Now Cuaba?...EXCESS TACOS!!!

[Carrie Nation]

I guess Habanos had to do something with all those unsold HDM Elegantes, LOLOLOL!!!!

 

https://www.cigaraficionado.com/article/first-cuban-cuaba-regional-edition-goes-to-asia-pacific-market

 

 

 

[La_Tigre]

The construction issues on these “ER Tacos” releases are bound to be off the chart. 

[El Presidente]

Construction will be interesting indeed.

PCC were discussing Thursday the blending process and how they came up with the final blend. 

It is meant to be a fuller style of Cuaba. 

If they can pull off a fuller style Distinguidos profile they will have a winner. 

We will see in a week or so. 

[NW_Oregon]

26 minutes ago, El Presidente said:

Construction will be interesting indeed.

PCC were discussing Thursday the blending process and how they came up with the final blend. 

It is meant to be a fuller style of Cuaba. 

If they can pull off a fuller style Distinguidos profile they will have a winner. 

We will see in a week or so. 

[RichG]

[NSXCIGAR]

The RAT MAY 20 Exclusivos I have are like a fuller Distinguidos for the first half. Unfortunately the wrappers on these are a little rough (see below):

and there have been some construction issues. The last third tends to get very one-dimensional and the draw tightens up a bit. 

If the Tacos can be like the first third of the Exclusivos it would be excellent. 

I would imagine so few Tacos are rolled (Presidentes, Elegantes) probably the same handful of rollers do all of them. I don't expect there to be too many construction issues with these or the RA Tacos. No more than any Presidentes.

[La_Tigre]

52 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

The RAT MAY 20 Exclusivos I have are like a fuller Distinguidos for the first half. Unfortunately the wrappers on these are a little rough (see below):

and there have been some construction issues. The last third tends to get very one-dimensional and the draw tightens up a bit. 

If the Tacos can be like the first third of the Exclusivos it would be excellent. 

I would imagine so few Tacos are rolled (Presidentes, Elegantes) probably the same handful of rollers do all of them. I don't expect there to be too many construction issues with these or the RA Tacos. No more than any Presidentes.

You obviously have not seen my boxes of Elegantes…. 🤣 

[NSXCIGAR]

4 minutes ago, La_Tigre said:

You obviously have not seen my boxes of Elegantes

Wrapper or construction issues? 

[La_Tigre]

10 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

Wrapper or construction issues? 

Bit o’ both but can say the boxes we’ve smoked through thus far have been 7/10 over/underfilled with pockets. 

[NSXCIGAR]

19 minutes ago, La_Tigre said:

Bit o’ both but can say the boxes we’ve smoked through thus far have been 7/10 over/underfilled with pockets. 

Maybe they were working up a trainee in preparation for the RA and Cuaba. 

[Edicion]

Read somewhere it's difficult to roll them and takes time to get good at it. I don't smoke enough Cuabas, I will put one in the next rotation round.

[NSXCIGAR]

1 minute ago, Edicion said:

Read somewhere it's difficult to roll them and takes time to get good at it. I don't smoke enough Cuabas, I will put one in the next rotation round.

Any double figurado is the most difficult to roll. That's why I figured they probably have the same handful of rollers handling all Tacos. There really aren't that many double figurados in production (7 to my count with 4 being Cuabas) and all are fairly low production. Perhaps they're bringing in a few new rollers or they're overworking the existing rollers. Even a highly skilled roller still has to take care when making them as they are very susceptible to construction issues. 

[Corylax18]

7 hours ago, La_Tigre said:

Bit o’ both but can say the boxes we’ve smoked through thus far have been 7/10 over/underfilled with pockets. 

You're lucky. I would happily take 7/10. I have two boxes of Elegantes that are closer to 3 or 4 out of 10. All the construction and wrapper quality issues mentioned but with the bonus of a very carboard and air flavor profile. I don't see them aging into anything good either, they're just terrible cigars.

I've seen HSA's "QC" process for myself, but I don't think anyone even looked at the 20 cigars I bought. The Monte Dantes EL is still my biggest flop of the last 5 years but the Elegantes has done everything in its power to over take it.  

[CaptainQuintero]

  Got my fingers crossed for these new releases, but apart from Distinguidos I've had real issues with anything other than parejos/piramides coming from Cuba. Wether the skills just aren't taught any more or those that can are too busy rolling elsewhere I don't know

 

[BrightonCorgi]

17 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Construction will be interesting indeed.

PCC were discussing Thursday the blending process and how they came up with the final blend. 

It is meant to be a fuller style of Cuaba. 

If they can pull off a fuller style Distinguidos profile they will have a winner. 

We will see in a week or so. 

If this is as they say, I will buy as many possible.  I really like the Cuaba profile and fuller sounds like a dream! 

[La_Tigre]

6 hours ago, Corylax18 said:

You're lucky. I would happily take 7/10. I have two boxes of Elegantes that are closer to 3 or 4 out of 10. All the construction and wrapper quality issues mentioned but with the bonus of a very carboard and air flavor profile. I don't see them aging into anything good either, they're just terrible cigars.

I've seen HSA's "QC" process for myself, but I don't think anyone even looked at the 20 cigars I bought. The Monte Dantes EL is still my biggest flop of the last 5 years but the Elegantes has done everything in its power to over take it.  

Then we’re spot on. 7/10 to the bad is what we said. Same flavor profile: “WTH…, Am I smoking leftover Secretos outer boxes???”

Haven’t had the pleasure of a Dantes, but will say that, strangely, R&J Tacos EL has been the other big bust that comes to mind for us. Fireproof wrappers with all the charm of a 1900’s chimney sweep.

[Habana Mike]

On 5/22/2021 at 2:39 PM, NSXCIGAR said:

The RAT MAY 20 Exclusivos I have are like a fuller Distinguidos for the first half. Unfortunately the wrappers on these are a little rough (see below):

and there have been some construction issues. The last third tends to get very one-dimensional and the draw tightens up a bit. 

If the Tacos can be like the first third of the Exclusivos it would be excellent. 

I would imagine so few Tacos are rolled (Presidentes, Elegantes) probably the same handful of rollers do all of them. I don't expect there to be too many construction issues with these or the RA Tacos. No more than any Presidentes.

Recent Presidentes have had a low success rate. It it is the same rollers I will take a hard pass....

[NSXCIGAR]

3 minutes ago, Habana Mike said:

Recent Presidentes have had a low success rate. It it is the same rollers I will take a hard pass....

In addition to the complaints about the Elegantes, not good news. Maybe they were training some rollers on them recently in preparation for the 120,000+ more Tacos needed this year. 

I can tell you if the price is as $41/stick as the CA article states that's just flat out insane, let alone the name APAC. Wow. HSA's getting pretty bold trying to sell a Cuaba Tacos for Siglo VI prices. 

 

[BrightonCorgi]

11 hours ago, NSXCIGAR said:

I can tell you if the price is as $41/stick as the CA article states that's just flat out insane, let alone the name APAC.

Next release is the Italian RE Fonseca "EMEA" Churchill

[JohnS]

A few of our Sydney members caught up with El Pres last night to catch the interstate NSW-QLD Rugby League clash on TV. El Pres graciously bought along a box of LTO Mar 21 Cuaba APAC Regional Editions. He told us we were amongst the first in Australia to try them.

I will provide a fuller review, with additional background information to this cigar, in a few weeks on the 2021 Smoking Blog. In summary, yes the points that @NSXCIGAR has raised in this thread are pertinent. Some of our friends had cigars with wrappers that looked more 'rustic' than others. It can be described as one-dimensional in the last third. Yes, Tacos are harder to roll and some draws were tighter than others. However, flavours were very, very good for such a young cigar. We all agreed on that. In general, you got Cuaba peanut, orange Cointreau citrus, some chocolate here and there and the quintessential Cuaba toasted tobacco with some grassiness. No real shortbread. An interesting cigar in that PCC was aiming for a fuller cigar and I felt that yes, this was certainly fuller than recent Distinguidos or Salomon I've had. The consensus also was that these cigars were young, they still need time to acclimatise and settle to see how they will develop.

My opinion on this new release is that it will certainly pique an interest amongst cigar enthusiasts because it is a first of its kind, that is, the first Cuaba Regional Edition. What really matters is how it smokes after this initial period.

 

[NSXCIGAR]

Sounds exactly like a bigger Exclusivos. Which is not a bad thing. I think time will smooth out the last third. 

[Habana Mike]

At least it appears to be a true Tacos.....

[KavalanWhisky]

15 hours ago, JohnS said:

A few of our Sydney members caught up with El Pres last night to catch the interstate NSW-QLD Rugby League clash on TV. El Pres graciously bought along a box of LTO Mar 21 Cuaba APAC Regional Editions. He told us we were amongst the first in Australia to try them.

I will provide a fuller review, with additional background information to this cigar, in a few weeks on the 2021 Smoking Blog. In summary, yes the points that @NSXCIGAR has raised in this thread are pertinent. Some of our friends had cigars with wrappers that looked more 'rustic' than others. It can be described as one-dimensional in the last third. Yes, Tacos are harder to roll and some draws were tighter than others. However, flavours were very, very good for such a young cigar. We all agreed on that. In general, you got Cuaba peanut, orange Cointreau citrus, some chocolate here and there and the quintessential Cuaba toasted tobacco with some grassiness. No real shortbread. An interesting cigar in that PCC was aiming for a fuller cigar and I felt that yes, this was certainly fuller than recent Distinguidos or Salomon I've had. The consensus also was that these cigars were young, they still need time to acclimatise and settle to see how they will develop.

My opinion on this new release is that it will certainly pique an interest amongst cigar enthusiasts because it is a first of its kind, that is, the first Cuaba Regional Edition. What really matters is how it smokes after this initial period.

 

Nice, thanks for the initial review.

Quick question, what is the drone looking thing on the table next to El Pres?

[JohnS]

7 minutes ago, KavalanWhisky said:

Nice, thanks for the initial review.

Quick question, what is the drone looking thing on the table next to El Pres?

It is a Bluetooth speaker to amplify the sound coming from the television for the game.

[KavalanWhisky]

29 minutes ago, JohnS said:

It is a Bluetooth speaker to amplify the sound coming from the television for the game.

I thought it was going to be some sort of robot projector...