Cuevas Reserva Maduro
by Casa Cuevas
WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan
FORMAT: Robusto (552)
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
STRENGTH: Medium Full
NOTES:
Black pepper | Anise | Smoked paprika. Dark chocolate is an attachment to all those notes. Spiced cedar braces atop the dark middlings of cumin, cayenne, leather. Coffee beans secure vertical delineations. Underbelly is barnyard, topsoil. There are hints of dried purple fruits on the lengthy finish, joining there w/ toppers & chocolate. A bit of toasted grain. A cola note ebbs & flows thru the profile. A 1/2-tick sharply textured in the opening act only, then oiled by leathers.
Rather a crisp delivery w/ clean end. Some intriguing inter-play w/ dark chocolate, particularly in the primaries & again w/ grains. Nuanced in an airy not dense manner. Lack of compression gives the opportunity to see from many an angle. A handful of candied almonds near the 3/3 start is a nice closing to a pleasantly transitional stick.
Burns hot, fast, & audibly(at times). Ash splits. Then it calms in the 2nd half. Oddly feels quite light & firmly-rolled at the same time. An imperfect burn-line, altho requiring 0 touch-ups. Seams hold, cap/shoulder, as well. Excellent draw gate-to-wire. A muted smokiness passively becomes voluminous when puffed. Culminates in a sweet toasted earth room-note. The smoke is a hair irritating to my sensitive, intelligent, dare I say "sexy" eyes.
FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79 D 60-69 F 0-59
::: very :::