Staff Reviews

I don’t want to overstate it but quite simply, Man O’ War is special. Let me count the ways.

First, the maker – AJ Fernandez. His Esteli, Nicaragua-based Tabacalera Fernandez factory boasts a surprising list of quality blends; in fact, he’s the best maker you never heard of. His list of clients includes Ernie Padilla, Rocky Patel, Kaizad Hansotia and others. He was introduced to tobacco and cigar-making at a tender age and has been in and around cigars ever since. Born in Cuba and having spent the first 25 years of his life there, he had the fortune of learning at the knee of Alejandro Robaina, the veritable Cuban Godfather of cigars.

Next – before getting into the cigar itself I must say a word about the packaging. Glorious. Man O’ War is packed 22 to a box, actually less a box and more a massive chest; each chest boasting beautiful artwork and rustic, antiqued detailing throughout. A glorious presentation foretelling the dazzalicious cigar to come.

On to the cigar – each time I reach for a Man O’ War I find myself gazing, saucer-eyed, at the wrapper leaf. This leaf is downright sultry....a dark (super dark) Habano wrapper grown in Ecuador that’s thick, leathery, and oozing with juicy oils. Oilier than anything I’ve ever seen. The filler blend is a Cuban-seed recipe of choice long-fillers from Esteli’s black soil. Overall it’s medium to full-bodied in strength, beginning with a searing rush of spice that instantly tingles the taste buds followed by a core of crisp tobacco flavor that is undeniable. About an inch in it becomes velvety and heavy on the palate, dusting your entire mouth with a disarmingly smooth core of earthy goodness. An array of spice lingers following each draw. To say this cigar is complex is an understatement. The veritable potpourri of unique flavors include dark roast coffee, mocha and leather.... expertly delivered on top of a backbone of sweet, oaky magic.

If you’re wild about ‘boutique’ cigars and/or complex blends – you will have a jones on for Man O’ War. Trust me. This cigar is epic.

Unless you’ve been living under the rock the past 3 weeks, you’ve probably heard of the Nub. If not, here’s your crash course:

After tasting countless cigars and working hands on in the Oliva factory, Sam Leccia concluded that a cigar normally hits its ‘sweet spot’ within 3 to 4 inches of the burn. Therefore, one must invest a good amount of time with a cigar prior to being rewarded with its true character. So, Sam worked with the Oliva Cigar Family (maker’s of Serie ‘V’ and Serie ‘O’) and developed the Nub line: a variety of blends and sizes within the 4 inch range, with ring gauges ranging from 56 to 66. These cigars were engineered - using three wrapper varieties - to capture the essence of the blend from the get-go, rewarding you with the cigar’s sweet spot throughout the entire burn. Packaged in boxes of 24, each box contains the weight and burn time of the cigar, so you know exactly what’s in store.

Nub offers three blends. Cameroon, Connecticut, and Habano. Each blend offers four sizes - three are shared among all three blends, then a fourth that is specific to each blend. Clear as mud? Good. I’ve burned them all and can say each size in each blend offers an entirely unique bouquet and body. For that reason, I decided to do a vertical tasting of each blend...today, it’s Nub Habano.

Nub 358 Habano: The smallest vitola offered by Nub Habano. This size seems to be the least complex of the four, but offers a pleasant, straightforward flavor. Rich tobacco, some white pepper, and a smooth, smoky aftertaste. It did get a little hot with about an inch left, but burned like a pro. Medium-bodied. Lasted roughly 45 minutes.

Rating: 88

Nub 460 Habano: Chunky. Very complex, with a variety of flavor. It’s spicy up front, but quickly becomes rich and creamy, with good tobacco flavors. There’s a unique touch of almonds throughout. The finish is smoky and toasty. Great, spicy aroma. Thick clouds of smoke linger above. A solid smoke, sporting a firm white ash. Every bit of full-bodied. Lasted just over an hour.

Rating: 90

Nub 464 Torpedo Habano: A nice-looking torpedo. Opening is loaded with peanuts, with a short, refined aftertaste. Smoke becomes quite creamy after the first quarter of an inch. The Torpedo shape lends a balanced concentration of flavor that instantly coats the palate with a heavy, velvety texture, offering smooth notes of tobacco, oak, and toasted nuts. Smoke is much cooler. Perfect burn producing a white and grey, concrete-like ash. The build-up in strength is much more gradual in this size than with the rest. Overall, it is medium to full-bodied with a spice that grows more intense during the smoke. Lasted just over an hour. My favorite size.

Rating: 91

Nub 466 Habano: Holy cow this thing is huge and heavy in the hand. Had to hunt for a cutter capable of snipping the cap. Maybe a punch next time. A bit awkward with the mouth feel, but I got used to it quickly. Creamy and spicy opening, pumping out thick clouds of grey smoke. I notice a slightly metallic component in the beginning. The aftertaste gradually becomes nutty and spicy. Smoke is hearty, offering notes of earth, almonds, and leather. Full-bodied from the start with an even stronger finish, oh my. Flavors mellow midway only to become quite intense during the home stretch. Lasted just under an hour and 20 minutes.

Rating: 89

Ok, my head is officially spinning.

There is a lot to know about Nub, and I really do suggest giving this line a shot...and it’s not just because of its innovative twist on handmade premium cigars. Since it may be difficult to choose a size or blend, I created a nifty chart to quickly break down the entire line:

This is no gimmick, folks. These cigars burn slower and cooler than most churchills, with more complexity to boot. Nub is legit. Today’s makers are doing amazing things with great tobaccos, and Nub is launching our little hobby to the next level. The Habano is a home run in my book, and I will certainly be adding the 460 and 464 Torpedo to my regular rotation.

Montecristo is easily one of the world’s most recognizable trademarks when it comes to cigars and I’m quite sure you’ll agree with me on that. Ask a few folks to name three brands of cigars off the top of their head and I can all but guarantee you that Montecristo will be one of them along with Macanudo and Cohiba. What I find interesting is that for all of the fame and recognition this brand gets, these cigars have very little to offer the savvy cigar-enthusiast. These days the trend is headed towards fuller-bodied and more complex cigars that are loaded with flavor and spice. This is not to say that there aren’t a great number of people who enjoy the Montecristo brand however. More so, it is an observation of a brand that owes much of its recognition to the fact that its Cuban counterpart is largely regarded as one of the finest cigars ever produced. To validate this I grabbed a 5-pack of the Montecristo #2 size (Dominican version of course) after realizing that I hadn’t smoked this cigar in at least a few years and owed it to the brand to review it objectively.

Out of the box it is worth noting that the Montecristo is a very well-constructed cigar with no soft-spots to speak of. This is true of each of the five I have on my desk. The Connecticut-Shade wrapper is golden in color with a slightly mottled and blotchy appearance. Clipping the head I drew on the cigar a few times before actually sparking it and found the pre-light draw to be reminiscent of freshly-baked bread and very pleasant. The draw itself is perfect and provides just the right amount of resistance. I toasted the foot, took a few puffs and I was off… The first few draws are very smooth and produce large, thick clouds of smoke. The flavor is gentle with a subtle cedar note and a very short finish. At an inch or so in the burn is impeccable and a sweet, woody aroma has filled the air. The ash is tight and compact and requires a firm tap to dislodge it from the foot. At the half-way mark I find the flavor and strength to be nearly identical to the first inch. Nuances of cedar persist but really not a whole lot else going on with the fabled Montecristo. With just over an inch and a half to go I find myself ready to lay the #2 to rest and hardly impressed with it.

The Monte #2 isn’t a bad smoke by any stretch of the imagination but it does lack the excitement and dimension of many of today’s newer boutique blends. In recent years the cigar industry has become one where the latest and greatest is constantly being redefined by small-batch production that utilizes the very best tobaccos often previously passed over by larger manufacturers due to lack of sustainability. While Montecristo will most likely remain a popular brand name for years to come, the cigar itself is average at best. The sea of mediocre cigars is a large one and if smooth to medium-bodied and one-dimensional is what you seek, there are plenty of alternatives to Montecristo that are equally well-constructed and sell for less than half the price.

Just over 3 years ago, I wrote a review on the Arturo Fuente Double Chateau. If you haven’t read it, or would like to reference back, you can find it here. Despite being 2+ years old, this single review still (to this day) results in a constant stream of hate mail from diehard Fuente fans, in addition to in-depth debates with retail store customers. “How can you not like Fuente?” “You're insane, 'hater'!” “Your palate sucks!” “You’re an embarrassment to the cigar community!” I hear it all the time.

As a gesture of good faith, I am conducting a follow-up review of Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva (the standard Arturo Fuente) in the same size, Double Chateau. It’s a popular cigar and worth another shot. After all, my palate has evolved over the past 3 years, so things might be different. So...once and for all, let’s settle this.

The Double Chateau is a lighter, rustic looking cigar. The blonde Connecticut shade wrapper contains very little oils and a series of tiny veins running throughout the leaf. As expected, the Spanish cedar sleeve has created a sweet, cedary influence on the pre-light aroma. The barrel contains no soft spots, portraying a solid roll from head to toe.

Upon lighting, my palate is coated by a smooth creaminess that instantly begins to dissipate with each pull on the cigar. Shortly thereafter, the true nature of the blend begins to surface. Tobacco, toast and cedar. The aftertaste has a quick, metallic component, as if I bit into a piece of aluminum foil stuck on my food - sans the low-voltage electric shock. An inch and a half in and it’s clear this is a medium-bodied cigar, on the lighter side of the medium scale. The draw is nice and the flaky ash is still intact, but the cigar begins to burn a little crooked. Midway through, I notice a slightly grassy flavor is beginning to develop. Normally I would say this cigar could be young, but I am not picking up the bitterness of green tobacco. Hints of this flavor remain throughout the remainder of the burn, and often overpowers the faint notes of toast and cedar well. With an inch left, I put the cigar down and cut another.

The second cigar looked and smoked about the same. There was no metallic aftertaste, but the grassyness was definitely there. Like the aroma of fresh lawn clippings working its way through my sinuses and down the back of the palate. Not very appealing.

I don’t get it. Arturo Fuente is just not for me.