Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos TMO MAY 07

[Colt45]

This cigar was the generous gift of Professor Twain - I'm very thankful for the opportunity to have tried it.

Construction: Uniformly firm with a good feel in the hand. A very well constructed cigar.

Appearrance: Dark colorado wrapper. relatively dry and rather leathery to the touch, with a number of dried oil splotches.

Pre-light Aroma / Draw: Light barnyard aroma. Proper firm draw with a distinct but not overpowering taste of cedar.

Draw: Very good draw. Excellent smoke volume, good burn which was just slightly off overall.

Taste: Initial draws are smooth and dense. No flavors jump out, but there is a bit of white pepper. As it progresses, I get a sense

of carob, as in a carob protein / energy bar. Medium in body with a great draw and smoke volume. Burn early is just a bit off, but not

in need of correcting.

Ending the first and into the middle third body picks up some, and flavor becomes darker and just a bit earthy, leaning toward unsweetened

cooking chocolate, with an edge of chile that leaves a tingle on the tip of the tongue. Draw and smoke volume remain excellent with the

burn remaining just slightly off.

Nearing midpoint, there are a few cherry hints. Impressions up to now are of a relatively tasty but somewhat disjointed cigar that is still

showing it's youth.

Transitioning into the final third, I get a core of lightly sweet tobacco with a dense creamy mid palate, and a fairly sharp finish. Body is

medium plus. Nearing the finish, flavor has remained consistent, though the youthful sharpness has become more evident. That, combined

with the with the occasional hints of fruit lead me to believe that this cigar is still evolving.

My early hunch is that these will become good, albeit fairly straightforward cigars. Much thanks again PT!

*Score*

Flavor Intensity - 5/7

Complexity - 3/7

Performance - 2/3

Enjoyment - 2/3

Total - 12/20

** After some recent discussions on scoring numbers and the like, I gave it some thought and decided to try something a little different.

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel, or proposing this as a standard. Nor am I suggesting others use it, or that I will continue to use it

myself. I still feel that the body of a review is most relevant, and that as a guide, the number breakdown should accompany the final score.

In compressing the scales, my thought is to help make it a little more objective, though in the end, it remains a fairly subjective practice.

Any thoughts - good, bad, or indifferent are welcome.

[Padrino]

Nice review Colt...

Personally I've really tried to give the Cohiba Maduro a chance, but for some or other reason i'm indifferent to this whole Cohiba Maduro thing. To borrow a word from your review, i find the entire line "disjointed".....

[crasmith]

Thanks for the nice review Colt! I have yet to try one.

[Guest rob]

Well done.

I also like the thought you put into the scoring system. Kudos for the effort.

[MikeHoncho3133]

I have a 10ct. sitting at the moment. I have previously smoked 2 and the taste and profile were so different. I guess only time will tell what the others will bring.

[Professor Twain]

Great to get your reaction to these Ross, I respect your palate and opinions. I am pleased that you did pick up the carob/dark chocolate notes that I think are the hallmark of this cigar. I agree that complexity is not the strong suit of the Secretos.

[Colt45]

Great to get your reaction to these Ross

Many thanks again PT. I'm now intrigued by the series, and am looking forward to the magicos (and the rest). While smoking it I wondered

if this blend might benefit from a different size - perhaps carlota or parejo or something similar......

[Colt45]

Personally I've really tried to give the Cohiba Maduro a chance, but for some or other reason i'm indifferent to this whole Cohiba Maduro thing. To borrow a word from your review, i find the entire line "disjointed".....

There are a few issues with the line that have been / can be discussed.

Are they / should they be called Cohiba? - not really for me to say, but I do feel they're using the Cohiba name for marketing / pricing

purposes.

Maduro in general - Is it simply to offer something different, a marketing ploy, or an honest attempt at varying flavor profiles, etc?

[bolivr]

Thanks Colt for the review and also thanks to you and Professor for the thoughtful dialogue.

Whether these should be branded Cohiba? I would say yes if I could identify the smoke as a Maduro version of the brand. In other words I was looking for something in the flavor that gave me the impression of a core of Cohiba-ness. It tells me I have lit up a premium cigar.

If it did I would call it an honest attempt to extend the brand. Right now the Secretos confuses me with its intent. It's just.....out there.

[Padrino]

Maduro in general - Is it simply to offer something different, a marketing ploy, or an honest attempt at varying flavor profiles, etc?

Judging by Habanos SA's latest trends as well as future ones there appear to be fewer honest attempts at varying flavor profiles and more marketing ploys than ever before. A prime example being the ever increasing yearly list of regional releases, of which maybe a handful will actually be of any good.

It's difficult for me NOT to be cynical of anything new they decide to shovel out these days. That said if i had to choose one of the Maduros I'd take the Secretos, the thinner RG being more subtle in flavors.

[Professor Twain]

Thanks Colt for the review and also thanks to you and Professor for the thoughtful dialogue.

Whether these should be branded Cohiba? I would say yes if I could identify the smoke as a Maduro version of the brand. In other words I was looking for something in the flavor that gave me the impression of a core of Cohiba-ness. It tells me I have lit up a premium cigar.

If it did I would call it an honest attempt to extend the brand. Right now the Secretos confuses me with its intent. It's just.....out there.

For me there is nothing Cohiba like in these cigars, other than the fact that they seem to be made from top quality tobacco. The distinctive Cohiba flavors are fairly subtle, so the maduro flavor overwhelms any hint of the marca.

Maybe we can get Rob to commission a roller to make us Maduro Bolivars. Now that could be interesting, potentially earthy dark chocolate.

[PigFish]

...I still feel that the body of a review is most relevant, and that as a guide, the number breakdown should accompany the final score.

In compressing the scales, my thought is to help make it a little more objective, though in the end, it remains a fairly subjective practice.

Any thoughts - good, bad, or indifferent are welcome.

Enjoyed the review and agree with you once more. I use numbered reviews sparingly and only when asked to include them. Since we all see the number values differently I find them totally worthless. What we do understand is when the reviewer writes an interesting review and describes the cigar in a fashion we understand (like you have here). When a reviewer states the cigar was excellent or exceptional that is about all I need to hear assuming that I trust the palate of the individual.

[Colt45]

When a reviewer states the cigar was excellent or exceptional that is about all I need to hear assuming that I trust the palate of the individual.

Yes Piggy, and it helps to know if the reviewers tastes are aligned with your own.

If I may add one more thing about this cigar - it just seemed too short to have time to develop. Maybe it wouldn't regardless of size,

but this is why I mentioned this blend as a carlota.

A bit thinner to hopefully concentrate the flavor some, and a little longer to give it time for the flavors to flesh out.

[jeromeroselli]

Smoking a Secretos is akin to lighting up a kit kat bar. IMHO.

[bolivr]

Maybe we can get Rob to commission a roller to make us Maduro Bolivars. Now that could be interesting, potentially earthy dark chocolate.

absolutely

[MIKA27]

Great review Colt.

I myself tried and savoured the CM5 Secretos over the Easter long weekend and to tell you the truth, I really enjoyed the experience.

Your comment on the dark cooking chocolate was spot on. I generally smoke the thicker gauge CC's and to try something a great deal thinner was surprisingly pleasant.

The entire cigar lasted approximately 40 minutes and for my palate, it is a spot on treat!

[PointSource]

I've smoked two of these.....and just didn't get it. Both were about 1 year old....4 months in my care, custody and control. It was disappointing...