Cohiba Esplendidos

Overall Score

1 review for Cohiba Esplendidos

  1. Avatar photo

    C**** I********

    Cohiba Esplendidos

    Origin : Cuba
    Format : Churchill/JulietaCohiba
    Size : 178 x 18.65 mm
    Ring : 47
    Weight : 15.07 g
    Hand-Made
    Price : ~$30 each

    I’d have to find that the Cohiba Esplendidos is one of the most exquisit cigars I been fortunate enough to enjoy (only a H. Upmann Sir Winston can match it). Although Churchill is not my favorite size, this cigar does not have any of the downsides associated to double coronas and other long vitolas.

    Appearance : [rating:4.5/5]
    The wrapper was smooth and almost completely free of visible veins on the surface, which is coloured with a golden-tan shade and a slightly darker bunching of filler leaves at the foot of the cigar. Clipping the opposite end revealed the same familiar pattern of “bunched” filler leaves at the head which immediately revealed the same honey-like, manure aroma of fine quality Cuban tobacco.

    Cohiba Esplendidos
    Construction : [rating:4.5/5]
    It is very well rolled in Colorado medio, the best leaf from Vuelta Abajo Tobacco Region. The draw was fine while the burn wasn’t 100% stable but always self-corrected. The ash wasn’t really impressive and held for a couple of centimeters.

    Cohiba Esplendidos

    Flavor : [rating:5/5]
    Flavor-wise, one of the best cigars I’ve ever had. Never went out. The stick is mostly spicy. What makes it so good is that you never know what would come next – in the first third, I noticed some cedar notes which were replaced by elegant floral scents in the second third. In the last third, Cohiba Esplendidos gets sweeter and I could feel chocolate/cocoa. Mixed with peppery flavors, it provides an outstanding finish.

    Cohiba Esplendidos

    Value : [rating:3/5]
    Cohiba Explendidos is a luxury cigar, very expensive (the second most expensive Cuban cigar in current production available, following Montecristo A). Not for everyday and also it must be well aged to perform a good smoke.

    Cohiba Esplendidos

    Overall Rating : [rating:overall/5]
    I would recommend to smoke this cigar aged, at least, four or five years old from the date of production. Cohiba Esplendidos is a cigar strongly faked, take good care with the source it came from. Enjoy it as much as I do.

    Helpful?
    0 0
    • R***** R***

      I have purchased them from my local tobacconist. He has a stash of them. I paid $10.00 a piece for them. He always does good by me. They are good, the draw is very hard. You have to v-cut them. I do enjoy the diversity of flavors in these. Having said that, the Dominican and Honduran smokes I buy are at the same level. Cuban cigars are a real pleasure because they are rare but I enjoy a Dominican Cohiba or even a Blue Mountain Double Anejo just as much.

    • A***** H***

      Spot on review – thanks!

      The best cigar I’ve ever had – simple

    • M****

      Cigar is like a beer, only bad beer is an empty beer!

      I don’t consider myself an aficionado, but I have been smoking since I walked across the stage for graduation in the 70’s.

      This is a great cigar, I remember my first. A friend came by late after returning from Cuba and when I opened the door I could smell it in his clothes. That’s when the romance began! It’s a great cigar, can’t say I recall a bad one yet! Can’t say that about the others although R&J and P&G is are very, very close second!

      Light-up and enjoy!

    • S*** S*******

      Wow! A legend, a mythical creature, much like Loch Ness or Bigfoot. These cigars are always an utter disappointment. The hype outweighs the actual exierience. I compare it to a Mike Tyson fight when he was in his prime. You pay a huge premium on pay-per-view and expect a great fight only to be let down in 30 seconds. These cigars are by far the most overpriced per quality point than any other cigar coming out of Cuba. Dead last in the Julieta No 2 category. Don’t waste your time or money, grab any other Julieta No 2 instead of these. I can honestly say, I will never smoke another Esplendidos.

    • M****

      Each time I see one of the recent Cohiba vitola close up, I am hypnotized by the glistening, gold-embossed lettering on the new bands. Befitting of “the jewel” of Habanos cigars, this particular band is wrapped around the flagship of the Cohiba brand, the Esplendido.

      The wrapper is smooth and almost completely free of visible veins on the surface, which is coloured with a golden-tan shade and a slightly darker bunching of filler leaves at the foot of the cigar. Clipping the opposite end revealed the same familiar pattern of “bunched” filler leaves at the head with immediately revealed the same honey-like, manure aroma of fine quality Cuban tobacco.

      Drawing through the cigar before lighting it produced a delightful flavour of creamy, rich tobacco with a barely detectable hint of spice. After evenly heating the foot of the cigar, I placed it in between my lips to savour that first draw of toasted tobacco … no bitterness, no bite … just a smooth, creamy flavour reminiscent of the Cohiba blend.

      For such a young cigar, I expected a slight bitterness at the start; however, from the first to the last draw, I found nothing but pleasant, rich flavors with subtle complexities as the flavors shifted ever so slightly from buttery to almost sweet, bringing back memories of the butter-cream icing spice cakes my mother used to bake for my birthday each year.

      The cigar burned perfectly with a wonderful draw, producing mouthful after mouthful of soft, balanced flavors. The dark gray ash was highlighted with pale white streaks, as the first fragment dropped off after about two to three inches.

      Although the underlying creamy flavors continued to develop throughout the entire cigar, subtle flavour changes became apparent at every inch or two. Toasted tobacco flavors and a mild nuttiness appeared and disappeared as the smoke entered my mouth and left through my nostrils.

      I thought the North Texas heat (about 100 degrees on my back porch) would surely have a detrimental affect on my experience, yet I was so wrong. Even as the sweat drizzled from my brow, I continued to enjoy the full, rich flavors of this wonderful Habanos. Not wanting to put this cigar down, I continued smoking until my lips began to heat up and my finger-tips slightly singed.

      I fully understand how the Cohiba Esplendido is one of the most sought after cigars in the world. As delightful as this cigar was at such an early age, I can only imagine how sublime it will be after several years of aging. If you have never tried one of these fabulous cigars, I encourage you to try one when the opportunity arises. You will not be disappointed.

    • M****

      The only Cuban I smoke.Recently I have found that in a box that 40% of the cigars have no draw at all, apart of that they are the best Cuba has to offer.

    • M****

      Esplendidos are the best from Cuba, have been smoking them for ages.The only problem is that you get quite a lot from 1 box with a very bad draw.
      Get a good one and no other cigar will match it for taste.

    • G*** S****

      For this tonight Cameron French Foreign Legion commemoration , I enjoyed this Esplendido , was a great experience to smoke it at the terrace of Cubaocho in Miami .
      fantastic cigar

    • J***

      To all of those who are talking about how expensive they are I can only pity you as I have just purchased a genuine set of 9 from someone who no longer wants them due to health, and guess what I only paid £50 FOR ALL 9
      If someone wants to offer me feel free

    • G*** R

      Just smoked one today. I also love SigloVs, but this one has a more sophisticated flavor profile. And this vitole does not leave one wanting more. Perfect size, slightly firm draw, excellent flavor and smoothness. That is what a Cohiba is all about. Take your time and enjoy!

    • L****

      I bought 2 boxes of Cohiba esplendidos and 2 boxes of Cohiba maduro 5 in Cuba (yes expensive)
      I have 2 humidors one for aging my cigars and and for every day smoking
      One box of Esplendidos and one box of maduro have been aging for two years.
      I also keep Romeo & Julietta Churchill which I smoke regularly I don’t age them.
      I smoke one different cigar a day,
      In April I will be receiving 2 boxes of cigars from the republican Republic they will be my first RD cigars thenI will be able to compare and see which I prefer

    • N**********

      This is the best cigar I smoked in my life, and I still have 15 sitting, aging in my humidor! Head and shoulders over all other cigars I have ever smoked. My favourite before trying this one was San Cristobal El Morro (2 of them sitting in my humidor also). I’ve smoked other Cohiba’s before (Siglo II and Robusto) and this one is a much better smoke even though those 2 are also amazing! Even burn, razor sharp ash, complex flavours, lots of delicious smoke, and a superb draw. This is the prime example of the perfect cigar experience!

    • o*******

      Absolutely brilliant cigar. I regularly smoke montecristo edmundos and I got very use to the earthy woody taste more then anything else. This one though. Much milder, I guess more sophisticated. The only thing is everywhere I look on sites they all have say haw expensive it is. I can understand the price in the U.K (ridiculous taxation) but everybody else. I get them in Cyprus (for anyone who knows where that is) for 16 Euros a piece. And for all of you that will jump and scream FAKE, I get them fro La Casa Del Habano (Habanos SA)

    • t*** p*****

      bought my . woops should say my wife bought me my first box of esplenditos. Totally hooked. Best I’ve ever had the pleasure of smoking. Will be taking a trip to Cuba soon to buy more. Paid 600 for 25

    • J**

      Inspector, good news! The offending link giving me the “ERROR” read confirms “the product is original from Habanos S.A.” Hmmm, now what? Thanks so much for all your input. It was you that recommended the site that gave me my answer. I sincerely appreciate your time! Joe

    • J**

      I sincerely appreciate all the help. Since I’m not fluent in “cigar-ese,” I’m finding the amount of information a bit confusing. Ah, well….I’ll just have to do some more investigative legwork. Again, many thanks to those who replied with helpful direction. Happy Holidays!

    • Avatar photo

      I********

      @Joe
      First thing I’d do is check whether your box is listed here: http://www.cubancigarwebsite.com/brand.aspx?brand=Cohiba
      For such rare items it’s quite hard to determine a market price, so if after reading various online materials you think that your cigars are authentic, you might want to contact reputed Cuban cigars dealers (I know that CigarsLTD [UK] often have super-rare cigars for sale, so this would be my starting point). Hope this helps.

    • J**

      I have a sealed box of 30th, 35th & 40th Anniversary Cohibas Esplendidos 1966-2006 (25 in the box). These were given to me in lieu of a fee. I am not a smoker. Monetarily, what do I have? Thank you.

    • G****

      I just got(6) From a friend. by far the best I have tried,Living in Miami you taste a lot of fakes… but when you get the real thing you def. know!

    • p*******

      I had my first Esplendido the other day, I was fortinate to get some and let me tell I’ve been smoking cigars for a while and I enjoy a good cigar and this one did not let me down. Honey Chocolety taste never went out excelent draw,burn even all the way through a great cgar, not for every day but worth the money.
      Great cigar

    • b*********

      It is worth every penny. No cigar comes close to a Cuban besides a Cuban! I really enjoy Tatuaje but they only aspire to be a Cuban are are still not a Cuban. Cuban seed is one thing but to replicate the soil and enviroment is another. Hands down a superior tabaco.

    • R**

      I am sorry for Americans. They are not free. They can’t smoke freely, and they can’t smoke Cuban cigars. “The best of the rest can rival the best, but the best of the best are Cuban.”

      Of course, they are free to travel and come out here to herf with Habano-lovers everywhere else, but I’m told 90 per cent of Americans don’t have passports.

    • R********

      Quite a nice taste, but such a difficult draw for a beginner. Almost no visable smoke. I can’t see why this is talked about so much.

    • B*********

      Great review, had my first one tonight, Splendid is the right word to describe it!

      Bart

    • p**************

      how or where do you find these. i am told they are illegal in the u.s.

    • C*****

      I have had about a dozen of these over the years and every single one of them was over the top and what every cigar should aspire to. If they weren’t so damn expensive I’d opt for a couple of boxes but that would set me back more than I can deal with plus the fact the wife might shoot me in the head,,,”You paid what for those?”

    • c********

      Dégusté dés mon arrivée à Cuba le 31 octobre.
      17.95 CUC ( $ 19.96 US).Belle apparence,construction et tirage parfaits.
      Nous laisse sur notre appêtit avec des notes
      boisées typiques de Cohiba un peu d’épices
      mais un manque de complexité et une trop grande
      linéarité.Il existe de biens meilleurs cigares
      pour moins cher.Cohiba et ma grande déception
      de cette semaine de dégustation (Aussi dégusté
      le Siglo III,et Siglo V tout aussi décevants)

    • D*

      I have a Cohiba Cuban–but not THAT one. Nice review: only question: you write “never went out.” Is that a problem somewhere? I find it really quite rare for a stogie to extinguish itself under normal procedure…

    • w*********

      My husband thinks Cuban is sometimes th only way to go! Thanks for the review~
      Cindi

    • c*** l**** l****

      The Cohiba is the best cigar what you can smoke.
      I was in Cuba in 2003,and take some boxes to the Netherlands.I have also an bigg box with temperature with crocodille leather from there,and i say the cigars are good of this moment.I have the Churcill/Jullieta(esplendidos)and the Siglio 11.And the smoke verry well.When i drink my cuba libre some times,than i take an Cohiba.And think back off that beauthiful country where i next year go back with my wife and son. Viva la Pinar del Rio.

    • j**********

      IVE BEEN SMOKING CIGARS FOR 15 YEARS AND JUST SCORED A BOX OF ESPLEDIDOS…THIS 1ST ONE I LIT UP FROM THE BOX IS EASILY THE GREATEST SMOKE IVE EVER HAD….REALLY ! IT HAS A MULTITUDE OF FLAVOR AND AROMA THAT IS UNMATCHED, WOW ….ITS GETTING BETTER WITH EVERY DRAW.I THINK IM IN LOVE

    • S**** J*****

      I had the privilege to smoke one of these, and it was a pretty good snapshot of the Cuban taste that some of the Nicaraguan and Honduran rollers are shooting for. Embargo or no, I’ll find good smokes from anywhere, and smoke them gratefully.

    • g***

      had one when my daughter was born, great memory!

    • k********

      I’ve popped one away for next christmas. cannot WAIT to try it. I paid US $24, so yes. OH so pricey.

    • i*********

      This is definitely on my wish list. I’ve heard great things about this cigar. I haven’t tried any of the Cohiba ISOM’s but the Esplendido and Siglo VI are at the top of my wants.

    • J**** T

      This is really a good cigar, but $30? No way. There are waaaay better cigars for much less. Pick a Tat. Any Tat.

    • M**********

      I had a Cohiba Esplendidos after Christmas dinner.
      Great construction, great burn.
      Nice taste. But waay too mellow for my taste.

      And nice just don´t cut it for me. At least not at that pricepoint.

      >Messerjocke

    • C***** E**********

      Oh I like the cuban cigars. They’re something special, so the quality and the taste of some dominican or honduran are great too, but sometimes I prefer a cuban one and it’s worth every penny 🙂

    • D*****

      I had the pleasure of receiving a box, or should I say – a fine crafted red cedar humidor, of the Cohiba Esplendido for my birthday last December. What a treat this cigar was.

      I’m not fully convinced that a Cuban is a superior cigar, as many of my choices are Dominican or Honduran, but as I read your review, I only wished I had not been so generous, and kept a few to age in the humidor.

      Great cigar!

    • S****

      SO EXPENSIVE. All I can say about it. Tried it once, but I think was thinking too much about the price, instead of enjoying the flavor. Which was great nonetheless 🙂

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Cigar Region Cuba
Filler Cuban
Wrapper Cuba
Binder Cuba
Length 7
Ring Gauge 47
Vitola Esplendidos
Construction Hand Made