Saturday, November 14, 2015

Nub Cameroon 460 - Cigar Review

PROLOGUE
5:30pm
Yesterday, I received a very official mailing from The city of Eugene Judiciary System. I quickly ran out of scenarios wherein this was good news. I peeked into the envelope. "Warrant."

My wife tries to soothe my nervous nature by asking me to 'Play things out.' Meaning, what's the worst that can happen? How does this effect your future? Apparently, when she does this exercise on her own apprehensions, she finds out that it all ends well enough. She gets strength from that.

I 'play things out,' and always wind up sharing a jail cell with a man ironically called Tiny. "Warrant."

It was a check for ten bucks. Jury Duty. I walked to Albertsons on still weak knees, cashed the thing, then walked over to my local tobacconist. Some time ago, I reviewed the Nub Habano. Its Cameroon cuz was recommended, so I grab --

THE CIGAR
Oliva Cigar Co.
Studio Tobac
Nub Cameroon 460
Cameroon wrapper
Nicaraguan binder/filler

"Grown in Cameroon, this wrapper is distinctively thin and toothy. Rolled as a Nub, the Cameroon is a medium-bodied smoke with rich cedar and coffee notes." From the Studio Tobac website.
PRE-LIGHT
Set free of its nicely designed aluminum tubo (with cedar sheath) of something like Israeli colorings, I fumble it around... It's nearly as portly as was my Great Uncle Irving. I believe its complexion is rather similar to Irving's lone Seder suit -- brown with some darker hues of greenish tone woven in and out, here and there. Seams are well-hewn and even. There's a couple of veins and regular amount of spiders. There is some fine toothy grit, as well. Rich brown tobacco with a tad of red vibe peeks out at the foot and shows a medium and even density.

The hand-feel, once the short and fat is overlooked and/or grown accustomed to is a tad toward dry of medium but nicely smooth and thinly oiled. When Charmin tested, the squeeze is an all around even -full resistance.

On bravely to the schnoz -- where I get not really much from the shaft as far as intensity. Some sweet hay and a medium tobacco with a hints of further earthiness and coffee brewing downstairs, when you're upstairs. At the foot is a very clean tobacco note, so clean as to mimic a mintiness. Cardamom is there.

Nibbling off the nicely crafted cap, I get a spot-on medium draw with clean mint notes and white flowers on a cup o' joe backing.

LIGHT
Brand new D'jeep, yous gentlepersons! It's way to miserable on my porch to trifle with a wooden match. Toasting the foot lets loose a nice sweet cedar note and rich but not heavy tobacco. A first hot pull is leathery and floral on a sweet bet of golden hay. Second pull is retro-haled and shows some quite sharp cedar that leaves quickly and a buttery mouth-feel and creamy palate note come in and settle. Third hot one is sharpened by cedar and a hard leather, but softened quickly by that buttery cream and a pleasant light cardamon with a honey coming close on the horizon. The end of draw brings white flowers that bleed into the finish with that soft honey and buttery oils.

Very slow burning, so I won't even go into that ode to construction as of yet. For the rest, the draw is medium and of cool. Moving onto smoke output, I'd say medium+ volume with a hint of graham playing in the floral notes. Leather and hay up front.
ACT I
Let's address the ash -- "Hell-ooo Ash!" Thick and a rather even pale grey affair with signs of oily goodness. Burn is even, burn-line near razor-thin. Very well-constructed, this Nub.

A vanilla comes in alongside a trace of caramel. Smoke output increases off the foot in a sweet but not sickly aroma of mainly vanilla and honey, and into my smoke-hole as well. Quite flavorful, if not nuanced. I'd say medium near + flavor and body, on account of a quite rich buttery oil mouth-feel. As far as strength, we are thus far barely registering, so I'll go light.

ACT II
A toasted white bread is coming in on the draw now and adds to the already rather hefty body with a bit of dough. There's a tad of wrapper which doesn't pick up its pace as much as the rest now has at the burn, but seems to intend on doing so. The whole of soft powdery ash unexpectedly clumps onto my keyboard and the burn catches even. I'm here like a putz with my schmatta/hankie spread over my lap and ash all over my Chromebook.

At the halfway point, the floral notes rise as does cardamon and honey. Vanilla holds. Earthiness subdues, cedar hides. A nutty oil has separated from the holding-pattern creamery butter and roasts nicely on my palate. Medium+ flavored. Medium+ bodied (with that addition). Still, though, a lightweight strength.

As Act II sees its curtain fall, the burn has evened and the burn-line is at thin and heading toward razorvile, Daddy-o.

Hawaiian bread on the draw and to the mouth-feel. Very buttery now at both. Rest is holding and a leather comes on with a pleasant authority. Some strong and lingering roasted white pepper is on the retro-hale now and with that new addition, I sense the strength rise to a light+.

ACT III
-Medium strength now, the rest of the profile holds Medium+. Ash is cosmetically unchanged, but seems heavier. Construction softens but holds well. Draw loosens to -medium. Flavors are unchanged. Finish is a floral honey on a smooth creamery butter with traces of vanilla and cardamom (in that order). Very much a more complete offering than its Habano cousin.

I roll off an inch of ash and it proves a hair more dense on account of a greater amount of oils. It's complected the same as it ever was. Smoke remains nice and cool. Burn slows a bit. A sweet citrus eases in now and adds to the moisture level on my palate, while simultaneously, a hay comes back in to cut it prior to a sickly sweet adhering.

As we near the band, all traces of pepper have left the building. Very mellow yet flavorful cigar, this. There are some nuances although none are whispered. While not complex, it's quite a satisfying smoke that is sweet but not overly so. An offering that won't hit you wrongly, but won't wallop you with wow.

Flavors hold as the ash looses its even sheath and darkens a notch as well as picks up more oils and density. A seasoned cedar sets in on both draw and finish. The mouth-feel dries a tad, but sipping from a beverage is not required.

As I reach for a toothpick, flavors darken and roast away some sweetness, We end on a nicely mature note sans bite or char.
NOTES
There is real evil in this world, gentlepersons, as I am reminded by news of orchestrated terrorist attacks in Paris. News continued to break through this smoke and I find myself numb. I am particularly numb to the apologists who seek to deny this real and true evil. My thoughts are with The City of Lights.

That said, I believe you get the kind gist of this Nub offering. Now go hug someone you love, and hold that hug a little longer than you normally would.

PAIRINGS
Since the nuances speak loudly here, not much would trample their 'subtleness' or lack thereof. Coffee, black tea, cola, Booze up to a nice fortified wine.

FINAL GRADE
****B****

EPILOGUE
6:50ishpm
You can purchase yer Nub Cameroon via my pals at Cigars City HERE.
Have you hugged someone yet? It's quite important, gentlepersons.