Gran Habano Corojo #5 Gran Robusto (2010) Review

Rather than just aimlessly choosing cigars to review, I've decided to do ones that I have been sampling more than others. This one I tried at a local cigar event sponsored by George Rico himself. He was showing off his possible record breaking world's largest cigar. During the event I picked up a box of the cigars because: 1.) I enjoyed the cigar 2.)They were having killer specials on the boxes.

Since the event, I have been enjoying on average one of these cigars per week. I've been doing research on other reviews and I will say the reviews are all over the place. Here's my take on the cigar.

Cigar Stats & info:

Medium to Full Body

Gran Robusto, 6 x 54

Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano

Binder: Nicaragua Habano

Filler: Nicaragua, Mexico, Costa Rica
Price: $5.50






Lighting: This was not the easiest light in the world. Most of the time I use a punch on this cigar, but this time I tried a straight cut. I still had the same problem with getting it lit. The draw is very difficult in the beginning, but eased up after the first third or so.

First Half: I really like the texture of this cigar. The habano wrapper has the signature "oily" feel to it. It's a nice texture especially in the humidity of Central Florida. There is no "dry" feeling on my lips while smoking. The first few puffs of this cigar are pretty awesome. The leathery taste is the predominant feature. It burns evenly & has a nice steady smoke. On top of the leathery taste is a nice light spice of the corojo wrapper. It doesn't hit the lips. It actually hits the back of the mouth & throat. The spice is not overpowering which makes it a nice bonus. As I got closer to the 2nd half, I noticed a bit of a nutty flavor. Some call it an almond flavor, but I eat almonds all the time & that wasn't it.

Second Half: The second half turned this cigar into a smoke making machine. The smoke became thicker & more plentiful.  The spice increased and the leathery taste remained strong. The spice was not as strong on my lips as it was in the back of my mouth & throat. I did notice that the burn on the last couple cigars was moving fast along the thick veins on the cigar. It didn't mess up the evenness of the cigar, but was something that I haven't seen a lot of in other cigars.

Average Guy's Prospective: This was my first experience with the Gran Habano boutique line. I'm glad I didn't start with the #1 or #3. I enjoyed this cigar thoroughly. The price point makes this cigar a "must" for most people's humidor. The even flavors & smooth smoke(other than the initial hard draw) make this a good all around cigar. The first half was pretty mild but the spice picked up in the 2nd half which made it more enjoyable.

Beginners Corner: Not sure I can give this a "thumbs up" for beginners. The tough draw of the cigar would frustrate many beginners. However, if you can get past that, this is a cigar you can try to move up from medium to a near-full bodied cigar. The cigar's simple but enjoyable tastes would not overpower the beginner's palate. It's a good cigar to try out a cigar with spice that isn't overpowering.