewis