Cohiba Black Robusto

It has been so long! I'd like to blame my long absence on my move (it was trans-Atlantic!) but truthfully I've had motivational problems as well. Fortunately I've still been smoking and keeping notes so I have a backlog of tasty gems to post.

The Cohiba line is another of the "same name, different country" cigars that has Cuban roots and, in this case, Dominican leaves. General Cigar owns this pricey name which is crafted under the watchful eye of Daniel Núñez. The Black line is a relatively recent extension and is waiting to knock your socks off.

This maduro (really an oscuro) is FULL bodied. It is chalked full of earth and wood with a mild bitterness for the first 1". It mellows with black pepper, wood and a detectable nuttiness which carries until the final 1/3. After about the 1/2 way mark it settles considerably with wood, pepper and a long creamy finish. I had an issue with the wrapper over the final 1.5" which was it's only construction flaw. Otherwise the draw and burn were even and it produced a firm, which ash.

This is not for the faint of heart...or the empty stomach. Make sure you drink something with a bit of substance to accompany it as well. I had a nice spicy Rioja but I'd say a full bodied California Cabernet or a glass of single malt Scotch would go nicely as well. Overall, it was more than I had anticipated, but once I got into the groove it was a pleasant smoking experience.

Wrapper: Conn
Filler: DR/Mex
Binder: DR
Rating: 90