Cigar Review: Nub Connecticut

354, 3.75" x 54 ring gauge, approx. $4.50
I am on record saying that the Nub Connecticut is "the best mild cigar on the market." I felt strongly enough about that opinion that I bought a whole box of them at the Nub Live Kickoff event in Nashville a few months ago, and took the opportunity to tell Nub creator, Sam Leccia, my opinion. I have recently smoked 2 new mild smokes that I considered to be in the same league as the Nub (the Oliva and Camacho Connecticuts), so I thought it was a great time to revisit one of my old favorites and see how it holds up.

The wrapper is smooth and the color of a cafe latte. The smell from the body is hay and barnyard, while the foot exhibits some barnyard and a bit of cocoa. Although I have had a Nub with a bad draw, it is quite unusual--the prelight draw on the 354 was perfect and the flavors were hay and a little cream and honey. After lighting there was cream and a hit of spice on the tip of the tongue. The spice spread a little through subsequent puffs. The smoke was creamy, heavy and thick.

Through the first third the 354 was mild in body but full in flavor. Contradictory? No--there was a good dose of spice, but it was joined by more delicate flavors of cream, honey, and hay and a smoke that was thick and heavy, but that did not coat your mouth with an oily film or hang around your head longer than you want.

During the second third, the spice mellowed out to more of a supporting flavor, while the cigar as a whole got more creamy and sweet. It remained in the high-mild category for body. The draw was uniformly great and the burn line was nearly perfectly straight (this is ocassionally a problem with Nubs--I've had quite a few taht canoed).

The final third continued much the same in the construction department. The flavors tended toward more of a nutty character that made my mouth dry. In all, a really great cigar, but no longer my favorite mild smoke--sorry, Sam, but the Olive Connecticut currently holds the crown. I bought a whole box of these and will continue to enjoy them, though, especially as an early-morning smoke with some strong, black coffee.

Body: 3/10
Strength: 3/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10