Cohiba Gran Reserva


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Cohiba Gran Reserva. Bought these from Rob in December.

The construction was good. Looked as if it was just slightly under filled from the foot but the weight was good and the draw was a little on the loose side.

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It opened up with wonderful floral and tea notes, body was just under medium and rich. The flavors were just dancing.

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The finish of the first 1/3 brought it up to medium body and lovely honeysuckle notes road in like wild horses! The tea was still there along with some dried fruit and coca.

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The end of the first half, at this point the cigar was showing off it's complexity in an arrogant but eloquent manner. It had allot to say, honey, dried fruit, tea, coca, and a little cedar. I'm loving it.

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I reach the final 3rd or so and it began to get darker and heavier. Above medium now and losing the fruit aspect.

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The Cohiba got very dark by the time it neared a half inch from the sub band. It was full body at this point and was almost harsh no flavors left except cedar. The burn was perfect though.

I would say these need a few more months rest. I kept them at 63% and it didn't need a dry box before smoking.

I would rate this one a 94. It had 97-98 potential had it not dropped off in the last half. I did love it though and plan on lighting another in a couple of months. ;)

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I agree with the above review, in my humble opinion the cigar was very disappointing.

The first third for me was very mild, the flavors were subtle with a pleasant fruity flavor, the cigar just deteriorated in the last third and it got so bad that I could not finish it, I know the cigar received triple digit rating from some of the connoisseurs, however in my humble opinion it was a complete disappointment.

Looking at the long term aging potential of this cigar, I'm not sure that it will improve since it was so mild to begin with, will it get milder with age? If it does get milder as aged cigars tend to, it MAY not age well!!

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I agree with the above review, in my humble opinion the cigar was very disappointing.

The first third for me was very mild, the flavors were subtle with a pleasant fruity flavor, the cigar just deteriorated in the last third and it got so bad that I could not finish it, I know the cigar received triple digit rating from some of the connoisseurs, however in my humble opinion it was a complete disappointment.

Looking at the long term aging potential of this cigar, I'm not sure that it will improve since it was so mild to begin with, will it get milder with age? If it does get milder as aged cigars tend to, it MAY not age well!!

The first one I had was pretty bad and I just assumed that was because it wasn't ready. I rated this stick on the potential it showed me for a couple of inches. Had I handed it to a smoker that wasn't experienced they may have rated it an 88. It was not a cigar that was obviously good it really needs someone who smokes habanos frequently to admire it.

I'd love to hear others who have smoked them chime in on their thoughts and experiences , I know Rob has had several, I would like to hear what he thinks so far as well.

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I smoked a Cohiba Gran Reserva last week while on vacation. I would have to concur with your conclusions. To me the Gran Reserva was also disappointing. I would have rather had a CoRo or Esplendido. As with you the cigar started great. It was mild and fruity with a hint of sweetness. After about an inch it became medium bodied. It developed more of that grassy CoRo flavor and was good. Creamy with losts of smoke. However at the end of the 2/3rd things began to get acrid, and the body began building towards full. The final 3rd was harsh and bitter, very unpleasent. Not what I would have expected from this cigar, for the price and reputation anyway. Hopefully these will get better over time. Though I can see why they scored so well with CA given that they only smoke the first inch of a cigar for reviewing purposes.

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I smoked a Cohiba Gran Reserva last week while on vacation. I would have to concur with your conclusions. To me the Gran Reserva was also disappointing. I would have rather had a CoRo or Esplendido. As with you the cigar started great. It was mild and fruity with a hint of sweetness. After about an inch it became medium bodied. It developed more of that grassy CoRo flavor and was good. Creamy with losts of smoke. However at the end of the 2/3rd things began to get acrid, and the body began building towards full. The final 3rd was harsh and bitter, very unpleasent. Not what I would have expected from this cigar, for the price and reputation anyway. Hopefully these will get better over time. Though I can see why they scored so well with CA given that they only smoke the first inch of a cigar for reviewing purposes.

wow another bad one :o

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The first one I had was pretty bad and I just assumed that was because it wasn't ready. I rated this stick on the potential it showed me for a couple of inches. Had I handed it to a smoker that wasn't experienced they may have rated it an 88. It was not a cigar that was obviously good it really needs someone who smokes habanos frequently to admire it.

I'd love to hear others who have smoked them chime in on their thoughts and experiences , I know Rob has had several, I would like to hear what he thinks so far as well.

Ok so now I'm really confused.

I would have paraphrased the initial review that you gave as "Thought it was great for the first two thirds, but the end got a little bitter. 94 rating with 97-98 potential."

The next guy follows up basically saying "Yeah I agree with your review. I thought it sucked" which isn't what you said, and then you kinda say, "Yeah, it wasn't all that" followed by a series of "I too think it sucked" posts.

Now I did ok in reading comprehension, but this has me scratching my head a bit. Both because of the logical string, as well as the many folks who has dissed the cigar.

I've had four now, and the first and the last were Top Five cigars, Top Three maybe, and I've been smoking for a little bit now. The second was great, just not as great as the first, and the third, well that was just good. Not awesome, but better than your Daddy's CoRo. Or ceratinly better than the ones I'm smoking now, and I'm smoking some nice '04's. About as good a batch as I've had.

So I'm more than a little surprised by the comparisons to regular production, and negative reviews. Of course, taste is subjective.

I'd tell those of you who didn't like them to send me yours, but in retrospect, don't. I'm quite happy with the batches I have! :lol3:

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I've had four now, and the first and the last were Top Five cigars, Top Three maybe, and I've been smoking for a little bit now. The second was great, just not as great as the first, and the third, well that was just good. Not awesome, but better than your Daddy's CoRo. Or ceratinly better than the ones I'm smoking now, and I'm smoking some nice '04's. About as good a batch as I've had.

So I'm more than a little surprised by the comparisons to regular production, and negative reviews. Of course, taste is subjective.

I'd tell those of you who didn't like them to send me yours, but in retrospect, don't. I'm quite happy with the batches I have! :D

I am pretty much in your boat. Had a half dozen from various boxes and one from the Havana Festival.

One was a top 5 cigar of all time (personal)

Two were top 10

One was ho hum. Not sure if it was because I was off or the cigar was.

four were very very good cigars at 91/92/93. What let them down was a tardy back end which I have found elsewhere is simply time needed to lay down.

Overall I have enjoyed them immensely. The superb experiences of the top two I will always remember, a memory I will treasure.

Now it can be argued that I have had plenty of 91/92/93 cigars nowhere near the price point of the GR. Agreed wholeheartedly.

I would love to have a box of 96/97/98 GR cigars..each and every one. I just wonder if the factories have that capabiltiy at the moment.

With the GR it is my current opinion (and time may change it) that they are striking the level of brilliance some 33% of the the time. I would like that to be higher right now but there is a chance with a couple of years age that it will at least double.

The problem is that due to the price point many have purchased singles from around the globe. I think those who have laid down a box or two for a few years will be rewarded.

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The next guy follows up basically saying "Yeah I agree with your review. I thought it sucked" which isn't what you said, and then you kinda say, "Yeah, it wasn't all that" followed by a series of "I too think it sucked" posts.

What? I never said it sucked I said the first one I had sucked. This one had a great half that I rated because of it.

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My apologies for confusing you Yoruba Hacker. I should have been more specific in my word selection. Rather than concurring with cellinisart's "conclusion," I probably should have used the word "experience." As I stated...I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the Cohiba Gran Reserva, but it was all downill from there. I certainly would not have rated it in the upper 90s as our esteemed host did, but I do see the potential for improvement in this cigar with some age, as Rob and cellinisart pointed out, and which I believe I pointed out as well...but that is never a certainty, am I right? While I would have liked to give the cigar a higher rating with a better smoking experience given the price point I paid for my Gran Reservas, I have to say in all honesty that the cigar did not pass muster in "my" taste test (90 at best). Of course, as you pointed out...taste is subjective and I believe, totally in the provenance of the indiviudal who is smoking the cigar being reviewed. While cigars can be very, very similar...let's be fair...no two cigars are identical (hopefully my next will be better) - kind of like the snowflake analogy. While I am happy that your expereince with your Gran Reservas have been astounding, I have to stand by my opinion from my experience and say that mine was unsatisfactory. Even at El Presidente's hit rate (for an outstanding GRs) at 33% seems lower than it should be, IMHO, for a cigar at this price point. Those are my own expectations though, and they may not be yours, or that of others, which if fine. As far as comparing the Gran Reserva to regular production Cohiba vitolas...I see no problem with that. The Cohiba band still sits on top of the Gran Reserva band, does it not? Ultimately, the GR is still a Cohiba...at least in my book. Special blends, aged tobacco and what not...a cigar is a cigar whether it be machine made, or hand made; whether it is a NC, or a CC. Quality and flavor my differ among these, but that has never precluded us from drawing comparisons between different cigars, whether it be by country, marca, vitola or manufacture. I hope this helps clear things up...

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My apologies for confusing you Yoruba Hacker. I should have been more specific in my word selection. Rather than concurring with cellinisart's "conclusion," I probably should have used the word "experience." As I stated...I enjoyed the first two-thirds of the Cohiba Gran Reserva, but it was all downill from there. I certainly would not have rated it in the upper 90s as our esteemed host did, but I do see the potential for improvement in this cigar with some age, as Rob and cellinisart pointed out, and which I believe I pointed out as well...but that is never a certainty, am I right? While I would have liked to give the cigar a higher rating with a better smoking experience given the price point I paid for my Gran Reservas, I have to say in all honesty that the cigar did not pass muster in "my" taste test (90 at best). Of course, as you pointed out...taste is subjective and I believe, totally in the provenance of the indiviudal who is smoking the cigar being reviewed. While cigars can be very, very similar...let's be fair...no two cigars are identical (hopefully my next will be better) - kind of like the snowflake analogy. While I am happy that your expereince with your Gran Reservas have been astounding, I have to stand by my opinion from my experience and say that mine was unsatisfactory. Even at El Presidente's hit rate (for an outstanding GRs) at 33% seems lower than it should be, IMHO, for a cigar at this price point. Those are my own expectations though, and they may not be yours, or that of others, which if fine. As far as comparing the Gran Reserva to regular production Cohiba vitolas...I see no problem with that. The Cohiba band still sits on top of the Gran Reserva band, does it not? Ultimately, the GR is still a Cohiba...at least in my book. Special blends, aged tobacco and what not...a cigar is a cigar whether it be machine made, or hand made; whether it is a NC, or a CC. Quality and flavor my differ among these, but that has never precluded us from drawing comparisons between different cigars, whether it be by country, marca, vitola or manufacture. I hope this helps clear things up...

Thanks. And I hope I didn't come off like I was ripping anyone, as that was in no way my intent. As I said in a previous post, I read Prez's 33% not to say that it was good a third of the time, but rather that a third of the time it was one of his all-timers. I take that as high praise indeed.

I couldn't agree more that each individual experience is a thing in and of itself, especially for Cuban cigars. Not so much the case with NC's, which I think most will agree are more consistent in their performance. But I'll swap greater complexity and richness of flavor for that consistency in a heartbeat. My Cuban-to-Non ratio bears that out both in my wallet and inventory.

Interested in your opinions with more time and frequency. Heck, mine too!

One thing that is appearing as a common experience is that when it doesn't blow one away, it's because the last third drops off and seems to get bitter. I had the same experience with the third one I smoked, almost to the letter, which is why to me that one was just "good" overall. Again, if I only had that one, I'd be in line with the rest of the folks that were underwhelmed value-wise. But I could say the same about my Davi 2, '96 Esplendido and '98 Fundadores experiences. Yet to have a cigar where every one was among the best I've ever had. I guess my lasting impressions focus more on the best of them versus the worst. But even if we turn it upside down, so far my worst CGR beats the **** out of my worst Esplendido, Davi 2, Fundadore, or Monte 2, FWIW.

Just one guy's utterly subjective experience.

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I am discovering the forum and this is my first connection. as in many countries, in France (where I live) smoking is getting harder and harder and we are sees like junkies polluting other.

I am very happy to discover this site and read your posts where you share those nice moments of Cigare smoking that are far from what most people think.

Regarding this allready famous Gran Reserva, I have had the chance to biy and smoke several of it during various trip in Habana. I personaly find it perfect to my test. I love its balance and the journey it takes me through.

Thank you very much for this nice review. even if don't agree totally with the "conclusion", I really like how it is done. it really let us feel the evolution of the smoke.

I hope I can find other pieces of this vitolle during my next Cuban trip.

looking forward reading other review.

PS: sorry if my English is not perfect. I will improve reading this site :rolleyes:

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