Tuesday, January 11 2011
I'm not much of a football fan; baseball's my game. But since I share an office with two die-hard Eagles fans, this past weekend I decided to watch the Packers/Eagles game at home with a cigar I haven't had in quite a while - a Gran Habano No.5 Corojo Robusto. The cigar caught my eye while searching for something that would be really flavorful, yet not too long, because since I'm renting my place, I don't like to smoke inside all that often. Which brings me to this week's review.
The Gran Habano No.5 Corojo Robusto is rolled to 5" x 52 dimensions. The Nicaraguan-grown Corojo wrapper has an attractive sheen and covers a blend of Nicaraguan & Costa Rican longfillers. I found my cigar (which was in my humidor for about a year), to be well-packed and the triple cap clipped perfectly. The pre-light draw was earthy, sweet, and a little spicy.
Pairing it with a bottle of Blue Moon "Honey Moon Summer Ale," the cigar lit well, and the first few puffs offered a shot of pepper that quickly rounded out to a more earthy-sweet tobacco flavor laced with a distinctive chocolaty base. The smoke was exceptionally thick and creamy, as is the usual for most of the Gran Habano cigars I've enjoyed over the years, while the aroma was a bit on the heavy side.
Act II revealed flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon and other light spices, while still maintaining a nice earthy-chocolaty character. Though I don't usually drink beer with my cigars, the sweet/tart taste of the Summer Ale went well with the flavors in this cigar. The smoke did not seem to gain much in strength, which I liked, because it had a great balance right where it was.
By the end, (I left about one inch remaining), the cigar had not turned bitter or stronger, and it was still easy to discern all those nice flavors swimming around in there. This cigar would also be wonderful after dinner with a good Tawny Port or Single Malt; nothing too sweet, since the cigar offers plenty of sweet tobacco flavor.
I wouldn't recommend this cigar to rookies, as it may be a bit too complex to appreciate. They may want to start with Gran Habano's No.1 Connecticut line first, to get a better idea of the Gran Habano "character." All-in-all, a very enjoyable full-bodied smoke, and quite affordable, too.
Learn more about Gran Habano No.5 Corojo cigars.
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