The KC/DW Review Series

[King Catfish]

Gran Habano Corojo #5

This evening I poured myself a glass of my usual, and put on piano sonatas in place of Wednesday evening’s smooth jazz.

The Gran Habano Corojo #5 appeared to be a Rothschild vitola, stubby and thick. The band was elaborate, but did not overpower the visual presentation of the cigar. Unlit, the cigar smelled of dark coffee with a teasing whiff of unsweetened chocolate (which never materialized once the cigar was lit). The medium-coarse wrapper was very even and dark and the sheen of oil was noticeable among the small veins. The cigar was firm in the hand and well constructed, and yielded a bit when squeezed.

The aroma receded into faintness once the cigar was burning. The cigar was immediately sweet and funky on the lips and tongue, and right away commenced to produce an enormous volume of smoke from an easygoing draw. The smoke was tame on the tongue and shy of the throat.

This set the tone that held sway through the first third of the cigar: bold and brazen; there was a notable lack of pepperiness, and this persisted through the middle of the cigar. What might have been a slight saltiness was gone well before the first third was traversed. The burn zone was less than sharply defined, and a bit uneven. Flavor intensity and body were generous.

The Gran Habano started to become contemplative and mellow in the middle; a definite transition was occurring! The burn has evened itself out at this point without assistance, and the burn zone was a black razor line bisecting the diameter of the cigar. The cigar left in its wake a very long, cohesive ash, well over 2 inches when it dropped off into the ashtray. The taste was light on sweetness and saltiness, and not at all acidic. The intensity of the flavor and body were decreasing steadily as the cigar make its trek toward senescence.

In the last third, the Gran Habano was increasingly civilized, becoming a bit earthy, but less shy of the throat; more leather, a little more coffee, hints of pepper starting to show at the nub. The flavors were becoming less bold, but started to cooperate a bit more than at first. Then, a parting gift: a teasing intimation of blackberries!

Raw score 17.05 (x 5) = 85.25

Thanks again to DeeDubya.

EDITED TO ADD: Any criticism or feedback on this review, the previous one, or any that follow would be greatly appreciated.