Cabaiguan Guapo 2009 Re-release
Apr 9, 2009 Cigar
Cabaiguan, pronounced kah-bei-gWAHN, is named after a city in northern Sancti Spiritus province of Cuba. It is a medium bodied cuban style cigar, but we would consider it even stronger – especially towards the finish. A Connecticut seed Shade Grown Ecuadorian wrapper gives this cigar a burst of flavor and spice before lighting and mixes with the Nicaraguan blend of filler for an extremely flavorful smoke. Don Pepin’s son, Jaime, worked with Pete Johnson during the blending process to produce this beauty.
The Guapo features an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper – making it stand out in the Cabaiguan offerings as yet another special Exlclusivo.
Three new sizes of the Guapo line were released in 2008 as well as the 5 5/8 X 54 re-release which is what we are reviewing tonight.
All the Cabaiguan sizes in hinged cabinet boxes of 24 cigars. Guapo sizes in hinged cabinets of 20 cigars. Wrapped in paper inside of the box to ensure safe tavel.
On to the review.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Size: 5.625 x 54 (robusto grande)
Origin: Miami, FL
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut – Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
APPEARANCE and CONSTRUCTION -
The 2009 Guapo is almost identical to the original release. It has a very smooth and extremely oily wrapper. It’s a dark tan color and silky smooth. The triple cap is beautifully applied with a very flat head and a small pigtail at the end of it. This is a very nicely constructed super robusto. It reminded me a lot of the Cuban Trinidad Robusto Extra.
SMOKING CHARACTERISTICS -
I decided to use a punch cut on this fat robusto. There was a very good draw with just enough resistance. Cold draw has flavors of wood and a lingering sweetness. The foot lit evenly and quickly. The Guapo burned evenly throughout the entire smoke and required almost no touch ups. It did burn somewhat quickly though. For a smoke with a ring gauge as wide as this, I was surprised at how quickly I burned through this smoke.
FLAVOR -
The flavor profile of the Guapo had distinct leather and nut flavors. Around the midway point I also picked up a distinctive pepper flavor. It wasn’t so much a black pepper, but more of a red pepper. The smoke is somewhere between medium to full bodied and remained consistent throughout. I enjoyed the overall balance of this smoke. The pepper flavor was never overpowering and is balanced by a woody sweetness. The finish was long and had a smooth richness.
OVERALL IMPRESSION –
I was a big fan of the original Guapos and this version of the cigar was slightly different. My tasting notes on the original indicated more of a toasty creaminess which this version had almost none of. The 2009 Guapo has a little more pepper and a little more nuttiness. It also has a little more body than its predecessor I preferred the original blend a little more, but all in all this was a nice smoke.
TOTAL SCORE – 88
Tags: Cabaiguan, Don Pepin Garcia, Guapo, Jamie Garcia, Pete Johnson, Robusto Grande, Tatuaje
