Kuuts is a cigar company that not many know of, but it was started by a group of cigar lovers from Spain over 15 years ago. In 2013 they attended IPCPR as a manufacturer for the first time and they made a bit of a splash when they hired John Gonzalez to oversee American operations. John Gonzalez was the Director of Sales for My Father Cigars prior to his Kuuts hiring.
Kuuts cigars are manufactured in the Danli region of Honduras at their own factory, Compañia Hondureña de Tabacos. The factory has the capability of manufacturing 6 million cigars a year and has 98 pairs of rollers.
When I lived in Miami I got to smoke today’s cigar in various stages of the blending process do to my friendship with Mr. Gonzalez so I am curious to see which cigar was the final choice. The Kuuts Nicaragua made its debut at IPCPR 2014 and shipper shortly thereafter.
Cigar: Kuuts Nicaragua
Size: 6 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Source: Gifted by John Gonzalez
The Look: The Kuuts Nicaragua features a medium brown wrapper of exceptional quality with only a very thin network of veins visible on a roll that is close to being seamless. The band of black and copper almost has an Aztec feel about it with the tribal style Indian smoking a cigar. To the left and right of the logo are the words Nicaraguan Blend. In the hand the cigar is firm with a nice weight to it.
The Notes: The foot of the cigar reminds me of a ritz cracker with a sweetness as well that is intriguing as I can’t quite put my finger on it. Once the cap is clipped the cold draw reminds me a bit of oats that borders the taste of Cheerios and a damp barn. After the cigar is toasted and lit the initial notes aren’t what I would expect from a Nicaraguan cigar as there isn’t a lot of spice present on the palate and the retrohale.
Smoking into the first third the Kuuts Nicaragua there is some nutmeg notes with graham crackers and a truly enjoyable aroma but the notes aren’t strong and they are easily lost in the cigar itself which gets off to a very slow start.
As we breach the second third and I knock the ash off in an attempt to change-up how the cigar smokes. The spice kicks it up a notch but it is still well below what we expect a Nicaraguan to be. There are notes of baking spices that remind me a little bit of gingerbread, cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg which changes the experience up considerably.
In the last third of the Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend the cigar loses some of its easily identifiable notes but still remains enjoyable. There are notes of coffee and earth with a bit more spice then the first two-thirds but the cigar still remains medium bodied. The cigar has a nice vanilla finish.
The Burn: The draw on the Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend was perfect with a slight resistance. In the first third despite resting in my humidor for over 2 months the cigar needed to be touched up before burning to specs the rest of the way. The light color ash was strong and held for each third of the cigar when I chose to knock it off with a gentle roll in the ashtray. The burn line was slightly thicker then I would like to see in a cigar, but it was acceptable.
The Finish: The Nicaraguan Blend from Kuuts was a bit of a roller coaster. There were moments of greatness that at times were overshadowed by moments of mediocrity. As much as I wanted to love this smoke because of the people involved with the company there wasn’t really a lot to hold on in terms of it being a memorable smoke. The price tag makes it something I would pick up from time to time if I in the mood for a milder Nicaraguan cigar even though at times it comes off as Honduran.
Score: 88
Price: $6.10
Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend
Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend Foot
Kuuts Nicaraguan Blend Burn
