Vitola: Robusto- 5” x 52 ring gauge
- MSRP ~$6.50
- Provided by Gran Habano
Background
I’ve reviewed this cigar before…about two years ago to be specific. At the time I reviewed a Gran Toro size with a 54 ring gauge, which I felt somewhat comfortable in saying was indicative of most of the line. At least it was quite a bit smaller than the largest size available, a massive 66 ring gauge…now that’s outdated, of course and the cigar is available in a 7×70. It’s also available in 7 sizes that are smaller than the Robusto they sent me this year…and 7 larger sizes…so the Robusto is the true centerline of the blend.
The Corojo No. 5 Maduro is made of Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers, a Habano binder and a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper leaf. It is said to be the strongest blend in the Gran Habano catalog and you’ll still find it more often at online retailers than at your local brick and mortar. I found that the list price is about $6.50 a stick at this size, but if you buy a box online you’ll end up getting it for less than $5.00 each.
Gran Habano sent me a couple of these, along with the other sticks of theirs that I have been reviewing lately. This review is based on my second stick.
Prelight
The banding and packaging of these sticks hasn’t really changed. It’s different from the old-school Gran Habano band, but not all that exciting. It’s functional and not horrible-looking, but that’s honestly about the best I can say.
The wrapper of the cigar was a milk chocolate brown color, quite a bit lighter than many Maduros I encounter. There wasn’t a lot of oiliness evident, but it did have a rich earthy aroma, along with a touch of leather and cocoa powder. The foot had more earth and a vegetal note, followed by touches of wood and hay.
After cutting the head, I got a good draw that had a nice mix of earth, cedar and bell pepper.
Flavor
I got the Gran Habano No. 5 Maduro burning in pretty short order. It started off with straight-up earth and dark-roast coffee flavors, followed by a small amount of semi-sweet chocolate and anise. There was a tiny amount of pepper on the palate, but a larger amount on the nose, along with a pleasant nuttiness. Nearing the end of the first third, I was a little surprised that I was enjoying this cigar as much as I did, especially after double-checking the rating I gave it two years ago.
Burning my way through the second third, I got an increasing amount of anise flavor, along with a deeper coffee flavor. The pepper continued to be a nice burn at the back of the palate and on the nose.
Getting into the last third, the anise and coffee flavors still led the way, with pepper increasing just a bit and earthiness providing a strong foundation.
Construction
I had a great draw, very even burn line with no touchups, and a solid ash for over half an inch most of the time.
Value
The price on these is very good, especially for the experience.
Conclusions
The Gran Toro vitola of this Corojo #5 Maduro wasn’t a bad cigar, but I never felt myself compelled to return to it with much frequency. This Robusto size takes what was good about the blend and enhances it, showing once again that everyone out there going crazy for large ring gauge blends might want to reconsider. Try a smaller ring gauge stick and see how much more flavor you get from the experience. I would smoke the Corojo #5 Maduro again in this smaller size…and I actually would like to try it in a Lancero or Lonsdale at some point.
Note: Gran Habano is a sponsor of Leaf Enthusiast.
By-The-Numbers
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10
