Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos (single from 2007)

[MaltPointer]

I feel like I must be missing something with these guys. This is the second one I've smoked so far, and they're just not my cup of tea.

This one was a beautiful stick, though, no doubt about that. Slick, tight wrapper, gorgeous coffee-bean color. It looks like it should taste like a million bucks.

Aroma at cold

* very mild funky smell

* sweet tea

Pre-light draw after punching

* black coffee

* slightly tight, but acceptable draw

First third

Predominant flavor, though weak, is of dark roasted coffee, with a slight sweetness on the lips, and in the aftertaste. There's not much else. The burn is crooked as hell, and no amount of touching up will bring it in line.

Second third

The draw tightens into the red zone, so I re-clip, which helps. Still burning unevenly. Still a one-note stick. My overall impression is that there is some flavor here, but it is VERY subdued. I'm working as hard as I can to wring some flavor out, but it's just . . . blah.

I start to get a faint hint of pepper and spice (probably because I'm puffing so hard in spurts to get some sort of reaction from this dead piece of you-know-what).

Final third

Still burning unevenly. There's something out there on the edge, beyond the flat coffee taste. Maybe a burnt graham cracker?

It ends, finally. My rating on this would be in the compost range, i.e., below 75, since I would give it minimal points for flavor and burn characteristics.

Terrible smoke. I've had this stick in my humidor for quite a few months now, and I still have 3 left from the singles purchase I made. This is the second one I've smoked from that purchase, and they were both awful. Do these things get any better with age?

[smokum]

Exactly why I stay away from these. I think I had a good Genios and thats it.

[MaltPointer]

» Exactly why I stay away from these. I think I had a good Genios and thats

» it.

Amen. For the price, I'd rather smoke a Padron. Sorry for the heresy, but this little stick really pissed me off.

[shrink]

You guys aren't alone. I don't like 'em either.

[El Presidente]

I have had some disappointing ones but generally excellent which confuses me somewhat as you guys are not nongs.

I do dry box my singles for a few days before lighting up.

Can you do one more for me....no need for a full review but shoot me an e-mail. Either dry box it for 3 days or put it in the fridge for 5-6 hours (yes I am a barbarian but it works so shoot me).

try again and let me know.

[MaltPointer]

» Can you do one more for me....no need for a full review but shoot me an

» e-mail. Either dry box it for 3 days or put it in the fridge for 5-6 hours

» (yes I am a barbarian but it works so shoot me).

»

» try again and let me know.

Will do, Rob . . . I'll dry box one and light it up later this week (in between all of the Bolivars I'm gonna be smoking this week, that is . . . . )

[marco polo]

What's a nong?

[SmokinAl]

» What's a nong?

A nong is the same thing as a twerp or a twit. It's a friendly Australian expression for someone silly or foolish.

[kirill]

» Can you do one more for me....no need for a full review but shoot me an

» e-mail. Either dry box it for 3 days or put it in the fridge for 5-6 hours

» (yes I am a barbarian but it works so shoot me).

I also don't like to let "etiquette" get in the way of enjoyment, so I'd be willing to try the fridge thing. Do you put the cigar in some kind of container first or just on top of the butter? :-)

[El Presidente]

» I also don't like to let "etiquette" get in the way of enjoyment, so I'd

» be willing to try the fridge thing. Do you put the cigar in some kind of

» container first or just on top of the butter? :-)

Usually in a zip lock back with the zip lock left open.

I write on the bag "For Rob...Not School Lunches"

[MaltPointer]

For what it's worth, I just smoked another one of these . . . one of the last two I have from the initial batch that sparked this review.

Bottom line--much much better. The first third was the best--full of toasted almonds, sweet rich chocolate, and hint of hazelnut. FINALLY I see what the deal is with these little rascals.

I only have one of these left, and I'll let it sit for a minimum of another 6 months. Just wanted to correct the record and say how good this one was compared to the last one I smoked, which was so bad that, as I said to Rob in an email, "if I had a cat, I'd lick its ass, just to get this taste out of my mouth."

Just sayin'

Charles

[jdbrown]

Did you put in fridge?? I do that myself with many smokes..I place in

a 10 ct humidor and in the fridge..had one last night for the games and loved it! I prefer these to Genios and Magicos. My last Genios tasted like Kingsford Charcoal but I have had some excellent ones as well.

[El Presidente]

» Bottom line--much much better. The first third was the best--full of

» toasted almonds, sweet rich chocolate, and hint of hazelnut. FINALLY I

» see what the deal is with these little rascals.

Good to see you finally got a "cracker" mate. I have come to the conclusion these fella's need some time to even out. They are completely irratic when fresh but I have had some "dogs" come good after 12 months. This (to me) means they have real potential. What concerns me is the wide spectrum of flavour/wrapper/performance when young. When someone is looking for a great box I find the Secretos one of the most perplexing cigars to "get right".

[bolivr]

Guys, with these I have noticed a co-relation between some in the box being a firmer fill and being relatively flavorless. Smoked about 5 already and the tight ones even when showing a reasonably straight burn were the dogs.

The looser filled ones were almost decent smokes with much more flavor and complexity opening out. Mind you even these were nothing to write home about and at best offer some promise as they get some years on them. Like El Prez, I am perplexed, I am not sure what Cohiba is shooting for with the flavor profile of these right now.

I am planning to sort them out according to how firm they feel now and put the firm ones on the bottom layer of the box for much .....much later.

Anyone else noticed this co-relation?

Mike