Cigar Review: Hubbard Cigar Connecticut Toro – Rated 95

I am not sure how many of you have heard of Rodney and Tamika Hubbard, owners of RS Hubbard Tobacco, based out of St. Louis, MO. The brother-sister team has been producing cigars, under their brand name, for just over 3 years now. They are not new to the cigar culture, having smoked cigars for over 10 years and being around them all their life as their father smoked cigars too.

Rodney, who is a Political Lobbyist, moved all around and offered to blend cigars for others but he learned that those he blended for did not have the same passion as he did. Through the process, Rodney moved in the right circles and once he made up his mind to produce his own cigar, he called on his friends in Nicaragua to work with him and blend his first production cigar, the RS Hubbard Connecticut.

The blend chosen for this flavorful Connecticut was carefully chosen with the team at Tabacaleras Carreras, the home of Esteban Carreras Cigars. The blend is described as:

• Wrapper – Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
• Binder – Nicaragua (Jalapa)
• Filler – Nicaraguan
  • Seco (Estelí)
  • Viso (Jalapa)
  • Ligero (Condega)

The team decided to produce 3 popular vitolas:

• The Machine – Robusto (5 x 50) MSRP $10.00
• The General – Toro (6 x 50) MSRP $12.00
• The Ward Boss (6 x 60) MSRP $14.00

I met Rodney last year while on a business trip to the St. Louis area. I found my way into the Charles P. Stanley Cigar Company and sitting across from me was Rodney. We got into a friendly conversation which led into sharing stories and that is when I learned about his cigars and his company. Rodney presented me some of his craft to review on Stogie Press and today I offer you a review of the RS Hubbard “The General” which is named for his Father.

According to the the company’s website:

“The General is the name given to the father of Hubbard Family Tobacco for his style of leadership in the neighborhood in which the family lived. ‘The General’ is known for his tough love and undying service to the women and children of the community.”

RS Hubbard

In case you are wondering, “The Machine” (robusto) is named for the essence of the company itself:

“With a background in politics, the Hubbard Family Tobacco owner describes his team as a political apparatus consisting of gears, pulleys, and levels that tirelessly works to deliver results to the like-minded, socially conscious constitutes that it serves.  He affectionately refers to this system as ‘The Machine’. “

RS Hubbard

I should also note that RS Hubbard has a Maduro line which I hope to be reviewing in the next month. That blend is described as really special and is something he worked on with Cedric the Entertainer, but I will get into that in its own review.

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Pre-Light Examination

The RS Hubbard “The General” is a silky smooth, dark tan cigar that has a slight tinge of orange hue. There is a decent oily sheen to the cigar, especially when held in the light and there is a light tooth along the barrel. Just a few veins run through the wrapper and it is solidly packed and heavy in the hand. It is finished with a well applied cap secured with a thick band of leaf to secure it in place.

There are two bands that adorn and brand this cigar. The primary band uses a black, gold, and white motif with the company logo in gold and the word “HUBBARD” boldly printed in white below. The secondary footer band uses a black and copper satin band to complete the presentation.

Running the cigar along the nose I picked up a natural tobacco sweetness along the barrel and hints of nut and fruit off the foot with a touch of earthiness. It is said the leaf used in this has been aged 8 years and that certainly shows in the delicate aromas on the pre-light.

I sliced the cap using my double blade cutter and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs. The cold draw was snug and offered light, red pepper notes that warmed the inside of the palate.

As with all reviews, it was time to burn it to ash. I warmed the foot with my double flame torch to bring it to an even orange glow as I drew in the first pepper laden puffs of smoke. For this review I sampled two of the RS Hubbard “The General” cigars.

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Cigar Review Notes

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Cigar Review Notes

• Peppery start
• Dense, light grey ash, rests on a thick char line
• Pepper tones down well and a buttery note enters
• Nut and a hint of fruit enters to round out the early profile
• Ash is holding tight
• Mild floral aroma wafts off the foot
• Slight off burn develops that eventually corrects
• Flavors maintain into the second third
• Sweetness enters deep in the second third
• Ash fell with a perfect cone
• Light spice enters
• Cedar nuances find their way into the profile near the end of the second third
• Spice increases through the final third with nuances of fruit
• Mild to Medium in Strength
• Total Smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes

Overall, the RS Hubbard “The General” was a perfect cigar to start the morning and pair with a cup of coffee. The flavors were well balanced and transitions were smooth and flavorful. There was a slight wave in the burn from a construction perspective but never needed a touch up. This is certainly worth picking up a fiver to add to your rotation when you are in the mood for a flavorful conny. I rate this a 95.

Point Deductions: (-1) Slight Off Burn

Speaking to Rodney, he told me they have been getting a fine reception of the line in general, and are now located in areas like Orlando, Maryland, New Orleans, Texas, St. Louis, and Chicago. One of the first to pick the line up was Corona Cigars in Orlando, FL.