Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration

Last August, the cigar world was shaken by news that Carlos Fuente Sr. had passed away, leaving behind a cigar company with an amazing legacy of success. However, before he died, he reportedly dictated the blend of a new cigar to the factory over the phone.

That cigar turned out to be the Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration, a 6 1/8 x 47 corona gorda that was shown off at last year’s IPCPR Convention & Trade Show. While it shares a name with four other vitolas that were introduced in 2014—Doble Cinco (5 x 50), Doble Cuatro (4 1/2 x 54), Doble Seis (6 x 52) and Doble Tres (5 1/2 x 44)—the newest incarnation was said to be a new blend, albeit with no specific information supplied by the company.

This version was packaged boxes of 30, and was part of Fuente’s specials at the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, which are distributed to retailers depending on how much product they purchased at the show. As with the Don Carlos Eye of the Shark, Don Carlos Personal Reserve, Fuente Fuente OpusX Rosado Oscuro, Short Story Maduro and Fuente Fuente OpusX 20th Anniversary, the new Casa Cuba was not able to be purchased individually.

This is what I said in my original review back in December 2016:

Having smoked a few different vitolas of the original Casa Cuba blend in the past, I was wondering how the new version would stack up. Turns out, the profile on the new incarnation is better in just about every way, both rich and delicate with an ever-present combination of creaminess, pepper and sweetness that really sets off the rest of the flavors that are present. In addition, the construction was excellent overall, and the amount of strength was perfectly suited to the blend. Whatever they changed in the new Casa Cuba is a very, very good thing, and it is a cigar I will be smoking again.

• Cigar Reviewed: Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia
• Wrapper: n/a
• Binder: n/a
• Filler: n/a
• Length: 6 1/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 47
• Vitola: Corona Gorda
• MSRP: $8.99 (Boxes of 30, $269.70)
• Release Date: 2016
• Number of Cigars Released: n/a
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Redux: 1

As with the samples in my first review, the Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration is covered in an almost shockingly pale greenish-gold wrapper that is fairly smooth to the touch, although this particular example is lacking any noticeable oil. There are a few obvious veins running up and down the length of the cigar, and and I can also see a slight box-press. Aroma from the wrapper is a combination of hay, sweet milk chocolate, manure, bitter coffee, sawdust, oak and leather, while the cold draw brings flavors of aromatic oak, slight white pepper, floral, leather, chocolate nibs and slight vanilla sweetness.

The Divine Inspiration starts out immediately with a dominant combination of flavors, including some insanely creamy oak and cocoa nibs, followed closely by other notes of roasted espresso beans, leather, cream, milk chocolate and earth. There is a noticeable amount of spice on my lips that is present until the end of the first third, where it disappears almost suddenly and I am also detecting a bit of white pepper on the retrohale that is sticking around. There is also a significant amount of marshmallow sweetness on the finish that sticks around for the entire cigar, while the second half adds an obvious floral note on the retrohale that continues to make itself known until the end.

Construction-wise, the Casa Cuba Divine Inspiration has no major issues whatsoever, with a burn line that—while not razor sharp by any means—does not need to be touched up once during the entire smoke, and a draw that gives me just the right amount resistance after a simple straight cut. The smoke production is thick and billowy off of the foot, and while the overall strength starts at a spot closer to mild than medium, it ends solidly in the medium range by the time I put the nub down with less than an inch to go.