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Cuevas Reserva Natural and Maduro Cigars and Casa Cuevas La Mandarria

I smoked a pair of Cuevas Reserva cigars before heading to Las Vegas and really enjoyed them, then I had occasion to meet Luis Cuevas at the Tobacco Plus Expo and talked to him about the cigars. I didn’t really have a chance to write about the cigars before I left, but I had a pair of each left and wanted to give them some more attention after I got back. Yesterday was the day when I had the chance to smoke one more of each of the Natural and Maduro in the Robusto size. Both were 5″ x 52, but are also offered in toro and torpedo sizes. The first time around I smoked the Maduro first, followed by the Natural, this time I flip-plopped. The Natural is a Ecuador Connecticut wrapped cigar, with a “Havana” binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and the U.S.A. I’m unclear on what the binder actually is, is it Habano, and from where?  And the U.S.A. in the filler? PA or Connecticut Broadleaf? My palate says PA, because this cigar had some body and unique flavor that is unusual for a Connecticut wrapped cigar. That being said, what do I know? The wrapper gave it some creaminess, along with some toasty flavors, without a lot of sweetness. I found it to be enjoyable, and well made.

 

The Maduro has a San Andrés wrapper, a Piloto Cubano binder from the DR, and Dominican and Nicaraguan (Ometepe) fillers. The cigars are made in the Casa Cuevas‘ Las Lavas factory in the DR. These are the first Cuevas branded cigars I’ve smoked, but I’ve smoked many cigars that they’ve made over the years. They’ve made cigars for the Toraños and Sam Leccia, among others in the past. Obviously, the Cuevas Reserva Maduro was very different from the Natural. The Mexican wrapper gives this an earthy flavor, and, like the Natural, it’s not a sweet cigar. It has a very nice tobacco flavor, and, like the natural, was very well made. The fact that the folks at Casa Cuevas Cigars sent me robustos allowed me to smoke them both in the same day, which was good, but I will be on the look out for these in the toro size, which you well know I really like. Luis Cuevas was a super-nice dude, and I wish I had sat down with him and done a video interview. I’m sure I could have worked it out, I know somebody…that one’s on me. 

 

Just as I was starting to wonder if I couldn’t taste sweetness in cigars any more after coming home from TPE with what has come to me known in some parts of the cigar industry as the “Kostavirus” (named after Kosta Fotiadis, the proprietor of SMōKe Cigar Lounge in nearby Manayunk, PA), I smoked the Casa Cuevas La Mandarria today. This was originally a limited edition cigar that commemorated the robbery of the Cuevas warehouse in Miami last year. This sort of thing seems to happen annually to one company or another, most recently effecting Jochi Blanco’s Indian Head Cigars Warehouse. In the case of the Cuevas break in, the thieves broke through a wall with sledgehammers, hence the name La Mandarria, Spanish for sledgehammer. This cigar is now a regular production cigar, and what a great thing that is, because it’s a wonderful cigar. The cigar has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Dominican Olor binder, and fillers from Dominican and Nicaragua. It’s a 6″ x 52 toro with a curlicue pigtail cap and a shaggy foot. The first three quarters of an inch of binder only are fairly unremarkable, but when the Habano wrapper catches, the sweetness kicks in and the full flavor comes through. There’s a bit of nice spice, but it’s mainly a nice, sweet smoke, and fairly full bodied. I loved the flavors of this and the burn and draw were absolutely perfect. I was sorry to put this one down when it reached about three quarters of an inch in length and threatened to burn my lips. I thought I really liked the two Cuevas Reserva cigars, but I really, really loved this one! 

 

Take a look on the left sidebar at the CigarPage graphic, it’s new, and if you click through and make a purchase and use the code “CigarCraig10” in the checkout, you’ll get 10% off your purchase! Full disclosure, it’s an affiliate link, so I’ll get a little something out of it, which I could use to pay for the the “maintenance” I just had to do last week!  CigarPage is a great outfit with some great deals! Unfortunately it doesn’t look like they carry Cuevas cigars though!

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News: Casa Cuevas Cigars Shipping Cuevas Reserva Natural and Maduro

Casa Cuevas is a brand I have yet to try, but I’ve smoked plenty of cigars that the Cuevas family has made. Hopefully when I visit Miami in September I can do something about that. These certainly look like a great starting point!  

 

THE “CUEVAS RESERVA” BY CASA CUEVAS CIGARS IS NOW SHIPPING!

Casa Cuevas Cigars, makers of handmade premium cigars announce the Cuevas Reserva Natural and Cuevas Reserva Maduro is now shipping to retailers. The Cuevas Reserva was introduced to the public at the 2019 IPCPR in Las Vegas.

The Cuevas Reserva Maduro features a Mexican San Andres wrapper, a Dominican, Pilloto Cubano binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan (ometepe) fillers, this blend is a personal favorite of Luis Cuevas Sr. as it boasts a full-flavor smoking experience, in a perfectly balanced medium to full-bodied cigar.

The Cuevas Reserva Natural features an Habano binder with a mix of fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and the U.S.A., all wrapped in an Ecuadorean Connecticut wrapper. This blend provides a perfectly smooth smoking experience which features nuanced earthy flavors.

President of Casa Cuevas Cigars, Luis Cuevas Jr. stated: “The Cuevas Reserva for my father was supposed to be the Cuevas signature brand back well over a decade ago. As with all things in life, plans always change. I am proud to have worked closely with my father and my son Alec Cuevas, who is now part of the family business recreating this blend.  I am ecstatic that this brand has come full circle, as we can now present it as a family project to the consumer.”

The Cuevas Reserva’s are beautifully packaged in vintage Cuban style 20 count boxes.

Both blends are initially released in three vitolas with more to follow in the future. 

Vitolas:                        

                                     Natural          Maduro                                         

6X50         Toro             $9.90              $10.90

61/4 X 52 Torpedo      $10.40            $11.40

5×52          Robusto      $9.50              $10.50

ABOUT CASA CUEVAS CIGARS:

Casa Cuevas Cigars was established in 2016 but with a decade’s old history. The Cuevas family is responsible for many of the cigars that you enjoy today. Cuban born Master Blender Luis Cuevas Sr. has been blending cigars from his factory in the Dominican Republic for many popular cigar brands. Now, together with son Luis Cuevas Jr., the Casa Cuevas brand was created to honor their four-generation cigar heritage.

 

Follow Casa Cuevas Cigars on social @CasaCuevasCigars #CasaCuevasCigars

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