NUB Habano 460

A buddy of mine in Michigan turned me on to the NUB line of cigars sort of out of necessity. I was planning a Christmas party (2009) for a group of guys that work in one of my companies, and I wanted a decent "cheap" cigar to share with them. He and I talk routinely about different cigars we have enjoyed, and he went as far as to start an online cigar shop called Motor City Cigars and he had just added the NUB line to his inventory.

He sent me down a box of NUB Cameroon 466 Box Pressed Torpedos to share with my employees, and I was immediately impressed with the flavor, the experience and the price point. I immediately became excited to try some of the other offerings within the NUB lineup, and on my next shipment a NUB Habano found its way into my smoking rotation.

It was a cold, cold January afternoon, and since I don't smoke in the house, my garage had become the de facto "man cave" for the winter months when me and friends wanted to have a cigar, but still stay warm. I remember lighting up and immediately being impressed by the flavor profile of this little cigar. Now I say little sort of tongue in cheek, as with a 60 ring gauge this is not a thin cigar, but at only 4 inches long it certainly packs a lot of tobacco into a small package.

I was sipping on a bottle of Woodchuck Hard Cider, a beverage I like to drink while smoking cigars, and the immediate flavors emanating from the cigar suggest a buttery oak flavor. Once past the initial lighting a seductive leather flavor resides on the palate and the finish hints at overtones of dark cherry.

Without a doubt I believe, the drink you pair your cigar with adds to and enhances the flavor of the smoke, and the Woodchuck I was drinking I find really gives the cigar smoke a chance to develop on the palate without overshadowing the flavor the cigar brings to the party.

Needless to say this NUB Habano along with about 12 others have found their way from humidor to ashtray this year, and it has turned into a cigar that I recommend to even a novice as the overall start, middle and finish of the cigar is excellent.

As a side note here, a NUB can be smoked for the better part of an hour, my personal best is 43 minutes however there are stories circulating on the internet of these 4 inch cigars going over an hour in length. Prior to trying any of the NUB's I was skeptical - this is really one of those you have to try it to believe it scenarios. Of course, what's so bad about that? Now you have the perfect excuse to try a NUB, and check back in and tell me if you don't become a believer as well.