Size: Lancero 7" x 38
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: MSRP ~$6.50
Initial Impression/Prelight
The Nicaraguan Habano wrapper was a nice middle brown color with hints of red and a nice oily sheen. The cigar had mostly tiny veins, but a few moderately large ones running up one side. If the whole cigar looked like the side you can see in the picture, it would have gotten pretty much a perfect score in the looks department. There was a leather aroma coming off the wrapper, and the prelight draw was somewhat too firm but produced interesting flavors of spicy pepper, anise, and a bit of sweetness.
I'd read a lot of good things about this cigar on Puff, so I was chomping at the bit to smoke this one despite the fact it's only been in the humidor for about 4-5 weeks at my preferred 65% humidity. Today I decided to give the Cain F a try due to the warm (60s) weather and a refreshing lack of wind. I drank a homemade holiday ale with the cigar.
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1st Third
Bam, I got a big spicy blast of red pepper right off the bat to go along with a distinct leather and some traces of wood and earthiness. I didn't get any of that prelight sweetness in the first inch or so, that's for sure. The ash consistently held for 3/4"-1". This section was strong, but not overpowering or clumsy.
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2nd Third
The red pepper and leather were still prevalent but balanced, along with a cedar note replacing the previously generic wood. A touch of subtle maple-syrupy sweetness did come through in this section - I had to strain a little to identify it and it wasn't a big flavor, but it complemented the spice and leather well. I had to give the cigar a quick relight right around the middle, and the smoke was slightly uneven through this section as well, with mostly average or better smoke but the occasional need to double-puff to get more than a subpar, thin mouthful. The Cain F to this point was full flavored and approaching full strength too.
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Final Third
I love it when I get to say a cigar saved the best for last. Smoke output picked up tremendously, and it began pouring off at a high rate for any vitola, let alone a lancero. Red pepper remained in the background, but intertwined with bread, bitter chocolate, and a really wonderful flavor that reminded me of those glazed or candied walnuts you might get at a fair or around the holidays. Again, that sweetness wasn't strong, but it was really good and played nicely with the other flavors. What was strong was the nicotine towards the end. Wow, I was glad I'd eaten recently.
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Overall Impressions
I tend to be more a fan of medium or medium-full cigars, but the Cain F strikes me as as a great example of what a full-bodied cigar can be. The flavors were powerful, but balanced, and I got a little nic hit without getting ill.
• I was a little worried about the ligero power, so I smoked this cigar after a pretty big lunch. The Cain website lists this cigar as being 82% ligero, which I guess is quite a bit.
• Speaking of, I also wondered about how this cigar would burn, given ligero leaf's reputation for less consistent combustion. It played like a champion, needing just that one relight and not a single touch-up for the entire length of it's very clean burn.
• If you don't already know, ligero leaves are the leaves taken from the top 'priming' of the tobacco plant. They receive the most sun, and are the last to be harvested. They tend to be thicker, oilier, and are noted for being more flavorful, spicy, and strong than the lower leaves of the same plant.
• One last bit on the ligero - I smoked this cigar for a solid 1 hour 40 minutes. Guess it burns slowly too, although the slightly tight draw for most of the cigar was probably a contributing factor.
• I've given out several of these in various trades like the MAW and the Noob Sampler Trades without having smoked one, which normally I don't do but felt justified in this case based on the reputation of the cigar. I hope those guys enjoy them as much as I did. And I hope the noobs smoke 'em sitting down
So this thing was no joke strength-wise, but in a good way. I enjoyed the balanced spiciness throughout the smoke, and the subtle sweetness really played well with the pepper. Not surprisingly, this cigar had also a nice long finish, and more than stood up to my beer.
I'm going to try to save a few for a long-term nap, like a few years, and see how they do. If you like strong yet balanced, with some subtleties and complexity, I think you'll get a kick out of the Cain F.
I ended up grabbing about 5-6 boxes of these because I believe they'll age well (before you think I'm crazy, remember they come in boxes of 10). I can easily recommend getting a box here.
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