In the premium cigar world, ‘COHIBA’ is just one of those words. In just six little letters it holds so much history, so much meaning, and it is one of the most recognized words in the world. The term originated in Cuba to denote the cigar itself. After the revolution and subsequent U.S. embargo, part of the brand split to production for the United States market. With names like Macassar, and Spectre, even to the one known simply as ‘Red Dot’, The Cohiba brand has forged a legacy as a luxury brand. In 2018 they announced a milder entry to the portfolio, Cohiba Connecticut. The Robusto size of that new offering is the focus of this review.
In addition to the Robusto, Cohiba Connecticut is also available in a 6.5 x 52 Toro ($21.99 MSRP), 6 x 60 Gigante ($22.99 MSRP) and a 5 x 50 Robusto presented in a glass tubo ($20.99 MSRP).
Cohiba Connecticut Robusto
MSRP: $20.99
Size: 5.5 x 52
Origin: General Cigars (Dominican Republic)
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade (Ecuador)
Binder: San Andrés (Mexico)
Filler: Olor (Dominican), Piloto Cubano (Dominican), Nicaraguan (Jalapa), and Mata Fina (Brazil)
Prologue
It is a nice looking cigar with a classic Connecticut Shade coloration. I see no splotches or streaks of green, just a nice even tan color. The wrapper has a faint smell of leather and cedar, while the foot has notes of spice, pepper, and dry hay. After a cut, the cold draw is grassy, with just a little bright citrus kind of taste.
Act I
As the fire hits the cigar, the first flavors are surprisingly intense. I get some strong black pepper along with some sour notes that remind me of grapefruit or a sour beer. Fortunately all of that fades within the first few puffs. The overall flavors in the first inch or so meld into a nice combination of cream, toasted bread, some nuttiness, and a hint of leather in the aroma. The retrohale through the nose has a very slight zing of black pepper, but mostly a combo of leather, sweetness, and cocoa.
Act II
The middle of the cigar warms into a rich combo. Flavors of baking spices mix very nicely with the toasted bread and sweet cream. The smoke texture is rich and also carries some aromas like roasted nuts and charred cedar. Now the retrohale begins to ramp up a bit, and give a little bite. Still, it is clean and filled with aromas like cocoa and toast.
Act III
I am getting lots of good flavor and aroma out of this cigar, but the end seems to fall off the tracks a bit. Some of that sourness comes back with a heightened intensity. It seems to overshadow the mildest notes of cream and toasted bread, and not some earthy, mineral characteristics are at the forefront of the profile. Like bitter french roast coffee with a chalky finish. The retrohale has more of that earthiness with a little sweetness at the end.
Epilogue
All in all, the first 65% of the cigar was very nice. Every sample I smoked was consistent in the fact that it became somewhat bitter and sour at the end. The early portions were solid, with everything I hope to get from a CT wrapper. It had sweetness, subtle spices, toastiness, creaminess, and a little leather. Smoking just the first two-thirds would have been a different review altogether, but the whole experience has to factor in. Overall, I would smoke more of these, but the price point may be a deterrent for some. I recommend a fiver, and see what you think.
Cohiba Connecticut Robusto – How Bout That Cigar?
Rating: How Bout A 5er?
Overall Score: 87
PAD: -1.5 (What is PAD?)
Flavor Summary: Cream, cocoa, baking spice, toast, mineral, leather
Strength Assessment: Mild
Source: Cigars for this review were provided by General Cigar