Cigar Review: Cabaiguan

Guapos 46, 5.875" x 46 ring gauge, approx. $9
Since his initial success with the Tatuaje line, Pete Johnson has been branching out, trying to add his personal style and taste to other niches in the cigar world. The Cabaiguan line was created as an "Old World Medium Bodied Cuban Style Cigar." The regular line features Nicaraguan filler and binder with an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed shade-grown wrapper. The Guapos variant features an Ecuadorian Sun-Grown wrapper. All are blended by master Tobaquero, Don Pepin Garcia.

The wrapper was rather rustic-looking with medium veins that are very noticeable. It was oily despite the lack of a cellophane wrapper. The color of the wrapper was dark-medium brown, almost enough to be classified as a maduro. The color was not terribly even in color, but had no noticeable defects. The cigar was medium-firm except near the foot where is was excessively spongy. There was plenty of barnyard and hay from the body, with more compost and a touch of cocoa coming from the foot. The draw was very good and had flavors of coffee and unsweetened cocoa, while leaving a spicy tingle on the lips.

A bit of ammonia on the first few puffs quickly gave way to a more earthy flavor. The smoke started of mostly light and blew away quickly. The first third was mostly nutty and earthy, but there were pleasing notes of coffee and dark chocolate from time to time as well as unpleasing notes of ammonia.

In the second third there was more coffee, but it was still somewhat earthy. The smoke had started off medium-bodied and continued that way still, with a fairly thin, wispy smoke. It did have a great draw and a very even burn line.

In the last third, black coffee finally overcame the Cabaiguan's inherent earthiness. There was also some black pepper that finally showed up. I would classify this stick as a good medium-bodied stick, although a long way from being truly great. The flavors of earth tended to muddy the entirety of the experience and did not allow any intensity of any of the other flavors to come out.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 5/10

AFP Score:
Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 0/1
Total: 7/10