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Reviews

Cigar Weekly 2008 Blind Review #4


Cupido Criollo Revolucion

Published Friday, October 10th, 2008
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)

                               

Back during the Cigar Boom of the late 1990s, the Cupido brand was highly regarded and highly sought after. The line was manufactured for World Cigars by Henry 'Don Kiki' Berger and his father at their Esteli, Nicaragua factory. The Cupido Criollo line uses a criollo (creole) wrapper developed from seeds brought out of Cuba by Don Kiki's father.

Due to a series of events which occurred towards the end of the boom, and which involved several cigar men, brands and factories, production of the Cupido line ceased in 2002. That news was met with sadness within the cigar community. However, Don Kiki fortunately still had tobacco aging in warehouses in Nicaragua, and in December 2007, the Cupido Criollo line was re-launched under the Cuban Crafters banner.

The reaction from the online cigar community was swift and dramatic. Discussion threads appeared and grew at a lightning fast pace, and there was something of a stampede to the phone lines as people sought to secure boxes for themselves. Based on the public discussions, I imagine the action at the Cuban Crafters order processing center was frantic at times!

The reactions, as people received their boxes, were overwhelmingly positive. Although some differences between the original Cupido Criollos and the new release were noted, the cigars generally received high praise. Given all of that, I was glad to receive a box to use for a formal blind tasting. The cigars for the review were graciously provided by Alberto Noguera, National Sales Director for Cuban Crafters.

The Cupido Criollo line consists of six sizes:

Revolucion: 5"x 50 RG (robusto)
Doble: 5.5" x 50 RG (perfecto)
Corto: 4.5" x 56 RG (figurado)
Campana: 5.5" x 54 RG (belicoso)
Commemorative: 5.5" x 54 RG (figurado)
Churchill: 7" x 50 RG (parejo)
 
 
  
All of the cigars are characterized by a sharp box press, and they come packed in varnished, cedar-lined boxes of 25. Price ranges from $64.99 to $69.99 per box. Available exclusively from Cuban Crafters: http://www.cubancrafters.com/
 

For a more complete accounting of the history of the Cupido brand, please see the Don Kiki interview by CW Editor Thomas Bender ("TommyBB") published in February 2008: http://www.cigarweekly.com/magazine/interviews/02-18-2008/cigar-weekly-interview-with-don-kiki-berger

Pre-Smoke Comments

Fishin' Phil: Slightly veiny and a little lumpy. Firm box press. Nice draw, nice earthy aroma. Burned fairly even

flipflop: Very nice box pressed cigar. Well rolled; very smooth and even. Good but not overwhelming tobacco taste to the wrapper. I have high hopes for this smoke.
Cigar 1 paired with Highland Park 12 y/o single malt with water back.
Cigar 2 paired with Lagavulin 16 y/o single malt with water back.

TommyBB: This cigar has a nice dark brown color, but is quite rough and veiny, as the form indicates. The cap was also a bit sloppy, seemingly this parejo was made by a young or apprentice roller. It smelled nice and was fairly packed, not too tight, and a touch soft in spots.

ronin: This was a very nice looking robusto. Well made with a nice cap and very nicely rolled. Nice toothy feel with a nice smooth wrapper and no veins. Once clipped, it shows a very nice draw. Good pre light aroma.

SLR: Wrapper was a bit rough looking with some veins.  It was also coarse and a bit dry looking.  Nice solid feel, great draw, and good even burn.  Overall a well constructed cigar.
 
 

Elk Twin: Almost maduro, this cigar came clad in a dark wrapper that was smoothed so closely to the sharp, cuadrado pressed corners that it could have been applied with a steam iron.  The single cap flopped over the head like the hair of an aging executive trying to hide his thinning pate.  The cigar had the feel of balsa wood, having the same weight and solidity.  The pre-light aroma from the samples was unique, heavy with what I can only describe as the scent of brewer's yeast.

Smoke Comments

Fishin' Phil: Good volume of smoke. Nice earthy flavors. Slightly sweet on the finish.

flipflop: Lots of smoke; fairly even burn throughout. Burned a bit hot in last half. Required two touchups with torch to correct slight runners.

TommyBB: This was a nice enough cigar, despite its rough appearance. It wouldn't be my first choice out of the humidor if I were simply going to sit and enjoy a cigar on the evening, or were going out for cigars with friends. If we were sitting outside somewhere for an "after-thought smoke" or doing something else like a fair, or festival, this cigar would have more merit and be an acceptable choice. If I smoked two or three cigars per day, regularly, this would be an acceptable selection in that sort of "rotation."  If this is bundle or economy choice cigar, it suits that purpose quite admirably. The box press gives this cigar a visual appeal, and makes up, just a bit, for the seemingly sloppy construction and poorly applied cap.

ronin: A very nice smoke. It displayed no bitterness and had medium sweetness to the taste. The only issue was though I got an even light, I could not get it to burn evenly. I had to touch it up at least three times. The smoke and the flavor of this cigar off set this annoying problem. Nice medium body rich smoking cigar. So the burn problem could be ignored.

SLR: This cigar was rich in flavor, and had nice complexity.  It stared out very strong, but mellowed as it was smoked down.  It was on the sweet earthy side, with a slight perfume flavor on the finish.  The wrapper left a nice sweetness on the tongue.  What a great tasting cigar.
 
Elk Twin: Despite its firmness, the cigar drew well, delivering smoke from the first few puffs.  The initial flavor was warm and spicy with just a hint of evergreen pitch.  The square shape made it easy to set down but felt unusual in my mouth; the sharp corners were distracting.  An inch of solid grey ash quickly developed and the flavors settled into a light-bodied mixture of willow bark, citrus and oak leaves.  The finish was slightly tannic, but relatively pleasing with just a hint of the bitterness one might associate with over-extracted espresso.  The cone became very long and thin as the slightly uneven burn progressed.  I tapped the ash off at 2 inches.  This was a decent cigar with smooth if muted flavors.  Not overpowering, the strength built from mild to medium as the cigar progressed.  The aroma had a polite almost refined scent that tickled the nose a bit when inhaled close up but offered a solid tobacco note up to the room. 

 

Summary Comments

Fishin' Phil: A good cigar. While it is not so special as to demand your attention, it is pleasant enough to be a solid every day "go-to" cigar. I would buy these if they were priced right.

flipflop: Overall, a very nice cigar. While I prefer stronger smokes, this was more than adequate. It paired better with the smokier, peatier Lagavulin than the Highland Park . I'd buy this cigar as a nice patio cigar; one to sit back with while enjoying the evening outdoors after a nice dinner. Not a great cigar, but a rather enjoyable one. Best in the last one-third.
 

TommyBB: As I stated above, this is not the prettiest or most elegant cigar, the wrapper is not of the finest vintage, or nicely capped. The flavor of the smoke is a touch one-dimensional, but it's acceptable with a hint of cedar that stands out to me. It's a nice cigar for when the smoker is occupied with other things, and wishes to simply have a smoke to make it more enjoyable. This wouldn't be my choice for my only smoke of the week, though, as I don't smoke a lot, and I have had better cigars. But as a vacation/beach cigar, or sitting outside after mowing the lawn or other work, it suits quite well. If I smoked more than one a day, these could be one of those, if the price is right.

ronin: This was a very nice cigar. Great volumes of smoke and a very pleasant taste. I really enjoyed this cigar. Medium body with a touch of sweetness. This would be a good to smoke anytime of the day. The only issue I found was the burn issue. Again as I said, the taste and flavor off set this but still was an annoyance

SLR: This cigar is rough looking but the flavors are really good.  Should appeal to those who enjoy strong sweet earthy cigars.

 
Elk Twin: The last inch or so was tasty, almost demanding the cigar to be nubbed, with none of the tarry harshness that some sticks develop.  Overall, I was satisfied with the flavor and tone of this cigar and would buy these if the price was right - perhaps $4-6 each.  The press and appearance tells me that these are well-made and I would expect a similar attention to detail in the packaging as well.

Scores

Reviewer

Appearance and
Construction
(0-5)

Burn
(0-5)

Draw
(0-5)

Aroma
(0-5)

Flavor
(0-10)

Taste and
Aftertaste
(0-10)

Overall
Quality
(0-10)

Total
(0-50)

Fishin' Phil

3

4

5

4

8

8

7

39

flipflop

4

4

5

3

6

6

7

35

TommyBB

2.5

3

3.5

3

5.5

5

5.5

28

ronin

5

3

5

5

8

10

9

45

SLR

2

4

5

4

8

8

7

38

Elk Twin

5

3

5

5

8

8

9

43

Averages

3.58

3.5

4.75

4

7.25

7.5

7.42

38

To achieve the final score we throw out the high and low total scores then average the
remaining scores. For more details please refer to the
Review Methods page


   

Review Results

Final Score: 38.75 out of 50 - 4 Stars - Excellent
 



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