Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 54
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $10.00 MSRP
Today we take a look at the Coabey by Southern Classic Cigars.
There isn’t much info on their web site except for family background.
You can find a list of retailers on the Cucubano web site.
I want to thank SCC for sending me a nice sampler box of the four blends.
From Smoke Inn web site:
“To many cigar smokers, the name Southern Classic Cigars may not ring any bells. Which is understandable, as the brand operates in a very exclusive, ultra-boutique manner. Their factory, which is located in Estelí, Nicaragua, consists of a mere four cigar rollers! This, of course, limits production, which is a solid “plus” for cigar enthusiasts – allowing the utmost control over each cigar’s quality. But it is Cuban-born Juan Alberto Gomez-Pacheco that Southern Classic Cigars touts as their claim to fame. Training directly under “Cuban legend” Alejandro Robaina, Juan is a master in cigar blending and craftsmanship – he has poured his soul into each blend at Southern Classic Cigars.
“Southern Classic Cigars consists of four cigar lines, each focusing on different elements of traditions held by the native Taíno Indians of Cuba. Each cigar is blended in only one size, showing the optimum performance of the blend created by Master Blender Juan “Papito” Alberto Gomez-Pacheco. All blends are Nicaraguan, showing what can truly be accomplished when a classic Cuban approach is applied to the rich soils of Nicaragua.”
The line is made up of four blends: Cuey 6.25 x 58 ($12.00), Dujo 6.5 x 56 ($11.00), Coabey 6 x 54 ($10.00), and the Cucubano 5.5 x 52 ($8.00). These are all MSRP prices.
The cigars are very hard. They came to me soft and after dry boxing for 24 hours, I made them real men. Not a single soft spot anywhere.
The wrapper is extremely rustic looking. Visible seams. A lot of veins both big and small. The wrapper is a russet brown with some oil and very toothy. When the sun comes out, you’ll see that. The triple caps are nicely done.
I clip the cap and find aromas of spice, hay, floral notes, and wood.
Time to light up.
A nice sweet syrupy flavor emerges first. After that is a dose of black pepper. The draw is spot on. There is a very woody element at hand. And a bit of fruitiness.
A rich earthiness takes over. And this is what now makes the cigar extremely tasty.
I smoked one prior to the review and loved it. I want to thank the good folks at Southern Classic Cigars. If you visit the web site, it is called Cucubano Cigars (www.cucubanocigars.com).
After half an inch of smoking, the whole flavor profile shifted gears. “My God. Look at all those stars, Dave. It’s something wonderful!” Movie?
The new flavor profile: Spice, creaminess, coffee, cocoa, sweetness, fruit, wood, ginger, cinnamon, and leather. It went from 0-60 in 5 minutes. Slow for a hot rod but fast for a cigar blend.
Based on how packed the Coabey by Southern Classic Cigars is, this will be a 44,000 word review.
I have also smoked the Cucubano blend and found that to be an excellent cigar as well.
The burn line is near razor sharp as I hit the 1” smoked point.
I’m trying to identify the fruit but it has more of a tropical taste than say the usual suspects. A touch of mango and pineapple. I know, I know.
Some nuttiness enters. More like a cashew butter than just straight cashew. Whatever nut it is, it is like a sweet raw nut. Like me.
Very toasty, indeed, as well.
There are so many subtle flavors happening. My favorite cigar of the day is the first one during my review. My palate is fresh as a daisy. I can taste the subtlety that disappears slowly once I start chain smoking throughout the day and night.
The site stats on my blog allow me to see who is talking about me; especially in the forums. I am made fun of over my exuberance in describing the cornucopia of flavors I can taste “Everything is a flavor bomb to the Katman.”
The strength is medium+.
The second third begins.
The Coabey by Southern Classic Cigars is downright delicious now. I take a swig of my water and a multitude of flavors wash up on my palate. Especially, the sweetness factor.
I also have the Dujo and Cuey but have not tried them. They are monsters and need some serious humidor time.
I emailed the folks at SCC and asked where the sampler can be found. Or is it an event specialty? I will report back when I hear from them.
The price point. Ain’t cheap McGee. And no discounts. But this is truly a high premium boutique cigar. It stands apart from the CI drek. You know you’re smoking a blend that has been carefully designed and proven to work at the highest quality. So, in those terms, the Coabey by Southern Classic Cigars is worth every dime.
This blend is designed for the experienced, and sophisticated, palate. To garner all the goodies this blend has to offer, I highly recommend you make this the first cigar of the day.
For a Nic puro, it has none of the stereotypical flavors. Nice for a change. I hate repeating the same flavors over and over.
At this point of the cigar, it is the earthiness of the tobacco that really shines and dominates the flavor profile. This is a truly manly cigar. It is very Cuban-esque. No nonsense, straight ahead cigar.
The strength moves to medium/full.
There is some graham cracker now. The sawdust is long gone. The spiciness has gone on the wane. What’s left is creaminess, coffee, sweetness, fruit, wood, cinnamon, nutty, toasty, and that wonderful earthiness.
Construction has been right on the mark. A near perfect char line. Not a single wrapper issue. And the cap is as sturdy as all get out. And the ash manages to hang on for a good 1-1/2”.
I reach the halfway point.
I’ve invested an hour of smoke time.
This is an excellent complex blend. The Coabey by Southern Classic Cigars is a special stick. The complexity is rich and deep. It really does come very close to being a fine Cuban.
The char line needs its first minor touch up.
The last third begins.
We are now full bodied. And the nicotine kicks in.
It feels like an acid flashback. The screen is dancing in front of my eyes.
I cannot say enough good things about this blend. You must try it. I can’t vouch for the other three blends. But this baby is a must have.
If you know of a coupon code for Smoke Inn, please share it with the other readers.
The cable music channels changed. It’s like they brought in a sub-contractor. It’s called Stingray Music. And I don’t like the classic rock channel as much as the previous one. This one plays more metal and hard rock. Although, Cream’s “Badge” is playing right now. One of the most identifiable bass riffs in rock history. At gigs, between songs, I play “What song is this?” with the audience. I play a number of famous bass riffs. A lot of fun. I know a gazillion of them. The audiences really like it when I play Zep riffs.
The last third is the real sweet spot. Big flavors. Complex. Great balance. Long finish.
The creamy coffee element is off the charts.
We are full bodied plus now.
I have to admit I was skeptical when I saw the advertisement on Smoke Inn for this brand. I could find nothing about them. So I thought it might be just another boutique brand trying to make it. Since they are semi-expensive, I was leery about pulling the trigger. That’s when being a reviewer comes in handy. I contacted them and they sent me a nice sampler gratis.
I will be reviewing the Cucubano next. Really looking forward to this.
The Coabey by Southern Classic Cigars is worth a spot in your humidor.
And now for something completely different:
OK my nephews and nieces, I’m going to tell you about the 1960’s and the Sunset Strip.
I was there. And I stayed there until 1984 when it was time to grow up.
I got my driver’s license at 16. 1966.
My buddies and I headed up to the Sunset Strip every Friday and Saturday night.
We never took chicks. There were plenty there for the taking.
All the great clubs were mesmerizing: The Roxy, Whisky A Go Go, The Rainbow Bar & Grill, Gazzarri’s, and the Viper Room.
I played them all later.
The first thing you had to make sure you possessed before taking the 45 minute trip from Long Beach. It was nicely rolled doobs. Lots of them. And if you were lucky, you had some hash.
The streets were a sea of young people. Just hanging. Smoking weed. Talking. And going from one club to another to see the bands.
If you drove a couple miles up Sunset Blvd, you found yourself in Beverly Hills. And just as you hit that border, there was the infamous Playboy Club. A tall building with the bunny logo on it.
We mingled with all the great rock gods of the time. There was no division. People passed drugs around and you never questioned the source and always smoked them or popped them. Wild baby.
After a while, you saw the same people all the time. And you got to know the millions of people by their names and they knew you.
There were some really strange people. Dressed the Hippie fashion to the hilt. Everyone was stoned.
The cops sat there on their bikes and on the hoods of their cars. They just watched. The entire street smelled like weed but the cops would have had to bring in the National Guard to arrest everyone.
I saw every major rock band that was on the way up there. I’d list them but it would literally be a list of the major rock bands of the 60’s.
I met John Belushi and hung out. I met Alice Cooper and hung out. I met U2 and hung out.
In fact, I was at U2’s America debut at the Whisky. I had never heard of them. I stood in front of the tiny stage and listened. After 15 minutes, I told my buddy: “They’re nothing special. Every song sounds the same.”
Of course they became super stars but my opinion of them hasn’t changed.
I met Ray Manzarek of the Doors. We hung out at some small club upstairs. One band downstairs and another upstairs.
I saw Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble there. I saw Jimmie Vaughan and the Fabulous Thunderbirds there. And between sets, we sat with them. There were maybe 30 people upstairs.
They sat with us because they wanted to talk to Manzarek.
I met John Doe and Exene Cervenka. We got invited to their house just off the Strip. My buddy, Marshall Thomas (A radio DJ on KLOS), and I journeyed there together. We entered the house and were immediately disgusted. Plates of uneaten food were in 2 foot piles. The house stank. They were intense slobs. So we smoked a doob and said good bye.
In the early 80’s, my band The Attitude, played all the great clubs I listed earlier. They paid shit. But a lot of people were there. The clubs paid you a base pay and then gave you tickets to sell of which you got half. We did pretty well as we had a big following. Especially since “Hound Dog” was getting a lot of airplay.
I had gone from being an observer of the Strip to a player. We never got to play the Whiskey. My one regret. You had to be a big name to play there.
In the 60’s, there were lots of small stores lining the street. They all had alcoves at the entrance of the store. And every single one had some guy sitting there, smoking a doob, and selling pot in either joints or small bags. Right out in the open. Crazy.
Still in the 60’s, we used to go to the The Comedy Store. An improv group from San Francisco played there. And we went every weekend and sometimes during the week. Some our greatest comedians, and actors, started there: Rob Reiner, Howard Hesseman, Peter Bonerz, Barbara Bosson, and others too many to count.
They always had audience participation. Sometimes it was letting the audience come up with a subject. Other times, an audience member was brought up on the stage.
We were there so much that they members of the troupe knew us by name. I got to go onstage once.
I think I was very lucky to live only 45 minutes away from the Sunset Strip. It wasn’t Haight Ashbury. Better. And I did visit the Haight several times in the 60’s. Dirty place.
While getting to be an old man has a lot of drawbacks, the upside is the memories. Especially, the time of Peace, Love, and Understanding. It will never be repeated. And I got to be a part of it.
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS
Cigar Reviews by Phil 'Katman' Kohn 
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