Brand: Nub
Vitola: 464 Torpedo
Length: 4.00
Ring Gauge: 64
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Price: Around $7.00

Brand:
The Nub line of cigars is a creation of Sam Leccia, a former sales representative for the Oliva brand. In mid 2007 the idea of the Nub was pitched to the no nonsense Oliva Family and they were more than skeptical. After having smoked numerous samples the excitement began to grow on them and the line went into production.

Nub cigars are set to go live with numerous launch events starting in April. The man behind the blend, Sam, will be present for each launch event to speak with the attendees as well as roll some cigars to show what the Nub is all about.

Pre-Light:

Being my sixth Nub cigar, I am beginning to get very comfortable with the large ring gauge and short length of these cigars. They are now starting to feel more and more natural with each one that I smoke.

As I looked over my Nub 464 Habano the very first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful wrapper. The color was a deep reddish brown with a nice oily sheen which was consistent from head to foot. The maroon colored band on this stick really pops against the rich color of the wrapper leaf.

As I took a closer look I found the three turns of the wrapper leaf to be tight and almost invisible when held at arms length. When handled the cigar felt soft and smooth. The few veins that were present were very thin and could hardly be noticed when handled.

Once clipped I tested the cold draw and found it to be free with some resistance and very flavorful. I couldn’t place the flavors but I found them very enjoyable.

First Third:

After the toasting and lighting process I had my Nub 464 Torpedo evenly lit and producing lots of thick, flavorful smoke. The burn line was thin and even while producing a medium volume of resting smoke which was pleasantly aromatic.

The body starts off in the medium to medium-full range with a long and smooth finish. Each puff of the cigar seems to linger on the palate for a couple of minutes before fading. The base flavor is very reminiscent of the Oliva Serie V, but seems to be a little richer with a little more spice. When the smoke is passed through the sinuses I begin to pick up some faint wood flavors that quickly fade.

Second Third:

As I rounded the thirty five minute mark I found myself into the second third of my Nub Habano 464. Of all the examples smoked thus far, this one seems to have the fastest burn rate. In part, this may be due to the fact that I can’t leave it in the ashtray for more than a minute without picking it up to take a puff.

The body seems to be slowly creeping up the scale heading towards to the medium to full range. The finish is becoming a little heavier on the palate and lingers for a couple of minutes before fading, all while remaining smooth and easy to enjoy.

The base flavor is beginning to change up as I smoke further into the stick. The core component is a very deep and rich natural tobacco flavor with aftertastes of oak and caramel. The overall complexity of the smoke is very appealing. Just as my previous examples, the complexity doesn’t take any time at all to kick in, then continues to grow as the cigar burns.

Final Third:

As I rounded the one hour and twenty minute mark, I found myself deep into the final third of my Nub Habano 464 Torpedo. Up until this point I have only had to ash the cigar one time. As the ash plopped into the ashtray it held together in one solid hunk. As the ash began to re-develop on the foot of the cigar is was once again very firm and compacted. The resting smoke remained about medium in terms of volume and still produced a nice aromatic room aroma.

The burn line remained thin and evened itself out quite a bit. The draw remained good with little resistance and produced a large volume of cool, flavorful smoke.

The body continued to slowly but surely climb and platued in the low full spectrum. The finish has become a touch dry but remains smooth. The base flavor remains that of a rich natural tobacco flavor with aftertastes of oak and caramel. The flavors steadily become more and more complex as the cigar gets shorter and tend to linger on the palate for a couple of minutes before quickly fading.

My Thoughts:
Overall I think that the Nub Habano 464 Torpedo was a fantastic smoke. From start to finish it delivers rich, complex flavors that never fail to please. This may be, in part, due to the torpedo head. It really targets the flavors in just the right place to deliver flavor.

Of all the Nub blends I think this would be best suited in the early evening and would certainly not get lost in the cigars smoked previous to it. A very good day would start off with a Nub Connecticut in the morning, Nub Cameroon in the Afternoon, and this Nub Habano to round out the evening.

Happy Smoking