A forum for cigar lovers.
beatnic:My understanding is that this line is a stand alone, not one of the three series you mentioned. I checked the website and they list it differently.
bigharpoon:I just got my first Cabinetta, I'm really looking forward to it. I think your blog looks great by the way. I love how you have everything categorized along the side by country. I have to ask, though, how you choose which country to categorize things under? So many different country's tobaccos go into one stick and then it may be rolled in yet another country. The one that really took me by surprise is the MOW Ruination categorized under Costa Rica. Congratulations on taking the leap into the blogosphere, I wish you the best of luck!
kuzi16:1-31-12 been in humidor since 1-28-11 Joya de Nicaragua Cabinetta No. 7 (6 x 50) Wrapper: Ecuadorian shade grown Connecticut seed, Nicaraguan Criollo Maduro Binder: Jalapa Nicaraguan Filler: Jalapa Nicaraguan Blender: Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca Joya de Nicaragua is Most well known for their Antano line. That line has three extensions: Original, Dark Corojo, and Celebracion. Those cigars have a very distinct blending style mainly because these are all designed to be similar. The Furete and the classico has the blending styoe as well but they are not similar in overall flavor or power. The Cabinetta is designed to step away from the Joya de Nicaragua style. The Cabinetta was blended to be the milder, smoother, more approachable Joya de Nicaragua. I have approached it several times in the past and I feel that it is time for a review. I got this particular Cabinetta on my trip to Nicaragua. This was in the sampler pack that was handed to me on the first night in Miami. At that point in my smoking career I had recently fallen in love with Joya de Nicaragua so I was very excited to see it in the pack. It has been resting in my humidor, comfortably, for the last year. At first glance the cigar is very different than any other cigar on the market. The last inch or so has a darker wrapper than the rest of the cigar. The Two tone wrapper is not just for show. The lighter of the two wrappers is an Ecuadorian shade grown Connecticut seed that, gives this cigar a mild overall taste to it. The other wrapper, A Nicaraguan Criollo Maduro is added to the end to stimulate the tongue and lips with a bit more spice, coco and the flavor impression that you are smoking a fuller bodied cigar. The divide between these two wrappers is concealed behind the band. The Connecticut Seed wrapper is thin and shows the veins of the binder through it. I have to admit, it looks a little rough. The smell of the cigar is very nice. It has a sweeter feel to it. I take the band off as I always do before I smoke any cigar and I see that the transition between the maduro and the shade grown wrappers is not a smooth transition. The band hid the minor imperfections, and the fact that Joya de Nicaragua thought of that shows good presentation. The lick on the cap has a sweet coco undertone with a hint of spice. The cut on the cap reveals an interesting look into the head of the cigar. The Nicaraguan Criollo Maduro wrapper is seen then a ring of very light Connecticut-seed Ecuadorian shade grown wrapper, then the dark fillers. The draw is a bit firm (almost too firm) and tastes heavily of coco. It is damn near candy-like. A light with a soft flame and I am welcomed to this cigar with a sweet cream note with the classic Nicaragua woody/spice texture and taste. As the cigar settles in the coco notes start to appear. They are subtle and soft but they are there. Most of the spice is through the nose and on the finish. The woody notes are very forward and they dominate the beginning of the cigar. The burn in the first third is perfect and the foot billows out smoke. The ash holds on strong and when it reaches an inch has some resistance to me knocking it off. All of these qualities point to solid construction, something that I have grown accustomed to with this brand. The middle third starts off with the same overall profile but has an over all rounder mouth feel and a longer finish that has a cinnamon-like sweetness to it. Through the middle third the spice increases but all other flavors remain consistent. The middle third ends with some burn issues and a few touch ups are needed. The start final third does not vary much from the middle third. However, the Maduro section is getting close. This is where many would stop. I fully intend to smoke right on through just to see the transition. When the transition does hit the coco notes skyrocket. There is also a coffee note in there. The spice that was light before becomes more defined. The finish is significantly more toasty. The woody notes are over-powered by the coco and coffee. This gets me thinking that Joya de Nicaragua could potentially produce this cigar as an inverse of what it is now with the Ecuadorian Shade grown part as the head and the maduro as the bulk of the cigar. Maybe a sampler with one “regular” Cabinetta, one without the maduro part, one all Maduro and one as an inverse of the regular. This is now me just thinking in type. (but seriously JdN, I hope you are listening, I would buy that sampler). This last bit of the cigar shows off how much a wrapper can influence the overall cigar. The Cabinetta ends on a wonderfully chocolate note. Burn to the burn time 2 hours 20 min Burn: 8 Draw: 8 Taste: 9 Aftertaste: 9 Construction: 9 Balance: 10 Feel: 9 Overall: 9.0 if you like my reviews, please see my blog and follow me on twitter (@KuzisCigar) or Facebook
catfishbluezz:Question Kuzi, do you smoke really slow? A 6X50 in two hours is a long time in my book and I personally run into burn issues and relights if I take that long. I know you've recommended the slower approach which is why I ask, but I've hoenstly only had churchills last that long
JDH:Very nice review. Have you had the JDN Celebration? Was wondering how it compares to the Cabinetta. "The draw is a bit firm (almost too firm) and tastes heavily of coco. It is damn near candy-like. " That's exactly how I'd characterize the Torano 50 Years - exactly. In fact, much of what you are saying about this cigar (except appearance), I believe also applies to the Torano 50 year. Interesting.
kuzi16: JDH:Very nice review. Have you had the JDN Celebration? Was wondering how it compares to the Cabinetta. "The draw is a bit firm (almost too firm) and tastes heavily of coco. It is damn near candy-like. " That's exactly how I'd characterize the Torano 50 Years - exactly. In fact, much of what you are saying about this cigar (except appearance), I believe also applies to the Torano 50 year. Interesting. the Celebracion is one of my top 10 blends of all time. it is much fuller, much rounder, and when smoked slow much woodier. the flavor of that cigar coats your palate like very few cigars do. i buy that one by the box and almost always in the toro size. i have a torano 50 year in the humidor but i have yet to smoke one.