As the Robusto is my favorite cigar vitola, it should come as no surprise that the Cohiba Robusto would be a cigar I would be interested in. I have looked forward to having one for a very long time and opportunity came knocking. Here are my thoughts.

Construction

I’ve read from a number of sites that construction issues plague Cohiba; complaints range from loosely rolled cigars to cracked wrappers. Fortunately the three Cohiba Robustos I sampled exhibited no problems, physically anyways.

The Cohiba Robusto has very small, minor veins on it’s otherwise ordinary looking milky chocolate wrapper. When squeezed, there is some slight sponginess, but no soft spots so no odd burning issues are anticipated. The burn is decent, I did touch it up a few times with my Zippo Blu. The ash is an unimpressive flaky salt-and-pepper color that refused to hold for more than an inch at a time.

Flavor & Taste

Pre-light draw revealed very subtle hints of…hay/grass…? The foot of the Cohiba Robusto smelled like nothing but perhaps the subtle scent of floral.

The first third of the cigar is the worse in flavor. A combination of what I can only describe as chewing on wet, bitter grass. Of the two Cohiba Robusto I smoked, as well as my buddy who had one, that inital crap taste was consistent on all three. Yum.

By the second third, things definitely started getting better. The bitterness resided and flavors of coffee as well as dark chocolate began to overtake.

The last third is where this baby starts to shine and becomes what one would expect of a Cuban cigar. A touch of pleasant spiciness develops and becomes an enjoyable smoke.

Despite all the talk about the strength, power, and kick of Cohiba cigars, I hate to say it but, it is overstated. The Cohiba Robusto, in my opinion, is more of a decent medium body cigar compared to, say, the Bolivar Royal Corona. But let me add, what I consider a strong cigar isn’t one that necessarily is overpowering, kicks the crap out of you and churns your stomach like drinking heavy liquor on an empty stomach, but rather the quality and complexity of taste.

Value

At $15 a cigar, the Cohiba Robusto, to me anyways, is hardly a value buy. A box purchase of 25 will certainly set you back a pretty penny. Had this cigar been more enjoyable from the get-go, it would be worth having a few sticks lying around in the humidor for those special occasions.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, I’m sure some readers may find my observations and experience with the Cohiba Robusto a bit harsh, but when a cigar passes the $10 mark, I’d expect to pay for more than just the brand name. Given the many Robusto choices, I have to say I’m more likely to reach for a Bolivar Royal Corona or a Montecristo Petit Edmundo for more half the price of a Cohiba Robusto. Obviously everyone’s taste varies, but for my taste, despite how much I’ve been looking forward to having a Cohiba Robusto and finally having one, the experience came up short.

I’m sure down the road, I may consider trying a couple or few more to be sure, but that won’t be anytime soon.

Montecristo No. 2

Construction

As I’ve come to expect from Cuba’s largest exported cigar brand ((http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montecristo_%28cigar_brand%29)), the No. 2 is beautifully constructed although not the most attractive looking stick. The No. 2 feels heavy and solid in my hands, firm with no soft spots when squeezed and very well rolled as evidenced when inspecting the foot. The closes I have in size to the No. 2 are my Montecristo Edmundo which are about an inch shorter than the No. 2.

One interesting feature of this Pirámide vitola is that the foot is the thickest (ring gauge of 52) and tapers down slowly until it reaches the pointed head of the cigar which lends itself to the taste because the pyramid shape helps concentrate the flavors on a smaller part of your tongue.

A smooth and excellent draw, the No. 2 has very little veins throughout the cigar.

Of the few I’ve smoked so far, the burn is excellent requiring just the slight burn correction on one of the stick. The ash is mostly white with a few flakes and holds for about an inch before breaking off.

Flavor and Taste

I was initially hesitant on whether the No. 2 could live up to the hype; after all, many well-known celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, Michael Jordan, Michael Douglass, John Travolta, Demi Moore, Tom Selleck, Kinky Friedman, and James Woods count the No. 2 among their favorite smokes ((http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,178,00.html)) and what celebrities like don’t always live up the hype. I’m so glad I broke down and tried them because the No. 2 is not only every bit as good as everyone says they are, they are mouth-watering good!

The Montecristo No. 2 starts out mild in the first third with hints of cedar and coffee and starts picking up strength in the second third with more pronounced flavors of coffee with some leather and chocolate with a touch of spiciness. By the last third, the cedar, leather, chocolate, coffee, and spicy flavors are at its peak until finish. I would definitely classify the No. 2 as a strong medium bodied cigar that is very smooth from beginning to end with complex flavors that leaves a very pleasant aftertaste that lingers for hours, as a great cigar should. The larger size will mean you need some time to fully enjoy the amazing flavors and is a great choice to enjoy when entertaining with friends. This is a cigar you do not want to rush or risk ruining the taste of this fine cigar.

Also, this is a personal preference, but I recommend not snipping off too much of the pointed cap. Snipping off too much may cause the cigar to unravel and you don’t get the same level of flavor concentration that comes from a Piramide shaped cigar.

According to the box code on my Montecristo No. 2 dress box, these sticks are from June 2009, not even a year old at the time of this writing and they already taste amazing. Given a few more years, these sticks will be divine, but I don’t see how I’ll be able to let them sit undisturbed for that long!

Value

For a cigar that taste this good at ~$10, this is a no-brainer box purchase. My buddy CigarInspector.com says it best: “Not overpriced, yet expensive – and worth every penny” ((http://www.cigarinspector.com/montecristo/montecristo-no-2)).

Conclusion

I have a buddy who really, really likes the Cohiba Esplendidos, willing to shell out $25 per stick, but after having the Montecristo No. 2, he’s hard-pressed on justifying the extra $15 for the Cohiba. Granted they are completely different cigars, but the Esplendidos and the No. 2 represent the best offerings of their respective brands so there is some room for comparison.

Prior to having the Montecristo No. 2, I thought the Edmundo was Montecristo’s best cigar as I couldn’t imagine how it could get any better, but the No. 2 changes all that,  fastly becoming my all-time favorite cigar, Cuban or not.

I can safely say that my humidor will never run out of the Montecristo No. 2.

Be sure to read these other great reviews on the Montecristo No. 2:

• CigarAficionado.com
• CigarInspector.com
• Cigars-Reviews.org
• StogieReviews.com
• TheFridayCigar.com

Montecristo No. 2 Gallery Pics

Cohiba Esplendidos

Construction

I have always found how unimpressive looking the Esplendidos are; other than for the famous Cohiba cigar band and the large size, there is nothing distinguishing or flashy. Compared to how beautifully constructed a Fuente Opus X is, the Esplendido looks like a Honda Accord next to a Ferrari. There are few minor veins on an otherwise smooth dark caramel wrapper.

The two Esplendidos I’ve had so far did not have any burn issues, but did need a few burn corrections. My buddy who also smoked one with me did experience some crazy burn issues that resulted in a very bad burn that was never correctable, although it did not affect the taste. The salt-and-pepper ash is unimpressive and barely held on for more than an inch, even when I was trying. The cigar remained lit and the draw was initially tight in the beginning, but clipping off more of the cap resulted in a looser draw.

Otherwise, no construction issues.

Flavor & Taste

For the first 1/3rd of the cigar, I found it to be ever so slightly bitter with a grass taste, but once we progressed into the 2nd and final third of the cigar it settled to more woody/cedar with some spicy tastes to it. The Cohiba Esplendidos starts off mild to medium and becomes be mostly medium body in the 2nd third and a bit stronger by the final third, but never really reaching full bodied taste. The final third is probably the best part of this cigar as the flavor is at its most intense yet the cigar remains buttery smooth.

Throughout the entire smoke, you can get decent clouds of white smoke on each draw. Many tend to describe cigar smoke as pungent and disgusting, but I’ve found the smoke produced by the Esplendidos to be pleasing, although I wouldn’t recommend prolonged (or any) exposure to second-hand smoke…

Value

Next to the Opus X, these are the most expensive cigars I’ve smoked. For nearly $30 a cigar, this will definitely be a special occasion treat. But in all honesty, I think the Cohiba Esplendidos are overpriced.

Conclusion

While many go ga-ga over the Esplendidos, I have to say, considering the price, I wasn’t impressed. There are a number of other cigars that I am quite happy with that can be “daily-smokes” without breaking the bank such as the Montecristo Edmundos or Bolivar Royal Coronas, but then again those aren’t Cohibas. There’s a certain prestige, justified or not, smoking Cohibas just as there is choosing a Rolex over a Timex, but to each his own.

Would I purchase the Esplendidos if I could? Probably not. The flavors and tastes just wasn’t there enough for me to justify the three times the cost over the Edmundos, which are one of my favorite go to cigars. YMMV.

Be sure to check-out these other excellent Cohiba Esplendidos reviews:

• CigarInspector.com
• Cigars-Review.org
• StogieGuys.com

Cohiba Esplendidos Gallery Pics

I, not being a fan of torpedo shaped cigars or full-bodied Cubans (yet), opted for the Montecristo Edmundo. Montecristo also makes a shorter version, the Petit Edmundo, which is also very highly rated for those who are shorter on time or prefer a smaller vitola. I have not  tried the Petit Edmunodo yet, but from what I hear, it hits the sweet spot sooner. Definitely on my to try next list.

Montecristo Edmundo

Construction

Beautifully constructed, this Robusto vitola named after Edmundo Dantes, the hero in Alexandro Dumas’ famous novel, “The Count of Montecristo”, a favorite reading for the torcedores of the Montecristo brand.

This is a large puro measuring 5.3 inches with a 50 ring. There is hardly any veins in the wrapper with no soft spots when gently squeezed. There is plenty of tobacco packed into this beast. The wrapper has a nice naturally, oily sheen and smells great. (2010-01-25 UPDATE: I found something quite interesting. Apparently the Montecristo Edmundos that come in the tubos are 50mm ring gauges where the Edmundos from a box of 25 are 52mm. Not entirely sure why the tubed version would be noticeably smaller.)

The cigar band is a very simple design, perhaps the smallest and least decorative of its other Cuban brothers. The band design is so boring and uninspiring (Montecristo name on top and Habana at the bottom with a Fleur in the middle) you could think the cigar was a counterfeit if not for the beautiful construction, the perfect triple cap, and the robust flavors.

I received the Montecristo Edmundo 3-pack that comes in a very nice package, complete the Country’s seals of authenticity. The Edmundo in the 3-packs come in a very attractive yellow metal tubo with the ornate Montecristo logo, the cigar name, and a bar-code on each. Inside, lays an Edmundo wrapped in a thin piece of cedar to help lock in the flavor. What’s great about the metal tubos is that they prevent the cigar from getting damaged when traveling with a stick. Normally I carry cigars i plan on consuming in a Cigar Caddy, but with the tubos I can travel light and not worry my cigar being destroyed in my pocket or bag. Even with the tubos, you’ll still need to place them in a humidor to keep them until you’re ready to enjoy them.

My friends and I have not had any burn issues with the Montecristo Edmundo. Once started, it keeps a very precise burn until the end, no corrections needed. The salt-and-pepper ash produced is solid an holds for an inch-and-half easily. Because of the size and how well it’s packed, it’s easy to get large billows of nice white smoke.

Flavor and Taste

The Montecristo Edmundo has a wonderful medium-to-full-bodied taste that remains unchanged except near the end. The flavors are buttery, with pepper, vanilla, chocolate with a hint of coffee beans throughout, but pickup more in pepper once you hit the last 1/3rd.

This is a cigar that you need adequate time to enjoy. Try rushing it and the strong flavors will kick your ass like gulping down hard Scotch, shot after shot. To truly appreciate this masterpiece, you need to take sips and let the taste flow around in your mouth before letting it out. I’ve tried to smoke these down to the nub a few times, but the flavors get too strong for me near the end, so generally I know when it’s time to put it down, it’s time to put it down. Also because this is more of a medium-to-full body cigar, make sure you have a hearty meal before enjoying one, or you will get sick.

The 5-pack of 3-packs (15 cigars) I have has a date code 2007 of making them 2 years-old (3 years, if you consider that the leaves are aged a year before being used) and from what I’ve read, can only get better with age.

Value

Purchased in a box of 25, the Montecristo Edmundo works out to $8.80 per stick. Purchased individually, the cost becomes a bit more on the pricey side of ~$13. Even at $13 a cigar, I definitely think it’s worth the value unlike the $36 Opus X Churchill I had.

For those who can legally acquire these beauties, they come as a single tubo, a 3-pack of tubos, a 5-pack of 3-packs (15 Edmundos), and a clamshell box of 25.

Conclusion

This has become one of my favorite cigars, so far. If you want to experience Cuban cigars at its finest, I would certainly recommend the Edmundo for its beautiful construction and yummy flavors. For $8.80 a cigar, you’ll be hard pressed to find even a Cohiba that taste as good for the same price.

Be sure to read other reviews:

• Cigar Inspector
• Cigars Review
• Stogie Guys
• Puff
• Cigar Bunch (YouTube video)

Montecristo Edmuno Gallery

© Smokingstogie.com

The Cohiba Siglo VI Gran Reserva is beautifully constructed and comes in an equally beautiful display case. But the big question that lingers is: how good is a 100-point cigar? Check out reviews by SmokingStogie.com (with lots of great pictures) and World of Cigars.

Judging from the people who have had the opportunity to have one, it’s heavenly. Apparently the secret of the Cohiba Gran Reserva is the use of the Ligero leaf, the top part of the best tobacco leaves and since there isn’t much of the Ligero leaf on each tobacco plant, it takes a number of them to make a single cigar.

Be sure to checkout the YouTube video by Friends of Habanos:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Years later as I started getting back into this past-time and having had a number of cigar brands, I was beginning to understand and develop what I liked in terms of taste so I figured it was time to take a whack at the Opus X. I stopped into a semi-local B&M store at Valley Faire Mall in San Jose that I knew would have some in stock and ended up picking up the Opus X Reserve de Chateau, a churchill length cigar and it stayed in my humidor for a measly thirteen days before I decided it was time to try this baby out.

Fuente Fuente Opus X Reserve de Chateau

Appearance & Construction

First glance at the Opus X Reserve de Chateau and you can’t help but marvel at how beautifully constructed this vitola is: very few veins, very solidly built, no imperfections, with a great looking triple cap reminiscent of a Cuban cigar. In short, it’s a Dominican Republic cigar with the beauty of a Cuban.

The Opus X cigar band has to be one of the most beautiful cigar bands I’ve ever seen. Bold colors such as gold and red adorn the intricately designed band definitely letting you know this is no ordinary cigar, but a premium cigar. No detail was left out here.

I was able to get an inch and a quarter of nice white ash, a testament to the build quality, before it broke off when I accidentally placed it down a little too rough on my ashtray to take a picture.

Flavor & Smoke

After snipping off a bit of the cap and lighting the Churchill, the initial draw is very smooth. It is very easy to get a lot of smoke with this cigar given it’s length and easy draw. I would classify this cigar as a medium bodied smoke with the main taste being coffee beans with a touch of earthy taste, which lasted throughout. Just as a note, my beverage of choice was Diet Coke (usually is whether I’m smoking cigars or not).

After smoking the Opus X Reserve de Chateau for two hours, I finally decided to put it down despite having at least another 30-45 minutes left. The two main reasons for this was 1) it kept going out and the final time it went out, I was tired of having to re-light it, and 2) the predominantly coffee bean taste became boring to me. I can now appreciate cigars of the Churchill and Coronas Grande size such as the Cohiba Siglo III I had awhile back, changes taste midway keeping the smoke interesting and lively.

Value

At about $36 USD a stick, I found this cigar to be overpriced and this specific stick over-hyped, read the next section to see why I think so.

Conclusion

I was very excited when I purchased this Opus X Churchill given all the great things many have to say about the Opus X line, but sadly I was disappointed. For $36, you get a beautifully looking vitola with an equally beautiful band, but most cigar aficionados care more about the taste than looks.

One of the most annoying problems I was having with the Opus X was keeping it lit. It went out a total of no less than four times requiring constant re-light. I would take a deep draw every few seconds and had set it down twice for a mere ten seconds at most, take another draw and found that it was starting to go out. In one case, I was a able to save it and not have to re-light, but in the other four cases, I was left with a cold tobacco taste you get when a cigar has gone out and you take a deep draw. Granted it was a bit cold out (59 degrees Fahrenheit), but not windy. In the other cases it went out, I was holding it in my hand as I was watching video on my laptop. When it would stay lit, I had to spend quite a bit of time correcting the burn as one side would occasionally burn a bit faster than the other, couldn’t figure out why.

I’m willing to believe that quite possibly the Opus X I purchased might have been a fluke or I didn’t let it age long enough in my humidor, but I don’t think I will be trying the Reserve de Chateau anytime soon again, but rather I might try the Opus X robusto, since I’ve started becoming a fan of the Robusto size cigars.

Either the Opus X Reserve de Chateau is a rare cigar, or many do not prefer this Churchill as I’m not able to find many online reviews, but you can read the two I did find:

• Cigar Aficionado (rating: 92, also listed as The Top 25 Best Cigars of the Year: 2009)
• Cigar Monkey
• Cigar Friendly

What is the appeal of the Cuban cigar? Most non-cigar smokers would say it’s because they’re forbidden fruit as you can’t legally buy any Cuban cigars because of the 1962 U.S. Trade Embargo against Cuba, but that aside, many cigar hobbyist (such as myself) and aficionados would agree it’s more than that. From the way the Cuban cigars are hand-rolled to the specific tobacco leaves used, they are a treat unlike any other cigars, except a few non-Cuban brands such as Fuente (most notably, the Opus X) and Padron.

My favorite brand is Cohiba (not to be confused with General Cigar’s Cohiba brand), long a favorite to Fidel Castro as he had a hand in the brand’s development, you can read the story here. Now unless your name is Michael Jordan or Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cohiba cigars aren’t really for daily smokes, but rather special occasions such as anniversaries, weddings, and the birth of a child, as they are bit costly; and in some ways, they are actually overrated. Don’t get me wrong, they are an incredible smoke, but overrated in price because of brand recognition: think Nike. Fortunately there are a number of other Cuban brands that are equally as good such as Ramon Allones and H.Upmann. My favorite daily smoke (I actually only smoke a cigar once a week or once every two weeks unlike my abnormal addiction to Diet Coke) happens to be the H.Upmann Magnum 46, a mild to medium flavored cigar. Please note that by no means am I an expect in cigars and this review is merely my thoughts and opinions.

H.Upmann Magnum 46

Appearance & Construction

The H.Upmann Magnum 46 is a beautiful constructed Habana Coronas Gordas cigar with very small and few leaf veins meaning a very high quality tobacco leaf. It’s a 46 ring gauge that is 5.6 inches (143mm) long making it a great cigar to smoke with friends or after dinner. For me, this isn’t quite a lunch time smoke because average smoking time is 50-100 minutes. The Magnum 46 is packed nicely with a lot of tobacco and rolled just tight enough so that the draw is effortless smooth.

It features the well known triple-cap that you would expect from an authentic Cuban with very little to no flaws in it’s construction. It has a nice, slightly natural oily wrapper (as good to great cigars should meaning that the cigar’s wrapper leaf isn’t dried out). The wrapper is a nice consistent shade of milk chocolate brown; I should note that with all Cuban cigars, the wrapper should be a consistent color all around, any discoloration can suggest a fake Cuban cigar.

Squeezing the cigar at various points, there is a nice solid, firm (but not too firm) feel. The Magnum 46 features a double band, one being the H.Upmman logo band, applied nicely and looks gorgeous. Underneath it is another band indicating that the cigar is a Magnum 46.

Flavor

I’ve always been more of a mild-flavor cigar smoker, but have started become more drawn to the mild-medium, medium, and even medium-full body flavor as of recent as they’re aren’t really any mild-body flavor Cubans. Most other cigar sites say that the Magnum 46 has a creamy, little spicy, coffee bean, with a hint of chocolate taste, to which I must concur. The taste is consistent until the last 1/3 of the cigar when it starts picking up a bit more taste. If you smoke the Magnum 46 until about the nub, be prepared for a slight nicotine buzz that gives you that nice relaxed and overall happy feeling.

Value

As Cuban cigars are illegal to purchase, I can’t really say much for price. But from what I’ve heard, it’s quite affordable for Cuban cigars. The price ranges I’ve heard are $10 USD for a single stick to about ~$7 USD per stick for a box of 25. That compared to a similar type Cohiba, the Siglo IV that cost ~$13.40 USD per stick or ~$11.40 USD per stick for a box of 25!

Conclusion

There really isn’t bad to say about the H.Upmann Magnum 46. As I mentioned, this is my daily smoke cigar whereas I reserve the Cohiba for special occasions. I haven’t met anyone or read anything negative about the Magnum 46. One thing I have noticed, and has been reported, there has been some issues with Cuban quality control. The box of 25 I was given had 2 cigars that were slightly “bent” because the ribbon was tied a bit too tight, but they smoked fine without any issues. Obviously if they were a Cohiba box of 25, I would certainly be much more irritated given the cost. Also, the Magnum 46 box of 25 comes in a SLB (slide lid box) that is very nicely constructed with all the Habana stickers of authenticity.

I have no qualms on recommending these to my friends or anyone who is legally able to purchase the H.Upmann Magnum 46.

You can also read these other reviews by cigar aficionados who are certainly more expert than me: Cigar Inspector, HumiBlog.com, and Friends of Habanos.

H.Upmann Magnum 46 Pictures