Quai D'orsay Coronas

[PigFish]

I have been telling myself that I need to open a new box of cigars for sometime now. I was looking for a cab of Punch SS1, I know they are hiding somewhere, but while I was on the hunt for them I came across these. The last QdO coronas that I smoked were from '01 and those were to die for, so I plucked out the box and decided to take the it and the doggy out on the front porch for a little R&R.

I had some pretty high expectations for these and while they are not quite as good as the '01, this cigar can stand up to the best of them.

Construction was very good from a smoking perspective, but as far as aesthetics are concerned, they were about average or perhaps a little below. I have been smoking some beautiful cigars lately, Monte Esp, the RGCE and HdM du Roi's and with the quality of those cigars I have been pretty tough on the looks of some others. Smiles can be deceiving as they say... and so can the beautiful cigar.

The cigar felt a little less than firm, but that turned out to be no problem, The aroma was sweet, almost of aged tobacco and on the pungent side, but not harsh. The foot took to flame well and we were off to the races.

Typically this would be the time when Ray, there were 3 Rays living on the block until recently, would come by for a chat. Ray would come up with his two dogs and stop and talk with me while all the dogs played on the lawn and I smoked a cigar. Living at the top of the hill he would catch his breath at my house while on his daily walk. He would tell me stories of working for Douglas MacArthur during the great WWII, all the places he had seen and the wives he had divorced! We shared the same cardiologist and would tell the same gruesome stories of the heart procedures we endured. He was a screwy old bastard, but a good neighbor and friend. He passed a week ago on Saturday.

Anyway... the first draws on the cigar were medium strength of sweet oats and honey. The smoke was cool, the way I like it, and very intriguing. At first I though the cigar might be running on the mild side but she opened up to a blend of mint, cilantro and asian spices. There was an undertone of medium-light tobacco with no bite or pepper. While the cigar appeared almost mild but the tastes were abundant and progressed nicely.

Lady Piggy, Little Trashy (my dog) and I enjoyed watching the sun set and the quiet of the early evening.

If you have not had the pleasure of the QdO coronas, might I suggest that you call Rob for a box, or at least some singles on your next order. This cigar lasted me about an hour and twenty minutes, and was probably good for five more if I was not in a hurry to finish up with the horses for the evening. This was a fine sample of what a good cigar can be and what coronas used to be.

Thanks for reading. ~Piggy

[ChanceSchmerr]

That was a wonderful review, Ray - very poetic and with great pictures. I have yet to try QD Coronas, having been scared off by a terrible Imperiales....perhaps it's time I give 'em a try.

Very nice review!

[cigcars]

*Delish - they look simply delish! And cute doggy there on your knee too!

[greenpimp]

Very nice review. I am parsing myself out the last few of my '01s. I love them, they are not overly strong but bursting with smooth flavor, and the middle of them has this powdered sugar character that I have not found in another cigar.

[khomeinist]

An outstanding review of an excellent, underrated cigar.

This is one of my standard late-afternoon cigars. The gentle complexity allows my mind to wander and sets up my appetite for dinner. A bit like a good La Gloria in that regard.

Anyway. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on one of my favorites!

[OZCUBAN]

Great post Ray

photos certainly did the cigars justice ,they look yummy

Cheers OZ

[El Presidente]

Ray, couple of points.

1. Condolences for the loss of your neighbour mate.

2. Great review! Van actually got me back to trying QD again and he was right.

3. I thought you would have had a real dog? I assume the neighbors dogs are greyhounds and they pop around to chase the rabbit.

[sandholm]

Hi

First sorry for the lost of your friend and neighbour, its great to have nice neighbours.

Thanks for the nice cigar review, I had some 03 (i think it was, they where singles) and they where OK, i need to get some new once and have a try. I quite like the band.

What race is your dog?

cheers

[El Presidente]

What race is your dog?

cheers

Rabbit cross Bichon Frise.

[dicko]

Thanks for the review, great pics and story, and condolences for your neighbour, that generation really set we younger generations up through their efforts.

The cigars look delicious, I like the size of them I will definitely buy some singles next order to try

[daboose]

Thanks for the review Piggy. I'm liking this vitola and smaller ones more and more. I'll add this to my list to try.

Cafe Creme is on the radar!

[CUBANO]

Sorry about your neighbour, good friends are hard to come by. Thanks for the review, have always wanted to try this marque.

[thechenman]

Piggy...sorry to hear about the loss fo your friend/neighbor. Good neighbors can be harder to find than good friends. Thoroughly enjoyed the review of the QoD Corona. They've struck me in the past a fairly mild, but I'm willing to give it marca another go...

[cgarner]

Great review. Love the pictures and your writing style. Never tried this cigar buy I will have to keep an eye out and see what Rob comes up with.

[samb]

Man, have I been wanting a box of these!!

[PigFish]

Ray, couple of points.

...3. I thought you would have had a real dog? I assume the neighbors dogs are greyhounds and they pop around to chase the rabbit.

The man has no shame! After an obsequious and gratuitous plug for his brokerage... he insults my dog! -LOL I have in mind a new review for you mate!!!

Back to the dog! This dog's got sand! She is a Maltese mix (designer dog) that someone dumped because she had distemper. We got her as a rescue, and she was in really bad shape at the time. Her full breed status is unknown to us. I find it interesting to see someone else refer to the "race" of dogs. I have never come across another, other than myself, to use that term interchangeably with "breed." Just a side note.

I did not want this dog! I was working long hours, mostly at night and Lady Piggy wanted an indoor pet. We have horses, including miniature ones, but they are not 'often' allowed inside!!! In 2007 I scheduled a hip replacement, I had just finished a major department store remodel and had finished about 4 weeks early. I thought I had time before my next project so I called the surgeon. Two days before my surgery, Lady Piggy brings home this scrappy, little ratty dog... I say, "where did you get that thing... outta' the trash can?" She says, "she is your birthday present. SURPRISE!" I was really pissed; her bringing that bed of infection in the house 2 days before I was to have the top of my right femur sawn off and replaced with steel parts!

We are best of friends now. I love this dog and I take her everywhere. You might have noticed where she got her name.

She will fight tooth and nail, LP's 1400lb bag of Alpo (our Paint horse, Pooka) for a scrap of a carrot. She does not really like carrots. She just does not want the 'herbivore' to get to cocky!

[Van55]

Condolences on the loss of your neighbor and friend, Piggy.

I think the cigar you reviewed is still referred to as the Coronas Claro. They are discontinued, as I recall.

These are the cigar that I invariably recommend to people who are interested in a "beginner" Cuban cigar. They can probably justly be referred to as "mild" on the palate, but they are nonetheless full of abundant, complex Cuban tobacco flavors.

I'm glad to have persuaded Rob to revisit them and that, on doing so, he found them as good as I had portrayed them to be.

Nice review, Piggy. Nice pooch, too. I have a Shih Tzu/Yorkshire mix breed who has a serious Napoleon complex -- having a need to prove that he's the biggest, meanest dog on the block. One day I fear he will end up as an hors d'oeuvre for one of the big dogs he insists on standing up to.

[thechenman]

Piggy...I've two dogs of my own...or I should say my family does. We've got a 12you Shih-Tzu named Max. Great dog...seriously smartest dog I ever met. My wife (then girlfriend) and I bought him when we were still living in the city at a place called Pets on Lex. Got to play with a bunch of puppies including Max and his siblings, but my wife fell in love with Max's energy. He was house broken in a week. Took all of three hours to teach him to beg, sit, standup, lay down, shake hands, rollover, play dead, bark on command. We have never had to walk him on a leash...even in Manhattan. He never strayed more than five or six feet away, unless you signaled to him by waving your hand that he could run. He even knew not to wander into the streets, but that could have been due to all the traffic. Simply amazing.

My wife got another dog when my daughter was born nearly two years ago. This one we picked up a the local AKC. She is a designer breed as well...they call her a Shi-Chon, a mix between a Shih-Tzu and a Bicho Friese. Her name is Minnie. Quite honestly she is one of the dumbest dogs I've ever met. Can't let her off the leash or she runs. Digs under the fence to get into the neighbors yard. Jumps in the pool. Won't learn tricks or basic commands (even simple ones), took forever to house break...and the list goes on and on. Totally the opposite of Max.

One final note. I had a Cocker Spaniel growing up named Timmy. Great dog, very loyal and affectionate, and loved to play catch. We got him at the local pound. I think he was about 2 years old then. For the first two years we had him, he never ever barked. Hardly made a sound. One day a policeman came and rang the doorbell as someone had reported a gas leak in the neighborhood. As soon as Timmy saw the cop, he would not stop barking. It was strange. After that point anytime we saw a cop, which admittedly wasn't often, on walks or wherever he would bark. But that's it. Other than those times...never a sound. Makes you wonder...

[El Presidente]

We are best of friends now. I love this dog and I take her everywhere. You might have noticed where she got her name.

Ray Ray Ray.......you know it is not my bent to intentionally offend.

You want a toy dog for the man purse ...I respect your life choices.

Harley riders here also have small dogs that jump on the back of the bike. Ok...they are cattle dogs but the principle is sort of the same.

Thanks for the plug

[PigFish]

Condolences on the loss of your neighbor and friend, Piggy.

I think the cigar you reviewed is still referred to as the Coronas Claro. They are discontinued, as I recall.

These are the cigar that I invariably recommend to people who are interested in a "beginner" Cuban cigar. They can probably justly be referred to as "mild" on the palate, but they are nonetheless full of abundant, complex Cuban tobacco flavors.

I'm glad to have persuaded Rob to revisit them and that, on doing so, he found them as good as I had portrayed them to be.

Nice review, Piggy. Nice pooch, too. I have a Shih Tzu/Yorkshire mix breed who has a serious Napoleon complex -- having a need to prove that he's the biggest, meanest dog on the block. One day I fear he will end up as an hors d'oeuvre for one of the big dogs he insists on standing up to.

You are right about the Coronas Claro. In all the time that I have been writing about these it has always confused people when I write "claro." It seems that I always get a message like, "I would get these but I don't like light cigars," or "I found the coronas but not the coronas claro's.... What's the difference?"

Now that the boxes have dropped the claro designation, so have I. I believe the catalogue still lists them as Coronas Claro however.

Thanks for the kind words folks... ROB! Hope you are feeling better Van, nice to see you on line. -Piggy

[Guest rob]

Great thread Ray. After a dozen years of smoking Habanos, this particular cigar has flown under my radar... and I'm going to rectify that this week! It would have been nice if they came in a polished black box and a second band though....

Also, I love the pic of the dog in the car mirror. Very, very cool!

[mbrody]

Great review! I too have never tried QD. If they only were a bit fatter...

[mkz]

Thanks for the review Piggy!

Got myself a box of 09´s that smoke really great right now but the potential feels even greater for the future...

[CanuckSARTech]

...

...

DUDE!!!! That's not a dog, it's only got ONE EYE AND NO FREAKIN' MOUTH!!! CYCLOPS ALIEN!!!! SHOOT IT!!!!!

[MoneyPit]

Ray,

Sorry to hear about your neighbor and thanks for the help earlier this week.

Great review!! I'll have to get you to recommend a Quai D'Orsay for me in the future.

Thanks,

- Scott