Cain Connecticut Cigar Review

At Bespoke Unit, we enjoyed discovering the range of Studio Tobac’s Cain Cigars that are made from just ligero leaf. Therefore, we were quite excited to hear about the Cain Connecticut!

In this article, you will discover the Cain Connecticut CT as we review it according to the following considerations:

You can use the links above to jump ahead or scroll down to learn more.

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Overview

  • Brand: Oliva
  • Range: Cain Connecticut
  • Reviewed Vitolas: 6 x 50 Toro
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero
  • Factory: Tabacalera Oliva de Nicaragua S.A. (Tabilosa)
  • Handmade: Yes
  • Body: Mild – Medium
  • Estimated Smoking Time: 75  Minutes
  • Pricing: $8 / Single [Shop On CigarPage]

The Cain Connecticut CT was quietly released in late 2018 by Oliva’s Studio Tobac. Unlike other Cain blends, it’s only available as a 5 x 50 robusto or 6 x 50 toro. Meanwhile, previous releases were usually released as 4 x 60 gorditos or 6 x 60 gordos, which was part of the identity it shared with Nub Cigars.

Cain Connecticut Look & Feel

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Cain Connecticut CT Look & Feel

Cain Connecticut Cigar & Box

  • Wrapper Hue: Espresso Crema
  • Rolling Consistency: Mostly Straight
  • Spring: Slightly Soft
  • Aromas: Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Hay

The first thing you’ll notice is that the Cain Connecticut has a very slender and smooth wrapper, which has a pale espresso crema hue. It has a rich sheen of oils, which is quite promising.

There is the band at the foot, which I’ll talk about later. The veins are also quite refined. The roll is straight overall, but you might get a couple of soft spots, and it’s also quite soft to the touch.

Indeed, I didn’t find that the spring was overly firm on this cigar. As for the foot’s aromas, it offers butterscotch, cinnamon, and hay.

Cain Connecticut CT Review

Cain Connecticut First Third

As I had a whole box for the review, it was stored in a Boveda bag inside an airtight coolidor for three weeks to simulate the same environment of the usual Boveda acrylic humidor. To ensure consistency, I used 320g Boveda 69% packs to maintain the humidity and it was closely monitored with a Boveda Butler.

Pre-Lighting Experience

  • Draw: Mild Resistance
  • Aromas: Salted Caramel, Cinnamon, Benzoin

The softness didn’t affect the draw. In fact, the draw is perfect on the pre-light, and it delivered a full bouquet of aromas. Its initial flavours consisted of salted caramel, cinnamon again, and resinous benzoin, which offered a hint of vanilla.

1st Third Smoking Experience

  • Notes: Butterscotch, Sautéed Lemon, Acetone

The first third opens with a tableau of flavour. It first delivers butterscotch, as was experienced on the foot of this cigar beforehand, as well as sautéed lemon.

Indeed, this cigar is very zesty, quite sweet and caramelized, and there’s an intriguing, slightly acetone solvency in the flavor of the cigar, especially in the first third’s retrohale.

I thought that to be quite curious. It wasn’t quite reminiscent of nail polish per se, but instead came across as both boozy and fruity.

2nd Third Smoking Experience

Cain Connecticut Second Third

  • Notes: Birch Wood, Brandy Butter, Chargrilled Thyme

It struck me that the acetone and butterscotch had combined to create a boozy brandy butter accord by the second third, which was more pleasant.

Birchwood followed shortly after, which was fragrant and quite gentle on the palate. Meanwhile, the retrohale revealed the aromatic presence of chargrilled thyme. I would even go as far as likening it to lemon thyme, given that this is quite a zesty cigar all the way down.

Final Third Smoking Experience

  • Notes: Molasses, Hickory, White Pepper

The woodiness more or less subsided by the final third and gave way to molasses, which produced a syrupy and sugary profile. There was also a hint of hickory, especially in its drinkable form. The hickory was aromatic and mildly spicy, which married well with the white pepper on the retrohale.

To say that this is a straight ligero cigar, it wasn’t at all overwhelming. It did build in body, but it never got past the medium point. Indeed, it stays relatively consistent all the way down. However, this isn’t the most complex cigar of the Cain range.

For instance, the Cain Daytona offers a rich expression of caramelised notes after it has been properly aged. Meanwhile, the Cain Habano is enticing even right out of the box.

In terms of mouthfeel though, it was velvety and smooth. It was very pleasant on the palate. Its astringency and stimulation are both rather balanced. It didn’t provide too much salivation nor did it dry the palette, and the stimulation seemed to be around the centre of the tongue, without focusing in too much.

As for the lifecycle of this cigar, it feels somewhat linear. While there are some discernible notes that change and evolve throughout the experience, they did seem to be more of the same. There were no great changes or unexpected evolutions that really added some interest through the smoking experience.

And as for the finish, I find it to be quite brief and the flavours will more or less leave your palette, but the residual scent in the room is quite pleasant. It’s quite fragrant

There is a slight hint of acetone, which isn’t overly alluring, but it does have an overall pleasant character before it subsides entirely. And it does dissipate quite soon.

Overall Burn

Cain Connecticut Final Third

  • Ash Backbone: Strong
  • Burn Angle: Straight
  • Temperature: Cool
  • Draw: Mild Resistance
  • Final Smoking Time: 80 Minutes

The cigar’s burn and combustion do get full marks, though. Like other Cain and Nub cigars, it’s very well constructed.

The draw is consistent all the way through. Despite being a little bit soft, it delivers just the right amount of resistance that you want. The temperature is nice and cool.

While there is a touch of waviness in the burn line, it remains slight and doesn’t require any touch-ups whatsoever. And the ash backbone, as is the case with a lot of Nub or Cain cigars, is very strong, but perhaps not as strong as some of the previous instalments in the lineup.

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Overall Experience

Cain Connecticut Cigar Box

Like all Cain cigars, the bands are on the foot. While some people don’t mind it, I’m personally not a fan. I don’t mind a secondary band on the foot, which can help protect the cigar. However, I prefer having the choice of some ornamentation while I smoke the cigar.

What I usually do is actually remove the band from the foot and slide it back down from the head. Yet, this isn’t always very successful. Occasionally, the bad is too tight and you can potentially damage the cigar.

In this case, I chose a cigar where the band wasn’t too tight for illustrative purposes in the review. Additionally, the band’s design feels like an afterthought. While the other Cain blends have very stylised and detailed bands, the Connecticut’s one is comparatively quite plain.

The same can be said for the box. Previous Cain blends featured branded and etched details, colourful stickers, and a custom seal of authenticity. Meanwhile, the Cain Connecticut box is of the same design but the branding is laser printed and it just has a regular seal of authenticity without any additional details.

As for the value of the cigar, though, it presents potentially great bang for your buck. Although seemingly only available through Holt’s, The RRP for a single is just $8. However, it’s cheaper when you buy a box of 20.

At the time of writing this review, the box is also on sale and you can buy the box for just $70, which comes at $3.50 a cigar!

Overall, I wouldn’t consider the Cain Connecticut to be an extremely versatile cigar. However, it’s very beginner-friendly. Indeed, it would be a good step up for people who have only tried a few mild cigars given the use of just ligero leaf.

Therefore, it’s great for taking to events like weddings, where lots of people may try a cigar, especially given the sale prince. You’ll be able to dish them out without hurting your wallet too much.

Pairing Recommendations With Cain Connecticut CT Cigar

Cain Connecticut Cigar & Limoncello

First of all, in terms of food pairings, I would go for some perhaps pretzels to accompany a Cain Connecticut CT to extend its mineral and salted caramel flavours.

Alternatively, you could go for candied peanuts, which would marry well with the caramlised zestiness of the cigar. Otherwise, French fries would be a good option, too.

As for beverages, I would first go for a limoncello. I’m a big fan of limoncello and I’m fond of making it myself. And in fact, it’s so easy that I’ve written a guide on how to make limoncello at home.

It’s a great pairing with this cigar and helps reveal its zesty character. It’s also quite unusual since limoncello rarely works with cigars. Otherwise, if you like your classic liquor, go for a Speyside single malt whisky. Speyside is going to be a little bit more floral and light-bodied so it wouldn’t overpower the cigar.

Finally, if you’re a coffee drinker, I would suggest a cappuccino. Its creaminess and frothy texture would make for a particularly pleasant experience.

Closing Thoughts

Saved by a great price and excellent construction, the Cain Connecticut is admittedly somewhat disheartening. After the previous releases, the Connecticut CT feels that it lacks the same verbose and unapologetic flair.

Nevertheless, a ligero Connecticut blend is an intriguing concept to say the least. With a little tweaking, the blend could be marvellous and if that was followed by a facelift, the Cain Connecticut CT would be a memorable addition to the family.

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"Quietly released with little fanfare, the Cain Connecticut is a good cigar but deserves a little more attention from its producers."
Bespoke Unit Rating: ★★★★

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading this cigar review, feel fry to check out more related content:

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