Archive for the ‘cain’ Category

Cain Daytona

Monday, May 30th, 2011

I picked up the Cain Daytona at Ed’s shop the other day. For the most part, I am not a big fan of the Cain lines. It seems like power is the focus instead of flavor. Being in shock that Ed had any Cain cigars in his shop, I had to smoke a couple to review. As always, I paired this cigar with water.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaragua Jalapa Valley

Size: Robusto 5×50

Price: $5.60

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The seamless wrapper looked good, with no visible flaws and small veins. The odor from the wrapper and foot was sweet woodiness. The cigar was rock solid and evenly packed. The pre-light draw was fairly tight and had sweet earthy and woody flavors.

The ash held for about an inch, and the burn required one minor correction.

1 Cain_Daytona Cigar

Flavor:

The first third started with a peppery flavor that stimulated the nose and left a slight tingle on the tongue. I picked up a lot of cedar that had an interesting floral tinge to it. It was an interesting background note. Some coffee notes lingered around in the flavor profile as well. The smoke feel was dry but didn’t leave me thirsty.

2 Cain_Daytona Cigar

The second third kept the same flavor profile as the first third, for the most part. A caramel type of sweet note was picked up in the background. Otherwise things were consistent.

3 Cain_Daytona Cigar

When I hit the last third, the flavors took a turn and I didn’t care for it. It is had to describe. It reminded me of burning paper or cardboard. That was the dominant flavor. The pepper and woodiness didn’t go anywhere, but this annoying flavor grabbed my attention and drowned them out.

4 Cain_Daytona Cigar

Conclusion:

I’ve smoked a few of these, and for the most part they were OK medium to full bodied cigars. I didn’t get the cardboard flavor in the last third. If I were to base my opinion on the cigar for this review, obviously the last third wasn’t good. At least the focus of the Daytona wasn’t power. An attempt at flavors was made. But I just don’t get what all the hype is over the Cain lines. I won’t be smoking more of these…

Cain Nub Maduro

Thursday, December 30th, 2010

I don’t remember where I picked up the cigar up for review today. I have had mixed feelings about the Cain line. I always felt they focused on power over flavor. I couldn’t tell you if there is any difference between this cigar and the regular Cain Maduro besides the obvious – size. I do know I am a fan of the Nubs, so I figured why not. Let’s see how the Cain Maduro treated me.

 

Wrapper/Binder/Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 4 x 60

Price: $5.75

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper didn’t have any flaws. A few bumps and some small veins are about all you notice on this dark wrapper. The odor I got off of the wrapper and foot was a sweet earthiness. Overall it was rolled evenly and was pretty densely packed. This did not affect the draw, which was free with only slight resistance. The pre-light draw had notes of wood, earthiness, and mild spice.

The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for about two inches.

1_Cain Nub Maduro

Flavor:

The first third was pretty consistent and not very complex. I picked up on earthiness, pepper, and coffee. When passing smoke through the sinus, there was that familiar “Nic Zing,” or peppery spice. I passed a whole draw through the nose and it did not melt my face. Finally, there was an ever so faint sweetness that I attribute to the maduro wrapper. The smoke feel was dry, but there was plenty of volume.

2_Cain Nub Maduro

The second third kept the same core flavors as before – Earthy, coffee, peppery spice. There was a sweet note somewhere in there as well. The pepper increased in strength. I couldn’t exhale an entire draw through my nose anymore. It was still pleasant overall.

3_Cain Nub Maduro

The last third remained pretty much like the second third. There may have been an added woody component, but it was hard to pick out. Otherwise, no real changes.

4_Cain Nub Maduro

Conclusion:

This was a good full bodied cigar. I enjoyed this one more then the regular Cain Maduro. I couldn’t tell you why I liked this one more, and who cares anyway. The flavor profile was fairly simple and one dimensional, but it just seemed to hit the spot. I had no crazy nicotine buzz, and the power didn’t drown out the flavors. Overall, I think it is worth trying.

Cain F

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

1CainF It’s all the rage – The Cain. I’ve reviewed the Habano and Maduro version of this cigar. At the moment, what remains to be reviewed by me is the Cain “F.” Thanks to Barry at acigarsmoker.com, I have some details. The F stands for Fuerte. The F series differs in the amount of Ligero the cigar contains. The maduro Cain has 77% ligero, while the F has 82 percent. They come in boxes of 5, and are distributed to resellers as 1) Giveaway’s to those who buy a box, or 2) to sell. I picked up my F’s at Tampa Humidor for $25.00. Although I thought the Cain was decent, I wouldn’t consider buying an entire box. Anyway… I paired up with water, and offer you my thoughts on the Cain Habano “F.”

 

Wrapper: Fuerte – Nicaragua

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa, Condega, Esteli)

Size: 5 x 50

Price: Around $25.00 for a box of 5

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper had an overall nice appearance, with a couple medium to small sized veins and no construction flaws. The cigar was a little spongy when squeezed, but bounced back when released. The wrapper had a strong woody odor, and the foot smelled of cedar and pepper. The pre-light draw was free, and had earthy woody flavors.

The burn required two minor touch ups, and the ash held for at least an inch. Construction was great.

2CainF

On to the part of the review that really matters… Flavor:

The first third opened up with pepper, pepper, and some spicy pepper. It wasn’t overwhelming, and despite packing a nicotine punch, there was no harshness. As the first third came to a close, woody notes entered the picture.

3CainF

The second third picked up in strength a bit. There wasn’t a lot to speak of in the flavor department. The flavors were in this order: 1) Peppery spice 2) wood 3) Occasional sweetness. That’s it.

43CainF

The pepper calmed down a bit in the last third, but certainly didn’t go away. I guess it just became a little mellower and smoother. The woody component remained, as did the occasional sweet spice. The smoke feel became thicker and coated the mouth. This third was the most enjoyable for me.

53CainF

Conclusion:

Obviously this is a full bodied, full strength cigar. Like my other reviews of the Cain, this was pretty much exactly like my review of the Cain Habano. Although the flavors were good, and the cigar tasted refined, I still think the focus is on strength over flavor. Personally, I prefer flavor over strength, whether it be a mild or full bodied cigar. If this sounds like something you’d like, by all means pick up a few Cain cigars now. Personally, I’d take a LaFlor Dominicana Double Ligero over any Cain. Oh – Incase you are wondering… Like the other Cain reviews, I did smoke this on an empty stomach and had no sickness at all. Just a pretty good nicotine buzz. Buyer beware!

Cain Maduro

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

cain WR 21 I had pretty good results with the Cain Habano, and figured it was only fair to give the maduro wrapped version of this cigar a try. The quick run down is that this is a triple ligero cigar. What that means is a large percentage of the binder, filler, and the wrapper consists of ligero tobacco leaves. Ligero comes from the top of the tobacco plant. Those leaves are most exposed to the sun and elements. This in turn causes a thicker, darker, and fuller bodied tobacco. Learn more by visiting their website. Armed with a glass of water and an empty stomach, I ventured into reviewing this full bodied cigar.

 

Wrapper: Mexican Maduro

Filler & Binder: Nicaragua

Size: 5.75 x 50

Price: Around $7.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The first thing I noticed about this cigar was the rugged looking dark wrapper. It was oily, a little bumpy, and had small to medium size veins. Sniffing the wrapper revealed a fairly strong sweet spice. When sniffing the foot, I found a sweet and somewhat strong peppery sensation. The pre-light draw was a little stiff, and didn’t have a lot of taste. Perhaps a slight odor of a barn with an added sweetness. I found the cigar to be tightly packed, yet it felt a little doughy when pinching the entire length.

The burn required a few corrections, and the snug draw became less of an issue as I progressed past the first third. If you look closely in the picture of the 2nd third, the wrapper developed a big split from expansion of the filler and binder. The ash held for well over an inch.

1CainMaduro

Flavor:

The first third was fairly simple, yet full in body and strength. I detected smooth earthy notes combined with a dry sweetness. When retro-haling, fairly strong pepper was noticed. The smoke feel was thick, yet the snug draw left me wanting more volume.

2CainMaduro

The second third didn’t offer too much in terms of complexities. It did creep a bit higher in the full bodied scale. This third left me with an obvious nicotine buzz but no sickness at all. The smoke feel was thick and coated the inside of the mouth. The flavor it left was dry and woody. The only other flavor I could pick out was a nice smooth pepper with no harshness.

3CainMaduro

The last third took me well into the upper full bodied range. With a full on nicotine buzz, it was refined and left me with no queasiness. The smoke feel remained thick and coated the mouth. The dominant dry, peppery/woody flavor remained. There was an addition of slight mocha notes and rounded out the flavor profile.

4CainMaduro

Conclusion:

It is strongly suggested that the Cain is smoked after a meal. I opted to not take this advice, and had no problems at all. This tells me this isn’t a cheap-o cigar. I enjoyed the power and simple flavors and could appreciate the refined smoke feel. If I were to find a flaw, I’d have to say it seems like the focus of the Cain is on power over flavor complexities. That is fine for those who enjoy that type of cigar. I think there is a market for this, and from time to time I’ll reach for a Cain. I can only suggest that you try it and see if it’s for you.

Cain Maduro

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

I had pretty good results with the Cain Habano, and figured it was only fair to give the maduro wrapped version of this cigar a try.

 

 

Wrapper: Mexican Maduro

Filler & Binder: Nicaragua

Size: 5.75 x 50

Price: Around $7.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The first thing I noticed about this cigar was the rugged looking dark wrapper. It was oily, a little bumpy, and had small to medium size veins. Sniffing the wrapper revealed a fairly strong sweet spice. When sniffing the foot, I found a sweet and somewhat strong peppery sensation. The pre-light draw was a little stiff, and didn’t have a lot of taste. Perhaps a slight odor of a barn with an added sweetness. I found the cigar to be tightly packed, yet it felt a little doughy when pinching the entire length.

 

Flavor:

The first third was fairly simple, yet powerful. I detected smooth earthy notes combined with a dry sweetness. When retro-haling, fairly strong pepper was noticed. The smoke feel was thick, yet the snug draw left me wanting more volume.

Cain Habano

Monday, August 24th, 2009

cain WR 21Lately it seems all the rage is with Olivas latest release they call “Cain.” I believe this is the brain child of Sam Leccia, the inventor of Nub cigars. It is touted as being a triple ligero cigar. A Quick lesson – Ligero comes from the top of the tobacco plant. This means it is most exposed to the sun and elements. This causes a thicker, darker, and fuller bodied tobacco. I’m not one to re-hash all of the details, so for more info check out their website. As usual, I paired the cigar with water.

 

Oliva Cain Habano 550

Wrapper: Habano Nicaragua

Binder/Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 5 3/4 X 50

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

Overall the cigar looked nice. The wrapper had small to medium veins, and the cigar was a bit soft when squeezed. The wrapper smelled of dark, earthy tobacco. The foot had a similar odor with an added sweetness and pepper. The pre-light draw was free, and had a woody, chocolaty flavor. Basically this thing looked like it would be a powerhouse of flavor and nicotine.

The burn was perfect, requiring no touch-up’s. The ash was firm for a little over an inch.

1CainHabano 

Flavor:

The first third started with a full bodied, in your face pepper and wood. I could taste earthiness in there somewhere, along with some kind of sweetness. After about an inch or so, the pepper smoothed out a little. While it was still strong when passing through the sinus, it felt smoother.

2CainHabano 

By the time I hit the second third, I had a small nicotine buzz going. That sharp pepper smoothed out even more, but kept it’s bite. The smoothness took on a sweet characteristic with hints of mocha. Next was that woody flavor I spoke of before. Lastly, earthy notes lingered behind everything.

3CainHabano 

The last third had me in a full nicotine buzz. It wasn’t over the top but I could feel the tingling and lightheaded aftereffects. Most importantly, I had no sick stomach or even the slightest queasiness. The flavor profile didn’t change that much at all. The woody base flavor remained along with a smooth pepper. Again, the pepper kept its zing but retained smoothness. The sweet notes would come and go, as did the earthy undertones.

4CainHabano 

Conclusion:

This was without question a FULL bodied cigar. Although the flavor profile wasn’t exactly complex, it wasn’t boring either. At times it felt like the focus was on strength over flavor, but in the end I enjoyed both. I smoked this on an empty stomach and did not feel sick at all. But what would you expect from someone who smokes a lot and reviews cigars all the time? For the regular or novice smoker, eat a good meal. This one will get you buzzed for sure. If a powerhouse of a cigar appeals to you, I have to recommend trying this for sure.

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