Produced in Nicaragua at the Tabacalera Oliva De Esteli S.A. factory, the Nub line is available in Connecticut, Cameroon, Maduro, Habano, and Sumatra wrapper options. There is also a limited edition double Maduro called Nub Dub. The Connecticut version frontmarks include 354 (3 3/4 by 54), 358 (3 3/4 by 58), 460 (4 by 60), and 464T (4 by 64 Torpedo).

You can give the Nub Connecticut 358 and 464T a try for yourself in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler from our good friends over at Holt’s Cigar Company.

THE FACTS

Price: $7.14/single | $27.95/8-Cigar Sampler
Vitola: 358
Size: 3 3/4 by 58
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 50 minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Nub Connecticut wears a golden Connecticut Shade wrapper that has some darker markings and veins running the short length of the cigar. As I gently press down on the cigar, I find it to be evenly filled with only the smallest amount of give.

Bringing the wrapper to my nose, there is an aroma of earth and barnyard. The foot shows off sweet tobacco, earth, and black pepper spice. The double cap has clean lines and cuts with ease. The resistance is well within the acceptable range, possibly a hair on the firm side. A cinnamon spice warms up my palate and overshadows any other cold draw flavors that may be going on.

FIRST THIRD

This Nub Connecticut opens with solid medium flavors with earth and pepper central in the profile. The spice heat is medium and lingers on the palate as a natural tobacco sweetness pushes its way into the profile. There is a thick burn line that is mostly even as a salt and pepper ash forms.

MIDDLE THIRD

Burning down into the second third of the Nub Connecticut 358, both the earth and pepper shift up a notch. There is only a touch of that common Connecticut shade bitterness and it is working well with the core flavors. It is at this point in the cigar that I am surprised to be feeling a little nicotine kick.

FINAL THIRD

Into the last third, the profile is much lighter allowing the sweetness to shine through as well as the bitterness. A shallow draw and allowing additional time between puffs are needed to keep the bitterness at bay. The thick eyeliner burn from earlier is now thin and edgy as a gray ash develops that holds well. There is no concern about dropping the ash prematurely in your lap or on your keyboard. 

WRAP-UP 

The Nub Connecticut 358 by Oliva Cigar Company opens with a solid medium profile, kicks up a notch or two in the second third, and then mellows out in the final third of the smoke. The profile was characterized by core flavors of earth and pepper with a nice tobacco sweetness to round things out and a touch of Connecticut bitterness to remind you what you are smoking. The performance was impressive with its even burn and only two ash dropping during the fifty-minute smoke.

So, how would I line up the cigars in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler?

#1 – Nub Cameroon

#2 – Nub Connecticut

#3 – Nub Habano 

#4 – Nub Maduro

If I would’ve guessed which Nub cigars I would’ve liked the most before smoking any, the list would have been in the complete opposite order. The Nub blend shined with the lighter Cameroon and Connecticut wrappers.

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Produced in Nicaragua at the Tabacalera Oliva De Esteli S.A. factory, the Nub line is available in Connecticut, Cameroon, Maduro, and Habano wrapper options. Maduro frontmarks include 460 (4 by 60) and 464T (4 by 64 Torpedo).

You can give the Nub Maduro 460 and 464T a try for yourself in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler from our good friends over at Holt’s Cigar Company.

THE FACTS

• Price: $27.95/8-Cigar Sampler
• Vitola: 460
• Size: 4 by 60
• Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Smoke Time: 1 Hour

PRE-LIGHT

The Brazilian Maduro leaf on the Nub Maduro is dark brown and consistent in color from head to foot. There are a few small veins webbing down the leaf with a fine tooth. Even with the tooth, the cigar feels almost silky to the touch.

Barnyard and a faint sweetness come across on the wrapper, while a big chocolate note, graham cracker, cedar, and pepper are noted on the foot of the cigar. The draw is free allowing cedar and a sharp cinnamon spice to move across the palate.

FIRST THIRD

A traditional Maduro sweetness is first to greet my palate once the Nub Maduro is lit. Earth, a sour edge, and medium pepper follow the sweetness with black coffee on the finish of the smoke. The sweetness fades as the other flavors push to the forefront of the profile about half an inch in. The cigar is burning along with a minor wave as a light gray ash forms.

MIDDLE THIRD

Pulling into the second third of the Nub Maduro, a dry cedar, almost pencil-shavings like, is now alongside the coffee. There remains only a hint of sweetness in the background of the medium profile. A small section of the wrapper is struggling to burn along with the rest of the cigar. A quick hit with the lighter is needed before I move into the final third and it is at this point that the first ash drops.

FINAL THIRD

Pepper, earth, and coffee make up the profile in the last leg of the journey through the Nub Maduro. Retrohaling the smoke, the spice is a little fuller and tickling the sinuses. While the flavors are on the low side of medium, a richness is developing as I near its end.

WRAP-UP

The Nub Maduro presented a mild to medium profile with earth, coffee, and pepper being the dominant flavors with a few other notable flavors moving in and out through the smoke. With that said, I wouldn’t characterize the profile as complex. Additionally, just like the Nub Habano, I wish the sweetness held its ground through the entire cigar. A performance hiccup was encountered in the middle third with some difficulty with the wrapper burning, but the ash still held to the halfway point and the draw was no issue from start to finish. And while I cannot put my finger on it, the Nub Maduro left me wanting something more.

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Produced in Nicaragua at the Tabacalera Oliva De Esteli S.A. factory, the Nub lines are available in Connecticut, Cameroon, Maduro, and Habano wrapper options. The Cameroon frontmarks include 358 (3 ¾ by 58), 460 (4 by 60), 464T (4 by 64 Torpedo), 466 BPT (4 by 66 Box Press Torpedo).

You can give the Nub Cameroon 464T and 466BPT a try for yourself in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler from our good friends over at Holt’s Cigar Company.

THE FACTS

Price: $27.95/8-Cigar Sampler
Vitola: 464T
Size: 4 by 64 Torpedo
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 5 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Nub Cameroon wears a milk chocolate wrapper. Only small veins are found and there are some scattered bumps on the leaf that has a light oily sheen. I find no soft spots, but there are a couple of indentions as I run my fingers down this 4-inch cigar.

The aroma from the wrapper is faint with some generic wood and earth notes. The same woodsy notes are found on the foot of the cigar with an added touch of pepper spice. A quick clip through the tapered head opens up a good draw allowing cold draw notes of rich, warm cedar and potpourri spices to move freely across my palate.

FIRST THIRD

Once lit, medium flavors of nuts, leather, and pepper are first to greet my palate. The smoke is both smooth and thick in the mouth. I find a slightly sour edge to the smoke but it is working well with everything else going on. The Nub Cameroon is burning along evenly as a salt and pepper ash forms.

MIDDLE THIRD

The profile has downshifted from medium to mild as the Nub Cameroon burns into the second third. The sour edge in the previous third is more of a lemon zest now, while the other flavors in the profile remain consistent. The finish of the cigar is very clean with only a lingering black pepper spice.

FINAL THIRD

The sour quality has faded out as the leather kicks up a few notches and a deep earth and cocoa flavor joins in. The thick texture of the smoke remains the same. The retro-hale is smooth but still brings enough spice to the table to tickle my sinuses. The burn is right on up to the very end of the cigar. 

WRAP-UP

This may have been my first go-around with the Nub Cameroon and it was a very positive one at that. The mild to medium profile makes this a perfect morning to early afternoon cigar, but there is also enough spice from the Nicaraguan tobacco to kick your palate into gear. The thick texture paired up with the smoothness of the smoke made it a satisfying experience. And unlike the Nub Habano that struggled to burn, the Cameroon version burned nearly perfect from start to finish.

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Nub cigars are manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua and are available in four wrapper options Connecticut, Cameroon, Habano, and Maduro. The Nub Habano utilizes all Nicaraguan tobaccos and comes in four sizes: 358 (3.7 by 58), 460 (4 by 60), 464T (4 by 64 Torpedo), and 466 (4 by 66).

You can give the Nub Habano 460 and 464T a try for yourself in the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler from our good friends over at Holt’s Cigar Company.

THE FACTS

Price: $27.95/8-Cigar Sampler
Vitola: 464T
Size: 4 by 64 Torpedo
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour

PRE-LIGHT

This stubby Nub Habano is draped in a medium brown wrapper with a deep red hue. The veins are mostly small and there are hardly any bumps to be found on the leaf. Light oils are felt as I examine the cigars for soft spots. Overall, the cigar is firmly and evenly rolled.

As I bring the wrapper to my nose, I am met with a pungent aroma of vinegar and earth. Dirt, cocoa, wood, and dark red fruit are noted on the foot of the cigar. A cut through the tapered head opens up a draw with just the right amount of resistance. There are notes of cedar and cinnamon on the cold draw.

FIRST THIRD

The Nub Habano 464T opens with flavors pushing full with a mixture of charred wood and cedar, a hefty pepper spice, and a tobacco sweetness. Charred wood and black coffee linger on the finish of the smoke. The wavy burn is leaving behind a brilliant white, flaky ash.

MIDDLE THIRD

As I move into the second third of the Nub Habano, there is a clear evolution in the flavors. The profile moves to a more nutty and earthy make-up with a touch of cocoa. The spice continues to build as the cigar burns along unevenly. Even with the burn all over the place, the first ash has yet to drop.

FINAL THIRD

Into the last third, the sweetness backs off while earth and charred wood are now front and center.  As I pass the smoke through my nose, the pepper is at the forefront and I am beginning to feel a hefty nicotine kick. After a quick hit with the lighter at the start of the final third, I encounter no new performance problems.

WRAP-UP

The Nub Habano 464T brings noticeable changes to the table in each third even with its short stature. The flavors remained mostly on the darker side of the spectrum but also delivered some sweetness in the first two thirds to help balance things out. With that said, I wish the sweetness played a more central role. The spice was full and the strength picked up in intensity as the cigar progressed. The uneven burn and flaky ash left much to be desired in the performance department, but I am certainly glad the cigar ended on a high note. If this Nicaraguan puro sounds like something up your alley, go visit Holts.com and pick yourself up the Nub 8-Cigar Sampler.

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