-Tony

The Esteli Lot 8613 was released by Nomad Cigar Company earlier this year, and although I assumed that this was a re-blending of the limited Esteli Lot 1386 of 2013, according to halfwheel, this is not really the case: “While Rewey was unwilling to talk details of the blend, he did tell halfwheel that it was not very similar to the Nomad Estelí LE Lot 1386 in terms of components. Still he found the blend gave him a similar experience, so he named Lot 8613.” I do recall owner Fred Rewey talking about his as-yet unreleased blend when he visited Seattle last year and joking (or so I thought) about naming it by simply transposing the numbers of the Esteli Lot 1386, and it appears that he did just that.
This is now the sixth unique line that Nomad has released following the Dominican core line, the Esteli Lot 1386, S-307, C-276, and the Connecticut Fuerte. I have previously reviewed the Dominican Vagabond and the C-276 for Casas Fumando. The Esteli Lot 8613 was blended at the same time as the C-276, and it seems that Fred so impressed with the characteristics of the Ometepe tobacco that he wound up using it in both blends. The Lot 8613 is made at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua, and comes in five sizes: Robusto 5×50, Coronita 5.5×46, Toro 6×50, Grand Toro 6×58, and Churchill 7×48, all with MSRP under $9.

Thanks to my good buddy Chris from Louisville for sending this one to me.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan – “Predominantly” Jalapa, Condega Ligero, and Ometepe, according to what Fred told me.
Size: Toro 6×50
Price: $8.75
Smoking time: One hour, forty-five minutes
Pairing: Fish Tale Reel Ales Monkfish Belgian Style Tripel Ale (ABV 9%)

Pre-light

The Nomad Esteli Lot 8613 presents itself in a medium milk chocolate brown wrapper with a silky and slightly sheen. Minimal veins and nearly undetectable seams lead up to a somewhat crooked double cap. The stick feels solidly packed with no discernible soft spots, although not particularly heavy in the hand. The wrapper exudes tangy barnyard and light earth, while the foot is spicy, peppery tobacco and wood. The band differs from the previous black dominated bands of the S-307 and C-276 in that it lacks the line designation, using a black footband marked “Esteli Lot 8613” instead. An easy cut of the cap reveals a draw with my preferred touch of resistance and a cold draw that shows sweet tobacco, light cedar, and some grassiness.

First third

Upon lighting, sweetness hits the palate first, followed by woodiness, musty earth, and a peppery pungency. Pepper is sharp in the retrohale, but is balanced out by a smooth cedar, although I wouldn’t recommend a heavy retrohale at this point, as that pepper does carry a bit of a wallop. The sweetness fades to the background as some musk makes its way into the picture. Halfway into the first third, we’re creeping toward a solid medium in terms of body, and perhaps it’s my aging brain, but myriad of fleeting flavors have been showing themselves – licorice, water cracker, savory smokiness are here with one puff and gone the next – but the underlying base is still the smooth sweet cedar and musky tobacco. The pepper, while still present in terms of flavor, has faded in its spicy sting, making it much easier to move the smoke through my nasal passages, and the uniformly light gray ash has tapped off at a good 1-3/4”.

Middle third

The second third of the Esteli Lot 8613 brings in more of that smokiness that I picked up earlier, but again, it’s there then gone after a few puffs, although some of the savory hit remains. The burn has gone a bit awry, and I give it a very quick touch up – no big deal, even if it doesn’t look great in the photo. The pepper picks up and water cracker deepens to more of a bread note, and all of the flavors have become richer as the body goes over the medium mark.

Final third

The Nomad Esteli Lot 8613 has deepened in flavor even more, although the pepper has once again backed off in intensity, as it reaches into the medium-full range. The sweetness has lingered throughout, sometimes light and at times almost syrupy, and the light bread and very faint wisps of baking spices weave in and out, while the cedar and tobacco components have remained a rock solid foundation. Surprisingly, with an inch and a half left, the Lot 8613 lightens up a bit and the flavors become a bit sharper, with a bit of a sting on the tip of the tongue as I take it down to the last inch.

Overview

Although this is the only Esteli Lot 8613 I have smoked, I have to say that I was more than just a little impressed by it. Having smoked a few of the Limited Esteli Lot 1386’s, I would have to say that my preference runs to this one. I have smoked each of Fred’s lines outside of the original limited Dominican Renegade, and having really enjoyed each line, I can say that the Esteli Lot 8613 is a more than worthy addition to the Nomad portfolio. The way the flavors wove in and out made for an enjoyably complex smoke and the construction was great. The only part that I didn’t quite enjoy so much was the very tail end of it, but by that time, I was well over an hour and a half into it and at the point where most cigars kind of peter out anyway. It’s well worth the money for an enjoyable, long lasting medium-plus bodied and medium strength smoke, and I would really like to get my hands on some of the Coronitas to see how they fare.

By the way, if you’re not by now familiar with Fred and his philosophy regarding cigars, not to mention his great sense of humor, it would be well worth your time to check out these videos from our friends at Stogie 411 and Cigar Craig:

http://www.stogie411.com/episode-96-nomad-cigars/
http://www.cigarcraig.com/in-the-cigar-mojo-humidor-with-fred-rewey-of-nomad-cigars-and-a-contest-winner/

Once again, big thanks to Chris for the gift!

Pairing

In Tony’s most recent review, he mentioned his preference for Belgian and Belgian style ales when pairing up with cigars, and I tend to agree with him on that. The sweetness and fruitiness that those ales bring to the party tend to match much better with medium to medium-full bodied non-Maduro cigars than bitter (non-double) IPAs, so the Fish Tale Reel Ales Monkfish Belgian Style Tripel Ale from Olympia, WA brewer Fish Brewery was a no-brainer for me here. With a nice sweetness, orange fruit, and just enough of a spicy and lightly bitter hoppy finish to balance things out, it was a great match for the Nomad Esteli Lot 8613. I think just about any Belgian ale, a fruity and not too assertive bourbon, or a rum that is on the sweeter side would go well with this cigar as well.

The post Nomad Esteli Lot 8613 appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

The Cain F is a Nicaraguan puro made up of 32% Esteli Ligero, 25% Condega Ligero, and 25% Jalapa Ligero. I guess we will never know where the other 18% of the tobaccos come from. Available vitolas include: Nub (4 by 60), Nub Torbedo (4 by 64), Robusto (5 ¾ by 50), Torpedo (6 by 54), Double Toro (6 by 60), and Lancero (7 by 38).

The Facts

Vitola: Lancero
Size: 7 by 38
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Pairing: Seham’s Costa Rican Coffee
Smoke Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Pre-light

The Cain F sports a dark brown wrapper that has a rusty undertone. The dark imperfections, color variations, veins, and bumps make this one rugged looking cigar. The oils off the wrapper can be felt as I examine the cigar for soft spots.  The cigar has a good amount of bounce and there are a couple of spots that are noticeably softer. The wrapper aroma is of cedar, dark earth, and some other unidentifiable vegetal notes. The cedar notes are sharper off the foot, with a minor vanilla sweetness.

The double cap gets the job done. Clipping through the first layer of the cap, I find a decent draw that has just a tad more resistance than I prefer, but nothing unexpected due to the smaller ring gauge. The cold draw showcases a myriad of spices that are very rich. It reminds me of the smell of potpourri during the holiday season. Both foot bands slide off with ease and I am now ready to fire up this Cain F Lancero.

First Third

Even with the resistance on the draw, a good amount of flavorful smoke fills my mouth with each puff. Right out of the gate, the Cain F is a flavor bomb, firing off black pepper, cedar, and deep earth.  The spice sits on my palate for a good amount of time between each draw.  At the one inch mark, the pepper has shifted down, while the cedar has settled into a more significant role.  There is also a sweetness that hits the tip of my tongue. The smoke has a very thick, chewy feel in my mouth and oily quality on the finish. The black pepper on the retrohale will wake you up but not unbearable. A beautiful layered ash is a result of an almost perfect burn. Flavors are full and strength is coming in at a solid full as well.

Middle Third

The Cain F Lancero is putting me in a nice, comfortable state. The smoke has become very rich, delivering a caramel-like sweetness that compliments the cedar notes.  However, the caramel doesn’t linger on the finish but more of a dusty cocoa. The cocoa may be tied to the Costa Rican coffee I am enjoying with the cigar. In a similar way that coffee pairs with a rich dessert, the coffee is offsetting the richness of the Cain F nicely. The burn line is not as sharp as the first third, but is of no concern. As I smoke this cigar, I can’t help but think how comfortable the lancero format is in my hand and mouth.

Final Third

Due to dinking around a little too long with the photos, the Cain F did go out on me. But in no time at all, the cigar is back in action with a quick re-light from my Zippo Z-Plus! lighter. The “F” has a little more heat in the final third. I am going to have to be careful not to overheat this 38 ring gauge beauty and ruin the flavors.  The spice has crept back in warming my entire mouth and there is a lingering spice sting on my lips. The combination of woodsy notes, spice, and caramel reminds me of a spice rum. Don’t ask me what kind of rum because my rum knowledge is way below par. The strength is definitely full but it has not pushed me over the edge.  With less than an inch left, the flavor has become a bit charred and it is time to put this Lancero down to rest.

Wrap-up

I am just going to say it. I freakin love this cigar! While it has been well over a year since I smoked the 2011 release, I felt that this release offered bolder flavors and more complexity. While ugly in appearance, the construction and burn were excellent. As I have mentioned in previous reviews, I lean towards cigars that deliver some sweetness and the Cain F Lancero it right up my alley.  I adore the Lancero format and it is just unheard of to find a lancero in the $6.00 range for single. Actually, skip grabbing a single, just buy a box. Several places on the web have boxes of 10 for under $60.00. I think I know what my next box purchase is going to be.

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Cain Straight Ligero Habano

Being that I am new to cigar reviews, I spend a lot of time reading other sites and blogs. One name stood out as of late and its all over the internet. The Cain Straight Ligero is all over twitter, blogs, review sites, and even the buzz in local stores. Needless to say I jumped at the first chance to get my hands on one of these bad boys that I could, getting a pre-release kit courtesy of Sam Leccia himself. He was kind enough to send a few of these out before release to cigar reviewers all over the Internet.

The Cain line of cigars (at this point I believe is is just a habano, and a maduro) are the newest release from the nimble hands of Sam Leccia, maker of the famous NUb cigar line. The Cain will be announced to the world at this year’s International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Event that took place this past week in New Orleans and is by far one of the most anticipated cigars to make face in this years event.

Cain Straight Ligero

The Good Stuff: The Cain Straight Ligero cigar is, as obvious of its name, a ligero based cigar. Ligero tobacco is the absolute top leaves from the tobacco plant. These leaves are not only said to be the strongest of the entire plant due to the excessive amount of sun they absorb, but the most flavorful as well. Taking it one step further has always been a trend when it comes to Sam, and the Cain in no doubt withholds that tradition with its triple fermentation process. Easily said, the ligero tobacco leaves are fermented three different times, producing massive amounts of heat withdrawing the strongest, and most flavorful tobacco possible while at the same time producing the longest burning tobacco. Although the Cain states “straight Ligero” the tobacco in this cigar are blended with Seco tobacco to produce a true burn.

Cain Straight Ligero

Size: 5×50  –  Wrapper: Ligero Habano  –  Filler/Binder: Ligero  –  Origin: Esteli, Nicaragua

Prelight: The Cain I happened to receive was a Belicoso (torpedo) habano. Which is actually my favorite shape. The construction of this cigar is magnificent. Absolutely no flaws, or soft spots. When I recieved my package UPS did a good job banging the hell out of the box, so I wasn’t sure what condition the contents would be in. The Cain Habano boasts a very dark, very smooth, chocolaty brown wrapper. This actually threw me off, and for a while I thought I actually had received the maduro. From what I hear I’m not the only one who made that mistake. There were very little veins. The banding itself is remarkably simple. A black and gold band, stating the words Cain Straight Ligero is soft script; the perfect touch, the Cain speaks for itself.

First Smoke: As a trend in most traditional cigars I have had recently the Cain Habano took quite some time to get lit under the gun of my single flame colibri butane torch. The first tastes were that of a woodsy cedar arrangement, followed shortly by sharp pepper spice. The Cain’s spice was incredibly strong and flavorful, and at times actually tickled the back of my throat while the strength of the tobacco made my eyes water. The draw was decent sized, and very thick. It wasn’t wrapped too tight, just tight enough not to let the immense taste over-power the smoker. The Cain, even in its beginning stages, has to be by far the strong cigar I have ever smoked. The scent of the Cain was well-paired with its cedaresque smells, mixed with that of leather and spice. The ash built up for well over an inch before giving way.

Cain Straight Ligero

Halfway There: I am so taken by the strength of the Cain, and the length of the burn. I can’t believe I have been going at this cigar for over an hour an I am barely reaching the halfway point. I’m not babysitting this guy either, I am hitting the hell out of it and the remarkably smooth smoke, with the great flavor is allowing me to do so. The taste is still hanging in there, and has yet to change, or decrease. The strength of the Cain has increased a bit by this point, while the burn is INCREDIBLY perfectly even.

Finish: When all was said and done the Cain Habano took me little over two and a half hours to smoke down to the nub. Again, I was going at this cigar like a champ. I am so blown away at the consistency in burn, flavor, and strength. Even towards the very end of this cigar, it was still a very smooth, enjoyable smoke. I took this down and one sitting, needless to say I was a bit light-headed and disoriented when I stood up for the first time.

Cain Straight Ligero

Overview: The Cain is one hell of a cigar, and anyone who has had one should be privileged. Because of the strength, and flavor, I wouldn’t recommend this cigar to any novice smoker, or those with weak stomachs. But anyone who has ever enjoyed a few good, stronger cigars this one’s for you. I would buy this again, and plan to do so in the very near future.

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