Quai D'Orsay Grand Corona (JML May04)

[Loki]

Nice review of in my opion a lack luster stick.

I was gifted on of these by a good friend and I found it to be a mild to medium one-dimensional smoke at best.

[anacostiakat]

Similar to my experience with the Imperiales.

Just not a good ROI for me.

[Tampa1257]

Perhaps my experience has just been with very good samples of this line. I also noted the grassiness and toasted tobacco flavors, but I have also experienced a lovely citrus flavor with them and intense richness of the above flavor. While I would not compared this cigar to a Monte or Cohiba, it has shown me through my sampling to be a very tasty cigar and something that I have looked forward to as a change of pace. I will have to admit, that most of my experience has been with 2001 or earlier versions. Maybe age really develops the characteristic of this cigar and your review is an example of why this cigar may need 4-5 years on it before it can really be enjoyed.

[Tony Maduro]

» The most interesting thing to date was the burn of the cigar which managed to give Lisa a juvenile giggle :-)

I have seen this ash formation quite a few times over my cigar smoking career. Although it sucks all "coolness" out the window, it's always a crowd pleaser.

[shrink]

Boring as batshit.

Rob, you're a master of alliteration.

"He's a poet and doesn't know it".

[El Presidente]

Quai D'Orsay Grand Corona (JML May04)

I am reaching an impasse in my life regarding the Quai D'Orsay Grand Corona. It has been a longtime since I have been enthralled by any QD. The Corona Claro and Imperialles are my favourites....but they have to be "on".

So in order to ballance my own possible bias, I invited Smithy to try a Grand Corona with me. Smithy's palate is better than mine and often he can extract flavours and nuances that my well abused taste buds have long forgotten or never new.

The cigar looked gorgeous. Classic Quai D'orsay Colorado wrapper, perfect construction in every area. Smell at cold was baled hay. Clipped the end and a perfect draw was evident. No taste at cold, no savoury or sweet spice on the lips.

The Grand Corona opened up mild to medium bodied with a grassiness which corresponded to the baled hay which I detected pre lighting. Joining the grassiness was a weak milk coffee....latte...flavour. No spice through the nose. Smoke volume OK but seemed a little whispy.

Throughout the first third there really is little to get excited about. Grassiness, Milk Coffee, toasted tobacco. Now let's be clear....any one of these charachteristics can be brilliant.....the grassiness of a great Cohiba Robusto, the Milk Coffee of a superlative Monte No 4, the Toasted Tobacco of a Partagas Serie de Connoisseur...however here in the Grand Corona we had a poor mans element of each of these charachteristics. Just enough to register in the cigar...not enough of any to define it. The most interesting thing to date was the burn of the cigar which managed to give Lisa a juvenile giggle :-)

The next third was mirror of the first....Boring as batshit. I looked for salvation...I searched for positive features and then I just tried to understand what the hell Habanos was trying to blend and for whom. I know this Marque was designed for the French market and hence one would assume for the well accustomed Cuban cigar lover. Maybe they wanted to produce a cigar with straight toasted tobacco charachter to be enjoyed at any time of day and which would be consistent...yet unexciting. Well they got the last part right.

Almost finished now and I feel bogged in a pit of mediocrity. This has been ordinary. The cigar has been consistently average from the start...grassiness, weak milk coffee, toasted tobacco of dubious quality....mild to mid body. I have tried to engage it....I purged it by blowing through it, I smoked so slowly that the minute hand on my ORIS started going backwards, I begged...I pleaded and now I give up.

This was an average cigar at best. I gave it 84/100 3/6 Smokerings.

Smithy had to leave early from the tasting to get to the post office. He text me his review 20 minutes after I finished. ....."Rob...Crap Cigar"