Cigars - NUB Cigars

A cigar is judged by the enjoyment it provides. That enjoyment is defined by the quality of the ingredients, the craftsmanship in construction, and the form that blends those together. The NUb cigar is a study in cigar smoking enjoyment.

Starting with a fine Nicaraguan filler and binder, NUb creator Sam Leccia increased the ring gauge while decreasing the length of a typical cigar. Experimenting, he found that at around 4 inches in length, and between 58 and 66 rings, the “Nub” delivered almost instantaneous flavor upon ignition, yet smoked for a similar duration as other cigars that, at least visually, appear almost double the size.

The concept behind the NUb cigar was born in Sam Leccia's garage in late 2006. A long-time cigar smoker, Sam was well aware that as a cigar is smoked its flavor develops and matures. Due to Sam's natural impatience he wanted a high quality cigar that developed it's optimum flavor extremely quickly.

The first step was to determine what blending techniques would result in the flavors and smoking characteristics he was seeking. This process involved deconstructing and analyzing some of his favorite cigars and researching the aging and curing of the tobacco leaf. Early results did not meet his satisfaction. Back to the drawing board he went, however this time he began to focus on finding the appropriate ring gauge and length, as the blended filler was showing promise, yet needed refinement. Through trial and error, it became apparent that larger ring gauges provided a cooler burning, longer smoking cigar while accenting the flavors and smoking qualities of his uniquely blended filler.

During a meeting at their Nicaraguan plantation, the Oliva family also became convinced after sampling some of Sam's prototype "Nubs". They were on board. During this experimentation Sam found that some of his favorite wrappers responded very favorably to being “Nubbed”. The Connecticut, for instance, is traditionally a very mild smoke, but the stature and ring gauge of a Nub fills out the flavor, producing a far more creamy Connecticut than the usual fare. The Cameroon's nutty aroma, mixed with notes of coffee and cedar, produces a clear, well balanced smoke. The Habano wrapper is known for it's bold, complexity. The large ring gauge Nub softens the powerful spice, producing a unique and delicious version of this famous wrapper leaf.