Cuba Libre

y2pascoe

I'm smoking this Cuba Libre I got from skweekz. The vitola is what I can best describe as a bell shape. Can anyone tell me what you call it?

beatnic

Sounds like it falls within the broad "figurado" description. Is it bellicose?

y2pascoe

Maybe. It's fat and boxed pressed at the foot and then tapers to almost a corona size at the head. Smoked like a champ.

RBeckom

I have yet to have A bad experience with any of the Cuba Libre line. The cigars have A great burn and definitely have A fantastic flavor profile. My personal favorite is the epicure boxed press.

blurr

I think thats a special figurado shape, if you look around there is a sampler at Ccom's relatives place. Has 4 each of el mejor espresso, 5 vegas classic, cuba libre & I forget the 4th brand, but its 16 cigars in that shape for a damn good price. Good to hear they smoked well, I've been thinking about getting just for the shape & because I have never smoked a vegas classic.

Rhamlin

Saw that sampler interesting looking sticks. If they ever put The One out in that I think I'd really like to try that.

blurr

I wish that size was available in a few of those brands regularly, in boxes of 20. Seems interesting & I would probably jump on a box after hearing they burn well.

jgibv

Because I was not impressed with the flavors of this cigar. I grabbed a Magnum vitola last night, it had been sitting in my humi since last July 2011, and I'm not sure of the box date as it came in a sampler pack.

The stick burnt well, let off a ton of smoke, and lasted close to an hour but I never picked up many flavors or aromas from it.
The smoke was a bit creamy and I got mostly dull, earthy flavors the whole way through. I was expecting more from this cigar....I've enjoyed a few Cuba Libre One's and knew this wouldn't be as powerful but still was hoping for more from this stick....

Did I miss something? Has anyone other than RBeckom smoked this one?

BigT06

Cuba Libre and Cuba Libre One are 2 TOTALLY different beasts. They are both good, to me... but honestly, I'm not a huge fan of box-pressed cigars (there are exceptions, but they are few)... so that kinda throws me off the regular CL. BUT, for what it is, I find them to be pretty flavorful and they produce a TON of smoke, and in my experience typically have a great draw. However... I find they have almost no complexity to them.

The CL One, on the other hand, I find to have great, complex taste, and it's my go-to full bodied "cheap" smoke. In the $3 or less club, I'm smoking either a CL One or a GHV2002. Every time. Both of which age very well, btw.

Russ55

The Cuba Libre isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. I find it to have a very dry, typical corojo flavor. Very leathery, with a bit of spice, and almost nothing in the way of sweetness. The aroma is very creamy and enjoyable, and stays the same the whole way through, so yeah, not very complex, but good if you like what's there. I usually find them to be around medium strength. This is my summer time go to cheapie. Great stick, ages well too.

I've had mixed results with the CL One. I need to try it more before I decide what I think about it. It definitely has potential.

jgibv

Thanks for the opinions BigT and Russ. I'm glad that you guys agree that the CL is sort of a one-hit-wonder and doesn't offer much complexity. I suppose it was good for what it was, but you're right Russ, it's just not my "cup of tea."

And like you said, BigT, the CL One is a complex, great smoke and that's why I thought the CL would have more to it. And the CL One's definitely get better with a little age....I've smoked a couple that had close to 1-year on them and they were very good.

Russ, I may have 1 more CL One in the humi....I'll check tonight and shoot you a PM.

drpepperdude

I've smoked the Magnum and 'The Brute' vitolas and like them both. I think of the CL as a poor man's Ave Maria. Not as complex or tasty and no pepper, but same basic notes.

KingoftheCove

Russ55:

The Cuba Libre isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea. I find it to have a very dry, typical corojo flavor. Very leathery, with a bit of spice, and almost nothing in the way of sweetness. The aroma is very creamy and enjoyable, and stays the same the whole way through, so yeah, not very complex, but good if you like what's there. I usually find them to be around medium strength. This is my summer time go to cheapie. Great stick, ages well too.

I've had mixed results with the CL One. I need to try it more before I decide what I think about it. It definitely has potential.

+1....the wrapper can be fragile on occasion .......(speaking only of the Brute, from my experience)

fla-gypsy

The CL is a good everyday kind of smoke. It doesn't knock you off your feet but is pleasant none the less. The CL One is much more full bodied and complex and should not be smoked without some food first.

RBeckom

jgibv:

Because I was not impressed with the flavors of this cigar. I grabbed a Magnum vitola last night, it had been sitting in my humi since last July 2011, and I'm not sure of the box date as it came in a sampler pack.

The stick burnt well, let off a ton of smoke, and lasted close to an hour but I never picked up many flavors or aromas from it.
The smoke was a bit creamy and I got mostly dull, earthy flavors the whole way through. I was expecting more from this cigar....I've enjoyed a few Cuba Libre One's and knew this wouldn't be as powerful but still was hoping for more from this stick....

Did I miss something? Has anyone other than RBeckom smoked this one?

I find that these cigars are for the most part better when fresh. They loose A fair amount of flavors as they age in my humble opinion.

RBeckom

jgibv:

Because I was not impressed with the flavors of this cigar. I grabbed a Magnum vitola last night, it had been sitting in my humi since last July 2011, and I'm not sure of the box date as it came in a sampler pack.

The stick burnt well, let off a ton of smoke, and lasted close to an hour but I never picked up many flavors or aromas from it.
The smoke was a bit creamy and I got mostly dull, earthy flavors the whole way through. I was expecting more from this cigar....I've enjoyed a few Cuba Libre One's and knew this wouldn't be as powerful but still was hoping for more from this stick....

Did I miss something? Has anyone other than RBeckom smoked this one?

I find that these cigars are for the most part better when fresh. They loose A fair amount of flavors as they age in my humble opinion.

jgibv

RBeckom:

I find that these cigars are for the most part better when fresh. They loose A fair amount of flavors as they age in my humble opinion.

Hmm....maybe that was my problem then. It was in the humi for about 6 months when I smoked it, and it was from a sampler so who knows what the box date was.

I want to like the CL (since I like the CL One and the price is right), I'll have to revisit this sometime down the road and get one that's fresh.

Lakota72

Well, it was still dark outside when I rose from my slumber. Maybe nerves that prompted such an early morning wake up. I walk to the kitchen and throw on a pot of coffee, feed the dogs and decide I should smoke a cigar on my last morning at home for the next three months. Returning to the bedroom, I grab my lighter and cutter and blindly reach into the humidor as I don't want to wake the misses by turning on a light. I pull out the first cigar I touch and am forced to wait till I get to some light to see what it is.

Cuba Libre Saloman

"Well, maybe the coffee will enhance the cigar." As you can tell, I wasn't too excited to grap this one. Never the less, I step out on the porch and settle into my chair. Jake, my Border Collie, know the routine and makes a quick circle and plops down at my feet with a grunt. I take the cigar out of the cello and see the date-5-20-2011. It's been resting for a bit, maybe it's time to put this poor stick out of its misery.

Traditionally, I will cut the cigar and then take a few draws from it just to catch the flavor of the tobacco unburned. I notice that the draw is very very loose. "Oh boy, this is not gonna be good. I'm gonna have to touch this thing up like crazy." Throughout the entire cigar, I have to say that that although the flavor profile did not drastically change, it was completely bad. It had a sweet hay flavor for most of the cigar with a slight shange about halfway though that included some vanilla and cedar flavor that provided a nice change.

Overall, the cigar is not a go to type of cigar for me. I would use this as the cigar to give guys that are in need of bumming a smoke. The draw was very loose. The burn was not very good either. Initially I dealt with canoeing and tunneling. Halfway through, the burn evened up on its own and needed no further touch-ups.

Would I recommend it? Maybe in a different vitola. I felt this was just too big for a cigar that is lacking in complexity.

Thanks for reading BOTL'S and SOTL'S. Let me know what you think.

Rain

Not going to make my own thread, but this is a review here on CCom.Absolutely exellent buy. I''ve been on a trip to cuba, and this is honestly fairly close to the quality of those delicious Cuban cigars, but for a much cheaper price. Nice full smoke, a box of 20 will last a while. 5 out of 5. - PaulKensington

ddubridge

Rain:

Not going to make my own thread, but this is a review here on CCom.Absolutely exellent buy. I''ve been on a trip to cuba, and this is honestly fairly close to the quality of those delicious Cuban cigars, but for a much cheaper price. Nice full smoke, a box of 20 will last a while. 5 out of 5. - PaulKensington

To each his own. I think they call the cubanesque.

Rain

I'm not saying he's wrong.I'm saying that I'd be willing to gamble that he smoked some fake Cubans. Maybe even a few Cuba Libre with Behike bands on em.