Nicarao Exclusivo Review

8/30/2014

Cigar: Nicarao Exclusivo
Size: Toro, 6.0”x52
MSRP: $15.00
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Habano Maduro
Origin: Nicaragua

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Prelight: By request of a BOTL, I pull his gifted Nicarao Exclusivo out of the humi for a review. I immediately notice how dark and unrefined the wrapper looks. There are some medium sized veins and imperfections. It seems like a fairly thick wrapper leaf and gives off an extremely floral aroma with some backing notes of wood. And although I’ve seen prettier wrappers, the whole cigar is uniform in construction and looks rather well made. The foot is dense and smells of chocolate and oak. I use a v-cut and the draw seems just a hair on the tight side, but I have a feeling it will open up once I get going. The cold draw taste is sweet, earthy and woody. I feel like I detect just a hint of raisins.

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1/3: The onset is a pepper bomb; my nose is burning and the pepper is coating my tongue. There is not a lot of smoke output while at rest, put after a pull, the cigar comes to life. Under the assault of pepper there is a taste of sweet fruit, cream and leather. The pepper subsides after an inch or so, but only in spiciness. The flavor is still there, complementing a dusty leather, cream and slight cherry amalgam. Chocolate becomes noticeable at the end of the first third and I am reminded of those chocolate covered cherry liqueur candies.

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2/3: The strength seems to ramp up in the second third, as well as the flavors. They are still mostly dusty leather with hints of cream and chocolate. The pepper seems to have faded completely away. The alabaster ash slowly falls as if gravity has finally made a persuasive case at the halfway mark. I notice that the filler is beginning to split the wrapper about an inch from the band. I leave the band on as long as possible to reduce the chances of the cigar falling apart on me. Pepper comes back right as the burn line reaches the first band and oak takes over the leathery taste as well.

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3/3: The band did its job and the split never progressed. The draw is better now as well, making me think that there was a section of overfill. The flavors are now oak, vegetal matter, chocolate and just a requiem of the pepper that started off this excellent cigar.

Overall: Quite a good cigar. Thankfully George has informed us that these can be found on CBid for quite a bit lower than the MSRP. (Which, as an aside, is not realistic. CI and its affiliates are the only place to get this cigar, and since even they don’t charge MSRP, the actual retail price for this cigar is $12.00). This cigar was a lot sweeter in the second third than I’ve experienced from other Nicaraguan cigars. It does offer the spice and wood flavors that the region is known for (by me, at least) at the onset and nub. I feel that the maduro leaf used for the wrapper heavily influenced the chocolate and fruit notes I picked up. I’d definitely recommend grabbing a fiver off of CBid if the price is right.