Cigar Review: Cubanacan Habano Chato

Originally published at Tiki Bar Online

Chato (Petite Corona), 4.5” x 42 ring gauge / approx. $5.50

Back in April, I took a couple days to look at all of Tarazona’s cigar lines, including the recent releases named after their Nicaraguan factory: Cubanacan. Of the two wrapper varieties, I preferred the Habano to the Connecticut, but wished I could get one of the smaller vitolas for a review. That wish was granted a couple weeks later when Eddie Tarazona and his marketing chief, Lawrence, visited Burns. Lawrence slipped me this Petite Corona, which they call “Chato,” specifically because I had mentioned it in the review. So…thank you, Lawrence. To review, the Cubanacan Habano has Nicaraguan fillers, with Ecuadorian Habano binder and wrapper leaves. It is available in 5 sizes in boxes of 50.

This sample of the Cubanacan Habano didn’t seem as dark in color as the first one I had, which I described as “dark coffee with a touch of cream.” This had more than a touch of cream in the coffee…still a nice color. And the leaf was still quite oily to the touch. I got a note of sweet hay in the aroma from the wrapper; the foot was more earthy, but also had wood and cinnamon notes. The cold draw had more of that sweet hay, along with a bit of earth and cedar.

I lit up with the soft flame of a Djeep lighter…really a great way to go if you don’t have too much wind, to be honest. A soft flame is less likely to overheat the tobacco which can bring on some harsher flavors at the outset. This Cubanacan Habano started off with natural tobacco, cedar, earth, pepper spice and molasses sweetness. There was a sharper red pepper on the nose, too. Overall, a very, very nice beginning.

Shortly into the second third I noticed something different about this vitola from the Robusto I had smoked earlier. In the Robusto, the pepper spice faded fairly quickly and was almost gone by the second third. In this Chato, the spiciness continued and was actually a little more intense at this point. The mix of pepper, earth and molasses sweetness really balanced well, too. Construction-wise the cigar was great so far; the draw was perfect, the burn line was very even and the ash was never flaky.

The pepper spice declined a bit in the last third, but still held on, keeping the proceedings definitely interesting. Combined with the earthiness and sweetness, it was a delightful flavor profile. This Cubanacan Habano Chato is a little firecracker of a cigar that I didn’t want to end so soon. A box of 50 is a big investment, but I would definitely consider a “regular box” purchase of 20 or so to have them around whenever I wanted one. It clocked in at just under an hour of smoking enjoyment, had a medium to full body and was medium in nicotine strength. Great little smoke.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10