I’m not sure where I got this cigar from. If you gave it to me, let me know, and I’ll give proper credit. For the record, this is a first impressions review. This means I’ve only had one, this one, to review. Normally I have at least two, but I prefer 3 to 5 cigars for a review. Anyway… Namakubi, such a strange name. Apparently is means “Freshly severed head.” I admit it, I think that’s a pretty cool name. The band caught my attention too. From what I could gather, this is a limited cigar, but you can still find it out there on the Internet.
As always, I paired this cigar with filtered, fine Florida tap water. Room temperature mind you. Cold drinks seem to dull my palate.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Generoso Honduran
Filler: Dominican, Nicaragua, Honduran
Size: Sucio 7 x 48
Price: Around $9.00
Pre-Smoke & Construction:
The tan, almost reddish colored wrapper was oily, and overall nice looking. It had a split that I was able to repair with pectin. I suspect this flaw was a handling issue, not a construction flaw. The wrapper had a nice cedary odor, and the foot was more of a dark earthiness. Overall, the cigar was firmly and evenly packed. The draw was free, with just the right amount of resistance. The pre-light flavor was an interesting combination of wood and some kind of tanginess.
The burn required one minor correction, and the ash held for about 1.5 inches. About the split wrapper, that was a non issue. It is worth repeating, it was shipping and handling damage.
Flavor:
The first third had an easy, simple, yet interesting flavor profile. The main flavor was wood. Up next was something that reminded me of tea. When retrohaling, there was almost no spice at all. It was only towards the end of this third that a mild sweet spice reared it’s head. The smoke feel was clingy. By that, I mean it seemed to stick to the inside of the mouth for awhile.
The second third took on a syrupy sweet feel. This mochish sweetness mixed evenly with a woody flavor. Through the nose, a nice peppery, sweet spice developed. The aftertaste lingered and stuck to the mouth and sinus like before.
The last third saw the sweet spice increase a bit, and it left a cinnamon tingle on the lips. The sweet spice and creamy smoke feel dominated the flavor profile. Up next was cedar, and a sweet bitter note.
Conclusion:
This was a good medium, to maybe lower full bodied cigar. I like the gradual buildup of the flavor profile and body. It made the two hour commitment well worth it. Construction, ash, draw, and flavor were all good. Is it worth the asking price? I think so. If you run across them, I’d say pick a couple up.