Curivari Reserva Limitada Cafe Noir 56

Purchased: 6 X 56 Box-Pressed (5-Pack)
Price: $39.95
Store CigarPlace.biz
Buy Again: Oh yeah!
Box Worthy: Yes

I first discovered these at my local B&M who keeps these and other Curivari sticks in stock; I think for a particular patron who doesn’t seem to smoke anything but these when I see him at the shop. I once tried to strike up a conversation with him to find out why he likes Curivari, but his one or two word answers kind of killed my attempts at conversation. Not that he’s a dick, he’s just quiet, and I’ve observed that he doesn’t say much even with people he knows well at the shop.

So, out of curiosity, I purchased a couple months and months ago at the shop, but didn’t come away impressed. But that probably had to do with my taste buds being killed from smoking stronger sticks. Also, I had no idea what stick I was smoking. I just reached into the box and grabbed a stick.

But after reading Katman’s reviews of pretty much the entire Curivari line, I became intrigued and finally decided to give Curivari an honest try. So, I purchased 5ers of the Gloria de Leon Prominente, Buenaventura 550, and this Reserva Limitada Cafe Noir 56. And after smoking the Cafe Noir, I’m kicking myself for not taking a more serious look at Curivari sooner! Oh well… There are so many brands out there, I love the variety!

As for the Cafe Noir, it’s hard to not use too many superlatives when talking about this smoke. From the construction to the draw to the flavors it emits, this is a cigar that I will have in my regular rotation. At just shy of eight bucks a stick, it’s a no-brainer! But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Honestly, I was going to let my sticks settle for a month or so after I got them. But when I removed them from their nicely packed Ziploc bags, it appeared that the wrappers on all the cigars were yellow. A closer inspection revealed that they were indeed stained which means two things to me: 1. The sticks had plenty of box aging and; 2. The stock doesn’t move that much which in turn means that when I buy more of these – and I will today – I’ll get nicely box-aged sticks! Yowza!

So, with all that box aging in mind, I decided to smoke one a day after I received them. Now you might think I’m crazy for doing this, but all the 5ers came in tighly packed Ziploc bags that included a 69% Boveda, so I wasn’t worried about the cigars dehumidifying in transit. For that, I’d like to thank Cigar Place for the extra care they took in shipping. I will definitely be a repeat customer! Back to the stick…

This is a beautiful cigar. The wrapper is smooth with just a few small veins showing. It’s also solid, but it’s lighter in weight that one would expect from such a solid-feeling cigar. Punching the cap and taking a cold draw, I noticed that the draw was very Padron-like. Super-easy and light. Achieving that while maintaining a solid construction I imagine takes quite a bit of skill.

At light up, I was expecting the classic Nic puro blast of pepper. But there wasn’t any. Seriously, there was no pepper! In its place were sweet, roasted nuts, cedar, dark honey, and espresso. This lasted through the first third with a hint of ripe raspberry and cacao added to the mix.

By the second third, the flavors still remained but became a shifting palate that kept me guessing with every puff: Complexity at its best! A slight twinge of red pepper spice started showing up on the finish that provides bit of exciting heat on the roof of my mouth. It’s wonderful!

Into the final third (where I am right now as I smoke this), the tars have built up and the smoke becomes thick and chewy. Smoke production is incredible considering the light draw. The spiciness on the finish is still there but its effect doesn’t come into play until 15-20 seconds after a draw. That’s pretty amazing. What’s also amazing is that unlike many other Nic puros I’ve had, there hasn’t been a hint of cream. This cigar has managed to provide a plethora of flavors combined with strength and not gotten creamy whatsoever.

Interestingly enough, as I get more into the final third, all that sweetness that I experienced in the first two thirds is gone. The red pepper spice has now moved to the tip of my tongue. Espresso and bitter cacao are the predominant flavors, and the mouthfeel of the smoke has taken on an almost astringent quality. Fuck! I’m flipping out! There’s so much going on!

As far as strength is concerned, the cigar established itself at medium strength from light-up and stayed that way through the first half, when it turned the strength to almost medium+, but not quite. Nicotine picked up in the final third, but not so much that I’m seeing double. It’s a pleasant buzz.

This is a cigar for the ages. And Katman was right when he said that this a cigar for the afficionado. It’s complex with tons of transitions – bold and subtle – throughout the smoke; things that might easily be missed by an inexperienced palate. That is not to say that a newbie wouldn’t appreciate this cigar, but they might just dismiss it as just a good cigar at a reasonable price.

A stick this inexpensive has no right to be this good if we’re following convention. But it is THAT good. I have this saying that I’ve used with guitar gear: Good is good, no matter what price you pay. And as I’ve learned over the years, you just don’t have to pay that much for quality, and anyone who tells you that you have to pay oodles and oodle of money to get good quality is full of shit. This cigar is one of the best cigars I’ve had in a long time. Period. Time to get a couple of boxes! They’re only $75.95 for a box of ten at CigarPlace.biz.