2008 Cohiba Robusto - Cigar Review Contest

[Skyfall]

Cigar - 2008 Cohiba Robusto (Box Code Unknown)

I pulled this cigar out of my humidor as I was doing some re-arranging. I recall this was part of a trade I made about two and a half years ago. It's the only one I have, and it's been sitting there for 2.5 years in a random box of singles tucked away in the back of my humidor.

Paired with an Old Pulteney 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch.

FYI - One of the most perfect Cigar & Scotch pairings I have ever come across. = The key to both is the salt. It really ties in both together harmoniously.

The Cigar and Scotch was enjoyed after a wonderful meal that was prepared for me. Garlic and fresh picked rosemary marinated Ribeye Steak, grilled medium rare and served sliced with baked potato, fresh salad, grilled asparagus, and garlic bread. Served with Cabernet and Claret wines. Finished off with a Nespresso Espresso, homemade chocolate chip brownies smothered in Blue Bell Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream.

CIGAR:

Kept at 65% RH and 65F

Dry Boxed for 36 hours prior to smoking

Appearance: Just gorgeous, like a well oil seat of a leather saddle.

Smell (cold) : Slightly grassy, but more of a musty salted caramel, dusty leather, cedar, salt of the sea smell. The most prominent smell and later taste, Figs, warm figs covered in caramel and dipped in a cappuccino.

Draw: Perfect : A little on the tighter side as opposed to the wind tunnel side, but I like that, it was perfect.

Burn: Slow and consistent. The burn line traversed the cigar like a perfect invasion of fire burning through, as a brush fire burns down a mountain side. Unilateral and precise.

Smoke: Voluptuous! Velvety, Viscous on the palate. Thick and Creamy Leather and Cedar. The smoke temperature was not too hot at all. Perfectly Chewy and encompassing!

1st Third: WOW, straight out of the gate, flavors took no time to get going. Salt of the Sea, creamy caramel, musty leather, cedar and again Figs and dates, that stewed fruit characteristic. Just fantastic. Medium/Full , closer to Full Flavor.

2nd Third: All of the flavors from the first third continue, but a defined and complex presence of vanilla characteristic enrobed the smoke. But not a "familiar" vanilla like taffy, milk, shortbread ect., but what I later described as only Marzipan. The perfect union of those stewed or warmed stone fruit flavors of fig and date and some black cherry mixed with a creamy and salty vanilla. It was Marzipan, that's exactly what it was!!! It was complex, sophisticated, layered, yet unified in its presence with all of the other flavors. Each layer of flavor complimented and "held hands" with the others. The smell of this smoke was intoxicating and down right addicting. At one point I was just sitting there, pulling in the smoke through my nose for 5 minutes straight or so. The coffee/milky latte quality took a back seat during the second third, but was still evident.

Final Third: The complex development of flavors of this cigar was magical. The journey of the senses was, no doubt refined and mature. The Final Third was all Marzipan and Creamy Creamy Coffee, Just delicious. I found myself literally chewing and smacking the smoke on my palate. If you can imagine a high grade espresso made into the most perfectly balanced creamy latte, and then a shot of warm Dr. Pepper was added, then it was filtered through a dark chocolate and salted caramel brownie into a mug made of old worn in leather, and the mug had been kept in a Spanish cedar box buried in a field on the salty sea side of Scotland somewhere = That's what the final third tasted like! I can't describe it any better than that. Paired with the scotch is was phenomenal. Absolutely top notch. Refined, sophisticated, balanced, layered, mature, and unified. Classic and Nostalgic!

Rating:

Appearance: 9/10

Draw: 9/10

Smell: 9/10

Burn: 10/10

1st Third: / 9/10

2nd Third: 10/10

Final Third: 10/10

Smoke Feel/Viscosity/Temp: 10/10

Defined Flavors: 10/10

Complex Development: 10/10

Total: 96/100

(I was being pretty judgmental on Appearance, Draw and Smell. Honestly, the appearance and smell could have been 10/10 any other day, It's probably more fairly a 97.5 cigar)

Great weekend at my sisters house!

[Jszeto]

excellent review!

[sw15825]

Great Review! Thank you! This is one of my faves. My Favorite Robusto for sure.

[celtmick1984]

You are driving me to smoke . . .

[ritan]

My mouth actually watered...some of the finest descriptives I have come across in a cigar review.

You really should do more. Well done!!

[dangolf18]

Nice. My '08 CoRo are smoking like a dream.

[finecigar]

Fantastic review! I really enjoyed reading. Thanks for sharing

[mk05]

Great review. Looks like an MEL08

[maverickdrinker]

Nice review bro. Well written.

[Strada]

Very well written review

[Zacapa]

Great review skyfall

Always good to hear about scotch and cigar pairings that go well - as this is tricky to get right! Ive heard good things about the Pulteney 21yo.

as an aside have you got yourself either a spirit tasting glass (i.e. "sherry glass") and/or a glencairn glass for your spirits? They capture the aromas so much more than the rocks glasses