Cuaba Divinos

[SteveGriff]

Today’s smoke is a new one for me, the Cuaba Divinos. I’ve never been interested to be honest with the figurado shape; where the foot of the Cigar is made narrow, almost closed. I wonder who decided to make such shaped Cigars? Obviously they must have been smoking something a little more wackier than your typical Cuban.

A few weeks ago, I made a trade of a few Cigars from a friend on the popular UK Cigar forums. The Rodster graciously sent me a Cuaba Generosos along with the Divinos that I am reviewing for you today as freebies to compliment the Cigars traded. Thanks to The Rodster once again, always nice to smoke something I have never tried before.

Measuring in at 43 ring gauge by 4 inches in length, the Divinos is a small Cigar. The tapered ends on both sides means that it’s even smaller. Jeez, it’s like the incredible shrinking Cigar here.

This morning I’m pairing the Divinos with some water. I’m not feeling like coffee or God forbid, alcohol. I’m re-hydrating this morning - the best way to get myself relaxing somewhat, is with a Cigar.

Cutting the Cigar at the head is quite straightforward. Like any other pyramide shaped Cigar, I usually cut down around half a centimetre or so. The draw is pretty good. Easy enough, but you just need to tug slightly on it just to get a fulfilling draw.

The Divinos took around a minute or so to light up. This is probably due to my inexperience in lighting the closed foot of the Cigar. Also, with the smaller surface area that you need to light, it just seemed that the thing wasn’t lighting as well as I’d want it to.

I had to draw on the Cigar while lighting it up just to get it sufficiently burning. Like I say, it’s probably not the Divinos itself, but just me not knowing how much I need to light before it is properly lit.

While drawing on the Divinos to get it light, I wasn’t getting any distinctive flavours from the Cuaba. I’ve heard that this is just the way perfectos are in the early periods of smoking. You have to wait until it burns somewhat passed the closed area, and then it all opens up into a bouquet of flavours.

The first five millimetres or so involves just smoking it down enough for the Cigar to open up. It’s not so much enjoying the smoke, but working for your smoke.

An inch or so into the Cuaba Divinos, and now we are starting to cook with gas. Hallelujah! There are flavours present! OK, time not to get smarmy. Lets detect what flavours I’m tasting on my palette. Primarily, there’s dominant tobacco, tones with an underlining metallic finish.

Into the second third the Cuaba, and it's plain as day to describe the distinctive flavour profile of this Cigar. There's a good amount of tobacco and leather tones, with some woody notes. There's not a whole lot going on, but with such a small smoke, I'm not expecting dynamite, just a slap 'n tickle.

The second half of the Cigar is pretty much like the first, just a little hotter. After forty minutes or so of smoking, the Cuaba Divinos is done. I lay it to rest, and I start to ponder on what kind of Cigar this is. I'd like to think I could fit the Divinos somewhere in my rotation, but there's nothing that sticks out that makes me want to put this in front of, lets say, a Ramon Allones Short Club Corona or Montecristo No. 5.

Overall, I’m a little disappointed in myself that I might be a little too critical with this Cigar. Yes, the criticisms I hear about these kinds of vitolas are well documented. I think sometimes in the world of Cigars, you either like it, or you dislike it. If you dislike it, there’s no need to worry, or kick the dog, you just reach into the humidor and grab something you like instead.

I'm sure there are other people out there who really like the Cuaba range. They might just not be for me. I have the Cuaba Generosos to smoke soon. I may understand the Cuaba range better with that smoke than the Divinos.

Appearance: 12/15

Draw & Burn: 19/20

Flavour & Complexity: 25/30

Overall: 30/35

Total: 86/100

[cigarmonologues]

Nice review Steve. Your experience with lighting this one doesn't surprise me: I've always found figurados to either light brilliantly with but the fleeting glance of a flame, or be a real pain in the backside to get going...

I'm struggling to remember whether I've had a Divinos - I'm quite sure that I have at some stage (and rather liked it). My documented smoking of Cuabas extends to the Tradicionales only, which I thought to be quite excellent, and rated 90. I found, like you, that the smoke took five minutes or so to get going. The flavour profile of the Tradicionales has some similarities to the Divinos (in my experience), but does differ slightly - though satisfies the Cuaba test of being something markedly 'different' from the everyday Cuban.

[frenchkiwi]

nice review

a tricky thing these Cuaba mainly because you probably have a 20%? chance of finding a well-constructed one.

when i have found some, they had this wonderful peanutty flavour which was quite different from any other cigar i've had and it was most enjoyable...

[fred170]

Excellent review.

These little figurados were once my favourite smoke a few years ago. Nice toasted almonds and coffee notes. I would re-consider buying, but the draw is too tight for my taste. But nonetheless a great smoke with some of the best tobacco grown in Pinar del Rio

[mazolaman]

nice review

a tricky thing these Cuaba mainly because you probably have a 20%? chance of finding a well-constructed one.

when i have found some, they had this wonderful peanutty flavour which was quite different from any other cigar i've had and it was most enjoyable...

That's the one.

Peanuts.

A little leather,and tobacco.

Thanks for the review Steve,I've always enjoyed these cigars.If you can get a decent box,which isn't easy,due to hit and miss construction.

The current best of this brand are Distinguidos and Exclusivos,I think.

[Dbone]

That's a big cigar for a morning smoke. More power to ya!! The peanut notes in your review and in Mazo's get my mouth watering.

[Ginseng]

Nice review. The Divinos are unusual little things but if they draw, are uniquely enjoyable for their consistent leather and bitter wood characteristic. Very distinctive. Not what I'd choose for a morning cigar and certainly not in the class of the RASCC, one of my all time faves.

Wilkey