Cohiba Esplendidos Cigar - Pack of 3

Date Added: Friday 03 June, 2016 by Staff

Reviewed by Wynne Hunkler
Vintage: Nov. 2004

Each time I see one of the recent Cohiba vitola close up, I am hypnotized by the glistening, gold-embossed lettering on the new bands. Befitting of "the jewel" of Habanos cigars, this particular band is wrapped around the flagship of the Cohiba brand, the Esplendido.

The wrapper is smooth and almost completely free of visible veins on the surface, which is coloured with a golden-tan shade and a slightly darker bunching of filler leaves at the foot of the cigar. Clipping the opposite end revealed the same familiar pattern of "bunched" filler leaves at the head with immediately revealed the same honey-like, manure aroma of fine quality Cuban tobacco.

Drawing through the cigar before lighting it produced a delightful flavour of creamy, rich tobacco with a barely detectable hint of spice. After evenly heating the foot of the cigar, I placed it in between my lips to savour that first draw of toasted tobacco ... no bitterness, no bite ... just a smooth, creamy flavour reminiscent of the Cohiba blend.

For such a young cigar, I expected a slight bitterness at the start; however, from the first to the last draw, I found nothing but pleasant, rich flavors with subtle complexities as the flavors shifted ever so slightly from buttery to almost sweet, bringing back memories of the butter-cream icing spice cakes my mother used to bake for my birthday each year.

The cigar burned perfectly with a wonderful draw, producing mouthful after mouthful of soft, balanced flavors. The dark gray ash was highlighted with pale white streaks, as the first fragment dropped off after about two to three inches.

Although the underlying creamy flavors continued to develop throughout the entire cigar, subtle flavour changes became apparent at every inch or two. Toasted tobacco flavors and a mild nuttiness appeared and disappeared as the smoke entered my mouth and left through my nostrils.

I fully understand how the Cohiba Esplendido is one of the most sought after cigars in the world. As delightful as this cigar was at such an early age, I can only imagine how sublime it will be after several years of aging. If you have never tried one of these fabulous cigars, I encourage you to try one when the opportunity arises. You will not be disappointed.