havanaphile
Banned
Cohiba Seleccion Reserva Robusto, GKI (Partagas) 11/03
Visual
This cigar was made very well. The wrapper was very thin and smooth to the touch, and was not stretched anywhere except a small point at the foot. No prominent veining was noted. The triple cap was exquisitely applied. The wrapper had a bit of plume present on the cigar.
14/15
Construction
This cigar was very firm to the touch throughout the cigar. There did not appear to be any noticibly hard or soft spots anywhere along the length of the cigar. The foot of the cigar had several leaves of ligero present, where it should be, namely near the binder. The waves in the cigars foot made it evident that this cigar was made using the booking method. The cigar cut very easily and the cigar had a very good drawprobably a bit too full of a draw. The cigar burnt very evenly, and I did not once have to remove the ash from the cigar. The smoke did not get hot, even when the cigar had just half an inch left to it.
17/20
Pre-light
After staying at the bottom of my singles box for about a year, this cigar had a very cedary character to it and the prototypical Cohiba twang. Hints of sweet cinnamon and carmel were present.
Flavor
This cigar was very full bodied with medium strength. I lit the cigar with a cedar spill, and it naturally had a very cedary component as it began. The texture to the smoke was very creamy and smooth. The flavors of the cigar built very quickly. The initial quintessential Cohiba flavors transcended into a far more complex flavors, with a very sharp concentrated taste of Japanese Yamamotoyama green tea and Cuban tobacco with a slight hint of vanilla. The cigar created an immense amount of bluish-white smoke. As the cigar burnt down, I did not want it to end. I smoked it down to the point that only half an inch separated the end of the cigar and the ash. Because I felt that the draw was a bit too full for my liking (as I find the somewhat firm draw of the cigars from 1998 optimal) I drew on the robusto the way I would a ninfa or a panatela. Nevertheless, even though there was merely half an inch of tobacco left, the smoke was neither hot nor harsh. The cigar did not taste like a eighteen-month old cigar. It tasted far more refined and aged, very similar to a Cohiba Lancero that I had from October of 1987 in November last year. I enjoyed this cigar immensely. I never have smoked a cigar down as far as I did with this cigar. My fingers are still stinging from the cigar. My only complaint was that even though it lasted seventy five minutes, it was too short. I could only imagine what a double corona with this blend would taste like.
63/65
Overall
This was a great cigar with tremendous flavors. My only picky complaint was that the draw was a bit too full. I can only imagine what it would taste like with fifteen years of age on it. Definitely recommended to all who appreciate Cuban tobacco.
94/100
Visual
This cigar was made very well. The wrapper was very thin and smooth to the touch, and was not stretched anywhere except a small point at the foot. No prominent veining was noted. The triple cap was exquisitely applied. The wrapper had a bit of plume present on the cigar.
14/15
Construction
This cigar was very firm to the touch throughout the cigar. There did not appear to be any noticibly hard or soft spots anywhere along the length of the cigar. The foot of the cigar had several leaves of ligero present, where it should be, namely near the binder. The waves in the cigars foot made it evident that this cigar was made using the booking method. The cigar cut very easily and the cigar had a very good drawprobably a bit too full of a draw. The cigar burnt very evenly, and I did not once have to remove the ash from the cigar. The smoke did not get hot, even when the cigar had just half an inch left to it.
17/20
Pre-light
After staying at the bottom of my singles box for about a year, this cigar had a very cedary character to it and the prototypical Cohiba twang. Hints of sweet cinnamon and carmel were present.
Flavor
This cigar was very full bodied with medium strength. I lit the cigar with a cedar spill, and it naturally had a very cedary component as it began. The texture to the smoke was very creamy and smooth. The flavors of the cigar built very quickly. The initial quintessential Cohiba flavors transcended into a far more complex flavors, with a very sharp concentrated taste of Japanese Yamamotoyama green tea and Cuban tobacco with a slight hint of vanilla. The cigar created an immense amount of bluish-white smoke. As the cigar burnt down, I did not want it to end. I smoked it down to the point that only half an inch separated the end of the cigar and the ash. Because I felt that the draw was a bit too full for my liking (as I find the somewhat firm draw of the cigars from 1998 optimal) I drew on the robusto the way I would a ninfa or a panatela. Nevertheless, even though there was merely half an inch of tobacco left, the smoke was neither hot nor harsh. The cigar did not taste like a eighteen-month old cigar. It tasted far more refined and aged, very similar to a Cohiba Lancero that I had from October of 1987 in November last year. I enjoyed this cigar immensely. I never have smoked a cigar down as far as I did with this cigar. My fingers are still stinging from the cigar. My only complaint was that even though it lasted seventy five minutes, it was too short. I could only imagine what a double corona with this blend would taste like.
63/65
Overall
This was a great cigar with tremendous flavors. My only picky complaint was that the draw was a bit too full. I can only imagine what it would taste like with fifteen years of age on it. Definitely recommended to all who appreciate Cuban tobacco.
94/100
