Cubao No.4

This is another offering from 601 and the expert hand of Pepin Garcia. In all honesty the Cubao smokes have always been somewhat underwhelming for me, but I got this as part of a Pepin sampler and decided to give it a go. The cigar presents in a straightforward, but unimpressive fashion, with a non-descript band and plain medium brown wrapper that shows some flaws and some prominent veins. A quick inspection shows that the cigar is well made and I don't detect any areas of concern. The pre light aroma is of rich tobacco and some muted notes of spice. The pre light draw shows a hint of pepper and rich tobacco flavor.

The cigar opens with notes of rich tobacco and some thin wisps of peppery bite. At the back of the palate there are some notes of dark wood, but there is a underlying sour bite that takes away from the experience. The draw is slightly tight, but is not causing any real issue other than sapping some of my enjoyment. The burn is steady and even producing a crisp ash.

The first half of the cigar continues to show a core profile of rich tobacco and undertones of dark wood. At the back of the palate there are still some notes of wood and some earth, but the sour bite continues to show through in the smoke souring the impression. The draw has opened slightly, but is still too tight for my liking. The burn has frayed and started to show some issues, but I am able to avoid a touch up for the time being.

The final half of the cigar continues to show a profile dominated by rich tobacco flavors and undertones of dark wood. I am disappointed by the lack of depth and complexity to this point. At the back of the palate there are still notes of earth, but some sourness still persists in the overall impression. The draw is acceptable, but still not where I like it to be. The burn continues to show issues, but I am able to avoid touching it up which is a plus.

The finish is a touch short and has notes of tobacco and earth.

Appearance- 85 a very ordinary looking smoke
Taste- 83 sour notes and lack of depth and complexity preclude a higher score
Construction- 84 slightly below average in draw and burn
Strength- 87 a nice medium/full
Overall- 84.25 a below average smoking experience and my least favorite of the Pepin offerings

Cubao Maduro Robusto

Another new offering, this cigar presents with a nicely shaded maduro wrapper. The wrapper is dry and lacking in oils. The wrapper seems to be applied well and an inspection of the cigar shows that it is not too firm or soft. The pre light aroma is unremarkable. The pre light draw is floral with hints of cedar.

The cigar begins with a bitter essence of dry leaves, there is an acrid undertone. The cigar is burning well, but a flaky, dirty ash is developing. There is no profile development for the first third of this cigar.

At just past the halfway point the cigar is still showing no development. The wrapper has split dramatically an inch from the foot. The ash is still flaky and inconsistent. The profile is still vegetal and slightly metallic.

The finish of the cigar is short and bitter. There are acrid notes, with hints of vegetation and dry grass. All in all this was cigarbage.

Appearance- 83 the wrapper was dry and lacked oils
Taste- 72 not the worst I have had, but it was pretty close
Construction- 75 the huge split near the foot hurt this score
Strength- 80 an unremarkable experience
Overall- 77.5 don't waste your money, a Macanudo would be more worthwhile.