Wrapperless Taste Test. Maduro 5 Genios V Cohiba Robusto

[Jimmy2]

Nice work.

[BigSlick]

Man, that was a great experiment/review Rob!

[shrink]

Truly fascinating research, Rob! This particular comparison not only highlights the flavor and filler differences between the Cohiba Robusto and the new Genios, but the relative contributions of the wrappers as well. I would never have suspected that the wrapper would have such a significant impact on the flavor, but I am amazed that it would so positively influence the cigar's approachability too. Re-applying the wrappers seems to have 'tamed' both cigars, with the Genios benefitting most from the wrapper. And how could the wrapper actually mitigate the burnt and bitter elements so effectively? Part of the magic of Habanos... those blenders know what they're doing!

Bravo! One of the best reviews you've penned yet.

[Ginseng]

Brilliant work, Rob. You are truly a distinguished student of the leaf!

:clap:

Your statement below, "However, its impact is not so much a distinct one off flavour....but how it's addition affects the entire interplay and balance of the cigar" seems to speak to a successful wrapper-blend integration would you say? That is, imparting no distinct, identifiable character on its own yet serving to integrate the overall profile?

Wilkey

[El Presidente]

» Re-applying the

» wrappers seems to have 'tamed' both cigars, with the Genios benefitting

» most from the wrapper. And how could the wrapper actually mitigate the

» burnt and bitter elements so effectively? Part of the magic of Habanos...

» those blenders know what they're doing!

»

I make a hell of a wild game stew. I use mature rooster, chicken livers, wild rabbit, wild goat and add potatoes, carrots, onions etc. It is a pungeant combination made even more so with a small square of Beligian cooking chocolate. Slow cooked for 12 hours it comes out full bodied and viscous with a slight bitterness. That is before I add a little cream ;-)

Changes the entire complextion of the dish.

The wrapper on both cigars did the same particularly on the Maduro Cohiba 5. It's presence almost completely removed the charred wood notes and evened out the cigar providing near perfect balance.

In answering Wilkeys question, the wrapper re-organised/transformed the flavours by "adding" elements to the mix. It was the "cream" to the stew.

[JMH]

Really interesting, thanks! Wouldn't it have been a bit easier to take a knife and cut the wrapper at the half way mark and then just peeled off the first half though?

[Gryphon]

Fantastic comparison. Thanks. Do you have box codes on the two cigars?

[n2advnture]

VERY well done Rob!

~Mark

[anacostiakat]

Great Lab report! Nothing like R & D! Thanks Rob!

[Smokin Bulldog]

Thanks Rob! This may be the most interesting cigar review I have ever read!!:-D

[tigger]

Fascinating!

Thanks again for sharing this stuff with us Rob.

[Colt45]

Brav-freakin'-O!! :clap:

[zuma]

Well... that'd be the best stab at heart of the discussion on the role of wrappers on cigar character... Onya pres!

[stickman]

» Thanks Rob! This may be the most interesting cigar review I have ever

» read!!:-D

My exact thoughts

[Mike33]

Very well done Rob and interesting conclusions as well!

[greenpimp]

Excellent, fascinating. Thank you.

Although I'm sure you wish JMH had offered that idea yesterday.:-D

[jwm8592]

Well done Pres., that is very interesting especially since most of my "experienced" cigar friends have told me (after experiencing a wrapper crack, peel, break off etc..) that the wrapper really has no significance to the cigar other than to hold it together.

[TexaSmoke]

Nice work Rob. That was very interesting.

[gyosa]

prez ,

without a doubt , the most fascinating review i have ever read !

well done !

btw , i have come to the conclusion that you have WAAAAAY too much free time on your hands ! :-P :-P

-bk

[jakebarnes]

Very interesting review. Thanks for doing this, Rob. Gave me a lot of insight into just how much the wrapper plays into the overall cigar experience

[Professor Twain]

BRAVO!!!! What an amazing review.

What is next? As long as you are mutilating cigars in the pursuit of Truth, how about a side by side of an EL and regular edition of the same marca?

[hoyopr]

Awesome review Rob,

I'm wondering if you feel the fact that it is a Maduro leaf vs the Robustos or if you think the aging of the wrapper leaves may have been the reason for the difference between them (40% vs 20%). I read on Trevors site the Maduro wrappers are aged 5 years, how long would the Robustos leaf be aged?

[El Presidente]

» Really interesting, thanks! Wouldn't it have been a bit easier to take a

» knife and cut the wrapper at the half way mark and then just peeled off

» the first half though?

That thought occured to me after I took off the wrapper :-)

[El Presidente]

» BRAVO!!!! What an amazing review.

»

» What is next? As long as you are mutilating cigars in the pursuit of

» Truth, how about a side by side of an EL and regular edition of the same

» marca?

Way ahead of you :-) . Looking at doing a similar review on the new HDM Regalos LE and the HDM Epicure No 1. I just need to find an EPi one of similar vintage to be fair.

[El Presidente]

» Awesome review Rob,

» I'm wondering if you feel the fact that it is a Maduro leaf vs the

» Robustos or if you think the aging of the wrapper leaves may have been the

» reason for the difference between them (40% vs 20%). I read on Trevors site

» the Maduro wrappers are aged 5 years, how long would the Robustos leaf be

» aged?

The fermentation cycle of the Maduro and Standard Cohiba wrapper are different. It is a secret that very few people would be aware of inside TABACUBA.

One can only assume that the Maduro cycle is longer and at a different temperature. Then the ageing process begins.

The Maduro wrapper that TABACUBA has produced is very different to anything that I have seen before in Havana. It is certainly not simply a dark LE leaf. The more I experience it the more I am coming to appreciate it. What this brief experiment has shown is that the leaf imparts its own flavour characteristics but in doing so transforms the filler blend flavours experienced. While only making up say 6% of actual leaf density, its overall effect is far far more than I had envisioned.

It has also given me more respect for the blending process. The blender or blending team when formulation the Genios have integrated the filler blend/ binder and wrapper perfectly.

I would give a kings ransom to have been there when this cigar had been developed. Their process would not have been too different to what we have done here.....taking different blends and making up differing cores before applying the wrapper and ascertaining what balanced best.

What I would love to do is take a Cohiba Robusto, take off the wrapper and apply a Maduro wrapper. I will attempt this when we have some Magicos come in. I will then apply the Cohiba Robusto wrapper to the Magicos.