Nub Habano

I flew from O'hare to Philly for a business trip and decided to take a short detour to downtown Philly before continuing to my final destination of Atlantic City. My reason for the detour was to stop by the famous Holt's Cigar shop. Wow, what a treat! The store is basically a huge walk-in humidor. I was a kid in a candy shop. The staff were very friendly and helpful. After grabbing some pretty inexpensive cigars, in a bundle affectionately called "The Miser's Collection", I also picked up two other cigars I have been wanting to try. The Nub Habano and the Cain Habano, both about $5.00 a piece.

After paying I walked to the back of the store and entered the smoking lounge. I sat in a comfy overstuffed leather chair and lit up the Nub. I found it to be a perfect smoke. Smooth but full flavored. A nice buzz but not too much. I smoked the entire thing without something to drink, not even a water, and it was an enjoyable experience. That shows you how great a smoke this was.

From Cigars International:

Wrapper: Habano
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Experience: Rich tobacco influence with hints of nuts and bread. Smoky aftertaste.
Category: Medium to full in body

Nub started as a theory. Born in the Oliva factory, a cigar maker was hell-bent on proving he could capture the essence - the core - of a cigar’s flavor immediately upon lighting and throughout the duration of the smoke. Well, they nailed it.

Rather than wait for a cigar to develop and evolve, which typically occurs an inch to two inches in, the idea behind Nub was to specifically blend it to hit its sweet spot right off the bat and remain at its peak right through to the end. Each size is short and stout in stature. That’s by design - not for novelty - as blends and sizes were worked and re-worked a thousand ways from Sunday in order for Nub creator Sam Leccia and the Oliva family to capture the essence of each Nub blend. Anyone can create unusual shapes, each of the Nub blends and accompanying shapes was instead created to summon and deliver the blend’s sweet spot.

Habano - glossy, milk chocolate-brown wrapper. Rich tobacco core with a smoky aftertaste. Hints of peanuts are supported by a baked bread component. Spice through the nose. Medium to full-bodied with a rich, creamy character throughout.