The #5 Corojo is said to be the strongest blend in the Gran Habano profile. The blend uses a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, habano binder, and Nicaraguan and Costa Rican long‑leaf filler.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The lancero vitola was not part of the original lineup of releases and did not come out until 2016 when it was release as part of La Colección de Elegancia.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Lancero
Length: 7 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 40
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan, Costa Rican
Filler: Nicaraguan, Costa Rican
Factory: G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas, S.A.
Blender: George A. Rico
Number of reviewers: 4 – Daniel S. (Daniel S.) John I. (John I.) Isaac M. (The Nothing) Diana(ArmyRN)
Price: $7.80
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: 2016
Contributed by: Gran Habano Cigars
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 88
“This is a rugged lancero. The wrapper is rough with a lot of vein work running throughout. The color is a medium brown with some dark and lighter browns interspersed throughout the length of the cigar. A couple places look as if they could lift a bit but it may be simply because of the rough nature of the wrapper roll. In opposition to the rest of the wrapper, the cap appears smooth and well constructed. Fairly substantial for a lancero. ” –Diana (ArmyRN)
Aroma: 89
“Really nice, slightly musty with gingery notes. ” –John I. (John I.)
First Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Coffee beans immediately hit my palette upon the first few puffs. There is a quick mix of dark roast, iron, leather and pepper that combine to give me the sensation of smoking a very substantial cigar in the body of a lancero. This all occurred about an inch into the cigar. The flavors quieted down and began to blend a bit more. I am enjoying the lingering coffee flavors on the after-taste. Retro produces a nice hit of pepper but not overpowering. I am left with a tingle to the tongue. There is an interesting iron like red meat that is laced throughout and adds to the richness of this smoke.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Initial flavors was a quite woody mixture with a background of a light roasted coffee. There were a variety of different wood notes including alder and hickory which all mixed up quite nice. There was a mixture of kitchen spices but nothing with enough presence to be easily identifiable. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“As I am getting into the middle third there is not a lot of changes but the chocolate is coming through a little more on the draw. The pepper on the retro is stronger and also has a little zip to it.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“Into the second third the burn has corrected itself and in terms of construction everything is running smoothly. Dry woody flavors have subsided, and there is a glorious return to spice town. There's a sense of middle eastern/north African spices that reminds me of BLTC's Morphine from 2016. Which I LOVED. Strength and body has grown a few ticks above medium. ” –John I. (John I.)
“Going into the last third I am thoroughly enjoying this cigar. It is actually burning a bit fast but on the other hand I might be smoking faster than usual because I am enjoying the flavors. I was hoping for a just a bit more sweetness mixed in but I'm not disappointed with what I have. The pepper has died down a bit more in the home stretch but is still there enough to add a little zing. The strength can catch up to you towards the end and the mineral red meat amps up a bit as the smoking experience comes to a close.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“Burn has been occasionally wobbly, but it's self corrected each time things have crept from one side or the other. A bit of sweetness up front has joined the spicy profile. Not a huge change or transition, but a nice addition to the show. ” –John I. (John I.)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 91
“Easy draw with a v-cut which isn't so easy to do with skinny cigars. ” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Burn: 91
“The burn on this cigar was really good. The burn line was thin and no touch ups were needed.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
Construction: 93
“When I inspected the wrapper I was a little concerned that there might be a few areas where it would lift or crack. Thankfully it did not and remained intact all the way through. The cap held nicely even with the deep v cut. Sometimes a lancero cap can become a bit mushy with saliva running through it. Overall this is a well constructed cigar.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
“At first look at this cigar my expectations were low. I was not impressed with the overall looks of the cigar. However, once I started tasting the flavors of this cigar I forgot about the looks of the cigar very quickly. The combination of flavors were well balanced throughout most of the cigar which helped create a great smoking experience. At the end of the cigar I started getting an odd flavor that threw off the balance of flavors. That being said it was a very good cigar and would smoke it again.” –Daniel S. (Daniel S.)
“Enjoyed this a ton. There was enough potency for me, and tons of flavor and the exotic spice notes on display here are tremendous. Pretty rugged in appearance, but don't let that stop you, this is an exceptional cigars. ” –John I. (John I.)
“From start to finish this is just a good solid cigar it burns clean produces a fair amount of smoke and can be easily enjoyed by anyone.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“I really felt like I was smoking a robusto or a more substantial cigar than the lancero. It was flavor packed and full bodied for me. The strength of the cigar can creep up on you going into the last third. This is a meaty cigar with a nice dash of pepper and mix of red meat and leather combining nicely with the dark roast coffee notes. I would definitely smoke this after a nice substantial dinner and a nice deep bourbon would pair nicely.” –Diana (ArmyRN)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Blind Cigar Review: Gran Habano | Corojo #5 Lancero
Overall Score – 91 – Very Good
Blind Cigar Review: Gran Habano | Corojo #5 Lancero
Summary
"I really felt like I was smoking a robusto or a more substantial cigar than the lancero. It was flavor packed and full bodied for me. The strength of the cigar can creep up on you going into the last third. This is a meaty cigar with a nice dash of pepper and mix of red meat and leather combining nicely with the dark roast coffee notes. I would definitely smoke this after a nice substantial dinner and a nice deep bourbon would pair nicely." -Diana (ArmyRN)
