Vitola: Toro- 6” x 50 ring gauge
- MSRP $28.99
- Samples provided by General Cigar Company
Background
We got teased. A few months ago, Sean Williams posted on social media about working on a new Cohiba project. Then at a recent event for a different brand, my local General Cigar rep slipped me an unbanded cigar that he said was “Cohiba Royale.” “With Cheese?” I asked. Pause…wait for people to get the joke. Move on.
It wasn’t long after that I got a package in the mail from General, with official “banded” release versions of the Cohiba Royale. It’s billed as a “super-premium collection that joins the Cohiba portfolio as the brand’s full-set bodied expression to date.” Brand Ambassador, Sean Williams, is said to have his fingerprints on this cigar more than any other release from the brand to date. “All the tobaccos that comprise Cohiba Royale are hand-selected and deeply aged, representing the best of the best tobacco growing regions of the world. The result is a cigar that is as bold as it is refined, befitting of the Cohiba name.”
Royale uses fillers from Jalapa and Estelí in Nicaragua, as well as Honduras’ Jamastran Valley. The binder is a Dominican Piloto Cubano. The wrapper is a sun grown leaf from the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua. I have heard at least one source refer to it as “Nicaraguan Broadleaf,” which is very intriguing to me.
These are made in General’s HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras, and shipped to retailers in March. There are 3 sizes. They provided me samples for this review; I’ve smoked 3 or 4 before this review stick. If your local shop is not carrying them, Leaf Enthusiast sponsor Small Batch Cigar has them in stock.
Prelight
When you are charging $25 to start for the smallest size, and a whopping $29 (before local tobacco taxes) for the Toro, I guess you should make sure the packaging is a little over-the-top. They did that here, with this radical arching row of cigars that shows when you open the lid. It’s dynamic, it’s almost alive feeling. I won’t deny that it’s a little silly, but I like it. Some people are going to say, “I’m paying for a bunch of packaging!” But I know about how much the packaging costs in large quantities…it really doesn’t add much to the price tag of the cigar…and like I said, when you start paying this kind of price, you should get dinner and a show…the packaging being the show.
I also really like what they’ve done to rebrand Cohiba and make everything more unified feeling. The band here is silver and red primarily, with black and white in the middle. It’s an attractive, high-end, modern look. The wrapper leaf of the cigar was a dark chocolate brown with lots of oil in the light and under my fingertips. It smelled of tea, anise, earth, and a touch of leather. On the foot I got a familiar earthiness, along with hay and a little cocoa powder.
The cold draw was very good after snipping a standard amount with my straight cutter. I got a bit of a chemical note at first, along with wood and earth and a slight vegetal flavor.
Flavor
The Cohiba Royale started off bold with a medium-to-full body, earth and cedar up front, anise and black pepper coming in close behind, then something unusual…a sweetness that also had some woodiness in it. Reminded me of something I have tasted in the Cohiba Macassar, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. The finish had some more heat in the form of cinnamon. The retrohale had slightly sweet roasted nuts and red pepper.
As I got into the second third, the earthiness definitely built up with an accompanying leather and wood mix. There was a slight sweetness in the background, almost the faint note of chocolate-covered cherries, which was really nice. Pepper was consistent on both palate and nose.
The final third of the Cohiba Royale had notes of cinnamon, black cherries, earth, and leather, along with enough pepper to keep things spicy.
Construction
I had an excellent draw, very even burn line, and solid ash.
Value
While this is the best regular-line Cohiba I can remember having, the price tag is almost what I would pay for a limited edition Davidoff and more expensive than a Padron 1926 No. 90. I don’t think it’s quite at that level.
Conclusions
Undoubtedly, the Cohiba Royale is a winner. It has a bold flavor profile that is rich and complex. It will surprise regular smokers of General’s Cohiba brand, as well as those folks who have dismissed it. The price tag is in the super-premium sphere, which will keep some people away, but it would be worth picking up occasionally.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 9/10
