Cohiba from General Cigar’s latest addition, Cohiba Blue, is a different take on the Cohiba brand, which is always been in the luxury priced range. Instead, this is a more budget-friendly Cohiba. Andres Maturen, brand manager of Cohiba said, “With Cohiba Blue, we present collection that speaks to the ethos of the Cohiba brand. Made with a curated selection of tobaccos, handcrafted by renowned artisans, and created for all those who seek the indulgence of a fine cigar, Cohiba Blue symbolizes a life well lived.”
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.
Jhonys Diaz blended a medium-bodied cigar with a rosado-hued Honduran Olancho San Agustin (OSA) wrapper and took a unique approach by selecting Honduran OSA for the binder as well. The blend consists of Honduran Jamastran, Nicaraguan Ometepe and Dominican Piloto Cubano. The unique, three-country blend represents the a wide range of tobacco growing regions.
The cigars are protected hand-painted bright blue wooden boxes, each containing 20 cigars. Churchill (7.5 X 50), MSRP per cigar is $10.99, Robusto (5.5 X 50), MSRP per cigar is $9.99, Rothschild (4.5 X 50), MSRP per cigar $8.99, Toro (6 X 54), MSRP per cigar is $10.49.
“It looks like a robusto extra size, maybe 5.5×50. The wrapper is a meduim-light brown with a dry, almost papery appearance. The seams are a little messy, but the cap is clean and nicely applied. The cigar feels heavy for the size and feels very tightly packed, with almost no give at all when pinched.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
Aroma: 90
“Primarily leather along the wrapper with some hay at the foot. A sweeter tobacco can be tasted on the cold draw.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
Flavor: 91 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium
“Starting out rather strong, bold flavors of leather and earth are prominent early. Smoke production isn’t massive, but it’s leaving a nice coating in the mouth and deep into the throat. Retrohale has some nice soft herb and floral notes. I was expecting a lot of pepper, but it’s a wholly different experience. About 20 minutes in the flavors are less aggressive, but remain really awesome. A little more creamy, but leathery and a bit peppery with some pronounced salt on the finish. Ash is holding just fine and burn is good. ” –John I. (John I.)
“Right away I am presented with an abundance of smoke from this cigar. The primary flavor at the outset is a peppery leather with a significantly acrid finish. I really like the primary flavors, however the finish is putting me off a bit. As the third progresses, the acrid note fades to the rear and leaves me with a light pepper and leather note.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Second Third
Flavor: 88 Strength: Medium Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“The soapy flavors are still present as some leather begins to develop, pushing the char and pepper out of the profile. A hint of strong black coffee comes and goes in the background. The soapiness is really taking over and doesn’t seem to fit in with any other flavor present.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“As the second third warms up the in your face flavors I was getting in the first third ramps down a bit. I am getting the same roasted nuts mixed wth some nice roasted coffee. Also a bit of earthiness is sneaking in. Very good cigar so far.” –Zane G. (Zane)
“I’m experiencing some sadness and deep regret that I’m nearing the end of this smoke. Some of the softer notes of flowery/herb are diminishing as pepper, earth and espresso/coffee flavors dominate. The strength is also picking up, but not tremendously.” –John I. (John I.)
“The final third I still get the roasted coffee that’s turning into some charred wood notes along with some sweetness that’s coming on the finish. Pepper is ramping up on the retro. Toward the end of the cigar the sweetness goes to 11.” –Zane G. (Zane)
Overall Impressions – Cohiba Blue Robusto
Draw: 90
“I could have used a bit more resistance on the draw but I had no issues.” –Zane G. (Zane)
Burn: 93
“There were absolutely no issues with the burn rate or evenness. No complaints from this cigar smoker!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Construction: 91
“Good construction. No issues with combustion and the cigar held together nicely.” –Zane G. (Zane)
“My vocabulary of superlatives are inadequate to do this justice. Easily one of the best, and most memorable cigars I’ve ever had. Complex, and really nicely nuanced. It doesn’t really progress through “changes” like a lot of cigars, instead there are all kinds of things happening, all the time.” –John I. (John I.)
“I almost tossed it after the first third, but I decided to stick with it. I ended up regretting that decision. This may have been an anomaly, but it was a horrible anomaly. One of the worst smoking experiences of the year for me.” –Matthew T. (A Huge Nerd)
“There were some flashes of excellence in this sample, however the wrapper issues, and the harshness were immediate turn offs for me and will drive me away from seeking this out. I hope the other reviewers didn’t have these issues.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“While the draw was a little tight, it was certainly a smoke-able. This cigar started with some promise with a nice black peppery char. Sadly a soapiness developed that overpowered any other flavors and carried through the rest of the cigar. In addition to making it one dimensional, I found it to be off putting as well.” –Gregg (McGreggor57)
“While this cigar was a bit of an ugly duckling it sure didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the flavors from the beginning to the end. The last 1/3 the sweetness really ramped up and I was sad when I had to put it down. Definitely a box purchase for me.” –Zane G. (Zane)
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.
Cohiba Blue Robusto – Blind Cigar Review
Cohiba Blue Robusto
Summary
"My vocabulary of superlatives are inadequate to do this justice. Easily one of the best, and most memorable cigars I've ever had. Complex, and really nicely nuanced. It doesn't really progress through "changes" like a lot of cigars, instead there are all kinds of things happening, all the time." -John I. (John I.)
