Cigar Review: Gran Habano Gran Reserva No. 5 2011

• Vitola: Gordo
• 6” x 60 ring gauge
• MSRP $8.80
• Samples provided by manufacturer

Background

A short time ago, I took a look at the Corojo No. 5 Maduro from Gran Habano and concluded that it was a pretty good smoke, although with some definite packaging and identification issues. Gran Habano sent me a few samples, as well, of another of their newer lines, something called a “Gran Reserva No. 5 | 2011” so I thought I’d give that one a look, too.

The overall look of this cigar is similar to the Corojo No. 5 Maduro, so it’s no big surprise that some of the same packaging problems (or what I see as problems) exist here. The band states “Grant Reserva No. 5” then “Gran Habano” then “2011,” while the cedar sheath of the cigar says “Gran Reserva 2011” and the box that it comes in says “Gran Robustos No 5” then “Gran Robusto” then “2011.” From what I can tell, the proper name is the Gran Reserva No. 5 | 2011, which seems to denote that it is somewhat related to the original Gran Habano #5, at least in that it should contain some Corojo (though this is never explicitly stated), and it should be using some 2011 leaf (if not all 2011 leaf).

The literature states that this blend offers “a bold new experience in full-bodied premium cigars made with vintage tobaccos.” All the leaf here is Nicaraguan, with the only thing specified further being that the filler is from Jalapa. I’ve had a couple of these before the review sample, all of them being from the samples that Gran Habano sent me for review.

Prelight

As with the Corojo No. 5 Maduro, the band is pretty plain and lacking in style. It is not as confusing as that one, but the way the wording is laid out, it could be a bit confusing. The cedar sheath hid a good portion of the rest of the cigar before I slipped it off. The wrapper was a milk chocolate brown that was very even in tone, but had a noticeable red hue under certain lighting. There wasn’t much tooth to the eye, but under my fingers, I could feel a roughness like fine-grit sandpaper…though with an oil spread across it so it was rough and slippery all at once.

Giving the wrapper a good sniff, I got notes of cedar and earth, while the foot had a riper earthiness to it. This cigar did not feel underfilled and soft the way the No. 5 Maduro had and the cold draw was a little snugger than on that stick, but still free enough to expect it to smoke well. The cold draw flavors were of cedar and red pepper, with touches of earth and anise.

Flavor

It took a good deal of fire and time to get this 60 ring gauge going with my single flame torch. This is the time that I should point out that I don’t generally care for larger ring gauge cigars; left to my own devices, I will always choose a stick that is 50 ring or less…but sometimes that choice is not available, or the manufacturer doesn’t make one that small, or (as in this case) the manufacturer chose the review samples for me. On the plus side, once you get a stick this big burning, it takes a considerable amount of time for it to go out on its own…after all, it is a lot of tobacco you’ve just set ablaze.

The cigar started out with notes of cedar, earth and anise…much less anise than in the Corojo No. 5 Maduro, but it was definitely there in this blend. There was a secondary note of citrus, as well as just a touch of pepper on the finish. The retrohale was much more peppery, though I still wouldn’t consider this a pepper bomb at this point.

As I slowly smoked my way through the first third and into the second, the flavor of cedar stayed fairly constant, while the earth and anise faded a bit. The pepper notes really took a nosedive before the second third came around. Coffee notes came into play as a strong secondary flavor to the cedar.

The last third saw a resurgence of earthy characteristics along with the continuation of the coffee flavors and some receding of cedar. Toward the end, pepper notes started to crop up at the back of the palate, as well.

Construction

The draw was very good, the burn line was fairly even and the ash was as solid as I could hope for.

Value

The price tag isn’t too much to pay for a large cigar with a good flavor.

Conclusions

The Gran Reserve No. 5 2011 was a good cigar but to me it lacked the complexity that I look for in a cigar I would add to my regular rotation. It could have simply been the large ring gauge, which didn’t allow for the wrapper to have much influence on the flavor; I might feel much better about this stick in the Corona Gorda size it’s offered in. I would say if you are a fan of thicker cigars, this might be a really good choice for you. It burned slowly, had great construction qualities and a consistently good flavor.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10