Blind Cigar Review: Cubariqueño | Protocol Probable Cause Lancero

Cigar Info

The Cubariqueño | Protocol Probable Cause Lancero is a 2017 line extention of the Probable Cause line that debuted in 2016. It was the second regular production from Cubariqueño Cigar Company. Thie blend is their first to use a San Andres Madurowrapper. This combination of wrapper and vitola both happen to be favroties of Cubariqueño co-founder Juan Cancel.

Cubariqueño has set up a pattern of releaseing a new line, then a lancero version the next year. This was the case with their original line, and will be the case this year for their Themis.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Lancero
Length: 7.5″
Ring Gauge: 38
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: La Zona
Blender: Juan Cancel, Bill Ives, Erik Espinosa
Number of reviewers: 5 – Isaac M. (The Nothing) John I. (John I.) Dave W. (mdwest) Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd) Jeff (ExpendableYouth)
Price: $10.50
Age: 8 Months
Release Date: July 2017
Contributed by: Cubariqueño

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 94

“This cigar looked great. Long and lean, with a nice cap and a very soft pressing to it. It was just slightly out of round, and only a couple inconsequential veins. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

Aroma: 92

“The stick has a strong and complex aroma filled with cocoa and dark earth notes. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The first puffs immediately bring on some red pepper spiciness washed with some wood and leather. After about an inch the ash drops and the pepper fades away and the cigar was a left with an enticing blend of earth and leather. A few kitchen spices some and go but too quickly to easy identify.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“I was surprised by the amount of pepper right off the bat. This is a pretty stout cigar for a lancero and has a heavy pepper that sits on your tongue and blasts your nostrils on a retrohale. As I continued onto the first-third I taste pepper, woodiness, coco, and a slight nuttiness. The stick is performing very well and has been a pleasure to some so far. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Second Third

Flavor: 92
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The middle of the cigar is still filled with really good flavors. Toasted wood and some gritty notes join the sweetness and make for a nice contrast. The smoke texture is bold and almost chewy. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)

“The second-third has mellowed a bit from the first but there is still a lot of pepper. The pepper, coco, nuttiness, and woodiness are all still present. The smoke coats my mouth and is copious in its output. The retrohale now has a leather and mineral flavor to it that is really complementing the main profile. This is an outstanding cigar so far. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Final Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“Still plenty of sweetness and pepper spice toward the end, but also some earthiness. The dark fruit is taken over by some chalky and dry notes. The charred wood also ramps up a bit. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)

“The final-third of the cigar picked back up in strength and had noticeably more nicotine. The flavors were heavy coco, leather, pepper, and woodiness. I had one relight in the final-third but for a lancero this was still excellent. The retrohale had a lot of pepper and coco and left a slight burn. The smoke output was strong and velvety. Perfect first cigar of the day or late night wind down smoke. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 94

“The draw had a perfect ratio of resistance and smoke output. A true joy to smoke. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Burn: 94

“A completely maintenance free burn from beginning to end. Not one touch up was needed. The cigar produced a good, tight, ash that held on much longer than expected, and kept a straight burn line the entire time. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)

Construction: 92

“Both appearance and performance were excellent. This was obviously a very well constructed stick. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)

Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Experience Overall: 91

“I have to admit, that I’m a sucker for lanceros. I love them, and if I see a new one on the shelf, I buy it, regardless. Lanceros are fickle things and require not only expert rollers, but outstanding tobaccos. More often then not, though, one of those two things are missing and it doesn’t work out great. Not the case with this cigar. This cigar has both. It’s outstanding from start to finish and I can’t wait to find out what it is so I can get more.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)

“It’s tough to make a serous commitment based on the first twenty minutes smoking this cigar. It certainly started out really well, and seemed to have a lot of promise. I continued to smoke it after the wrapper came off, and it was still a very pleasant experience. ” –John I. (John I.)

“I’m not normally a big fan of lanceros, but I’ll make an exception for this stick. Overall it was an enjoyable smoke that I will definitely seek out again. ” –Dave W. (mdwest)

“Overall I enjoyed this cigar. I like smaller ring gauge and this one was nice. Bold and intense flavors but with a nice balance of sweetness. Lanceros are right in my wheelhouse and if the wrapper on this one is what I think, it is one of my favorite wrapper leafs. I would definitely smoke this one again. ” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)

“This was a really enjoyable and complex cigar. The smoke output and flavors were spot on and I would recommend this cigar to anyone without hesitation. The pepper, coco, leather, and woodiness really made for a well balanced smoking experience and the lancero platform was a perfect vehicle for this cigar. ” –Jeff (ExpendableYouth)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 102

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Blind Cigar Review: Cubariqueño | Protocol Probable Cause Lancero

Overall Score – 90 – Very Good