Casa Cuevas Connecticut Robusto

Casa Cuevas Cigars is a relatively new brand in the market, stemming from the not-so-new Tabacalera Las Lavas factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Las Lavas is managed by Luis Cuevas Sr. and Luis Jr., a fourth-generation tobacco family that traces its roots back to the 19th century in Pinar del Río, Cuba.

And while the Cuevas family are historically known for their factory—producing cigars for Gurkha, Toraño, Leccia, Cigars International, and more—they have since delved into the arena of marketing and distributing their own brand of premium cigars. Casa Cuevas debuted with a straightforward collection of three blends: Connecticut (mild/medium in body), Habano (medium/medium-plus in body), and Maduro (medium in body).

Casa Cuevas Connecticut Robusto Breakdown

Casa Cuevas began building a presence in 2016, eventually making their official debut in the spring of 2017. Shortly after introducing the initial run of Casa Cuevas cigars, the company hired Gabriel Alvarez as their Director of Sales. Gabriel has an impressive resume with introducing new and/or foreign brands to the U.S. market (most recently working with Kuuts and Maya Selva) and was quick to usher in an overhauled presence for the company, including bold and modernized branding for the full lineup of Casa Cuevas cigars.

The Connecticut blend is the most mild offering in the Casa Cuevas portfolio, using an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and fillers of Nicaragua and the DR. The cigars are available in three sizes: Robusto (5″ x 52 | $6.90), Toro (6″ x 50 | $7.30) and Gordo (6″ x 60 | $8.10).

Appearance

The look is straightforward, with each cigar in the collection using the same basic band, swapping the background color to distinguish each blend from one another. While the original design seemed to borrow a little too heavily from the Casa Fuente house blend, the updated look shows a nice blend of classic and modern influences. The appearance is simple, but perhaps bold enough to stand out in a humidor; with this, the Connecticut, being the most attractive of the three blends, in my opinion.

The wrapper has a golden hue, perhaps a shade or two darker than the archetypal example of a Connecticut wrapper. There are very light veins and near-invisible seams, providing a velvety texture. The cigar is bunched just under medium in density, showing a uniform springiness from head to toe. It’s an impressive specimen, judging from looks alone.

There are light, slightly sour/tangy aromas of barnyard, vegetation, and a classic Cubanesque musk (the primary note) on the wrapper. The foot reveals less than the wrapper, showing only light and papery aromas and a touch of flowers. With a pre-light draw there are added notes of cedar and tea, but it is primarily a sum of the aforementioned aromas.

Smoking Experience

Casa Cuevas Connecticut lights up with a dense profile not expected from its mild build. There are notes of cedar, charred nuts, vanilla (a background note), and sawdust on the finish. Allowing the cigar to compose itself, the first third expands to include flavors of butterscotch, barnyard hay, sweet tea, and even an unexpected Scotch-like peatiness.

The cigar shows a slightly firm draw (around 7.5/10 on the resistance scale), though it isn’t exactly bothersome. This produces less than ideal smoke output, sometimes requiring double puffs to keep the cigar “in gear.” However, the cigar burns quite well, building over two inches of semi-flakey ash at a time. Overall, the cigar offers a medium flavor, mild strength, and medium body throughout the first third.

Building on the cigar’s impressive start, CC Connecticut adds notes of wheat and butter to the core flavor profile. This is joined by background complexities of vanilla and caramel candy, giving a smooth and chalky texture on the tongue. As (somewhat) expected, there is little to be found in the way of spice, with perhaps an occasional dose of nutmeg or white pepper in the fold.

The cigar progresses with an overall bright profile of citrus, floral elements, and tang. Approaching the final moments, spices do eventually emerge, with sage leading the charge and various “Christmas store” aromas following in a similar vein. Enjoyable flavors continue to the cigar’s final moments, never showing any signs of harsh or tarry tendencies.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Yes, I certainly would. Casa Cuevas Connecticut is on the mild side, sure, but it certainly doesn’t deserve to be lumped into the old-school classification of what a Connecticut ought to be. The blend is flavor-forward and provides a host of enjoyable flavors—including a steady progression—from start to finish. I’d smoke this at any point from morning right up until dinner. Taking the price into account, I could see myself smoking this on a weekly basis.

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