Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos POS MAY 07

[ATGroom]

Selectos?

[Professor Twain]

Secretos?

[anacostiakat]

» Secretos?

Sounds like a bait and switch! ;-)

[cls515]

» Secretos?

Thanks for the unbiased review.

[El Presidente]

» Selectos?

It was late Fixed.

[ATGroom]

» » Selectos?

»

» It was late Fixed.

Still missed one in the first line and another at about line 11. ;-)

[stever]

Thanks for the nice review.

Just got done smoking one myself this evening thanks to Matthew. Overall, quite a rich, flavorful smoke with some tannic and bitter aspects that will obviously dissipate with age.

At times, I was picking up some flavor notes similar to what I have found in the Cohiba Piramide 2006 EL, especially in the first half of the Secretos. Did you notice any similarities?

[El Presidente]

» in the Cohiba Piramide 2006 EL, especially in the first half of the

» Secretos. Did you notice any similarities?

Outside of the underlying cocoa elements I did not pick up many simmilarities. This of course means I have to try another ;-)

[tigger]

Nice (and honest) review Rob!

I had one of these last night, and was thoroughly unimpressed.

I know they're not exactly the same size, but in the little cigar category, I would take RASSCs hands-down over these. Might have been a dud (it wasn't bad though, just didn't meet my expectations for its price point), or maybe it needed a few years of rest, but I don't think I'll be buying many of these.

On the other hand, The Genios I also smoked last night while playing poker and getting lures wet on a friend's boat was pretty tasty.

[El Presidente]

Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos POS MAY 07

Half Corona

Sometimes your expectations can get you carried away. I has such expectations that the Secretos would be the ultimate Half Corona. This is completely unfair as it has to compete with one of my favourite cigars in the Trinidad Reyes....To surpass a Trini Reyes would be no mean feat indeed as it is the finest half corona in the world bar none and by a significant length.

The Secretos looks the part. Dark and sleek which elicit menacing notions of power and glory. Construction is top class, smell at cold all cocoa and sweet tobacco.

Clipped the cap, fine draw and a dark licorice taste to the lips.

Fired up the foot and there was a mesmerising mix of cocoa and white pepper. The fuller bodied of the three Maduro 5 releases at least at the start.

It quickly got into stride with a sweet mix of cocoa and cream. Wonderful, delightful but it has you looking for a tad more. Fuller version of the finest Monte 4 in flavour profile.

To me the biggest problem in the three Secretos that I have now smoked is that they are a tad one dimensional....constrained....limited in their flavour delivery. For sure they are laden with cocoa and cream but there is something lacking...a kick here...a change there.

I won't bore you with third to third changes as there were none. They started very good and ended very good. Medium full to begin with and then dropping back to medium. Some white pepper through the nose, bit all in all a little cocoa and cream stick which would be ideal as an early morning cigar.

Better than a Trini Reyes......NO. Different sure and I will have these in my humidor in rotation becasue I enjoyed it and because I can't wait to see how they develop. Certainly in the Top 4 Half Corona's (Trinidad Reyes/Cohiba Siglo 1/RASCC) I just struggle to know where I would rank it personally. I think I need to let them rest and revisit later. I do know that the flavour profile will make it one of the greats to some and a disappointment to others.

I am going to be tough in scoring this cigar because of its pricepoint and because I would happily reach for a Trini Reyes over it. However, it would not suprise me if after revisiting the box in 90 days it becomes a revelation.

88/100 4/6 Smokerings.