Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 Connecticut Cigar Review

Last week I talked about the Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 Maduro which  was a delight to smoke with enticing nuances of flavor and aromas. Today I would like to introduce you to the lighter shade the Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 line – the Connecticut version.

The Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 Connecticut sports the same binder and filler as the maduro variety but uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper to tie it all together. As the Cubanacan website notes:

“As long as there have been people, there have been stories. From the stories told in paintings on ancient caves to the family stories shared around the table, stories make up our history and guide our traditions. Cubanacan cigars embraces not only tradition, but strives to tell our story in every cigar.”

So let me tell my story of this enjoyable blonde as I take her from exam to ash. To start with, the  Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 Connecticut has a blend that is described as:

• Wrapper – Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
• Binder – Ecuador
• Filler – Nicaragua

Like it’s darker sibling, the Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 Connecticut is available in 5 vitolas and comes packaged in 20-count boxes using the same outer cardboard box that is sealed with the Cubanacan and Nicaragua seals.

• Toro –  6 X 50 ($8.78)
• Rothchilds – 5 X 50 ($8.28)
• Piramide – 6 ⅛ X 52
• Gordo – 6 X 60
• Churchill – 7 X 50 ($9,22)

For this review, I sampled the Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserva 2016 Connecticut Toro. Pricing is from Thomspon Cigar which offers a decent discount by the box and you may note the pricing is the same for the Connecticut as with the Maduro.

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Pre-Light Examination

The Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserve 2016 Connecticut has a golden tan Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper with a few veins and is finished with a closed foot and triple cap.

The cigar is adorned with the same band that is used on the maduro, with the Cubanacan logo centered in red on a brown background. The words “Gran Reserva” along the top and “Totalmente Hecho A Mano” on the bottom. The word “Heritage” is printed numerous times across the bottom.

I ran it across the nasals and was greeted with a sweet and spicy aroma on both the barrel and closed foot.

I used a punch to open this one up and got a nice restriction to start with red cayenne pepper hitting my lips and tongue blended with a light natural sweetness. The pre-light profile was certainly different from that of the maduro.

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Cigar Review Notes

• Initial puffs offer a nice dose of peppery spice especially on the retro-hale
• Some sweetness and earth hides in the back ground
• Hint of nut joins the profile to get the palate moving along
• Medium grey flaky ash rests on a medium to thick char line
• There is a long and lingering spice component on the tongue
• Bitter and sweet notes combine to complete the early profile
• Well balanced notes after an inch plus
• Orange citrus enters
• Ash flake disappears and is more solid (the closed foot can cause that early flaky ash)
• Ash fell nice revealing a well centered burn cone
• Flavors stayed pretty much consistent into the second third
• Sweet nut (not quite almond – possibly cashew) enters midway through the second third
• Citrus moving back in the final
• Strength is high medium for a Connecticut
• Total Smoking Time was one hour and forty minutes

Overall, the Cubanacan Heritage Gran Reserve 2016 Connecticut was a rich and consistent Connecticut that had just a tinge of bitterness at the start.  The notes of orange and nut were nicely balanced with the long spicy finish through the pristine burn. The strength slowly ratchets up but meets a peak in the high medium range. This is a cigar I could enjoy anytime of the day but may still want to have something to eat before.