Cohíba Robusto

Measures: 120 mm x 19,5 mm
Age: I bought a fiver of these cigars in March 2005, and they have since that rested in my humidor at 65%. I think the cigars come from a batch rolled in early 2004.
Setting: The few last days have been too busy to offer good opportunities for cigar smoking. The Sunday afternoon, however, seems just perfect for setting time aside for exploring a fine cigar, even though the late Fall weather and temperatures have finally come to Helsinki. At least it is not raining. Prompted by some discussion on CW, I decided to smoke one of the Cohíbas that I have eyed from time to time, but until now decided to leave along, thinking "they are too young anyway". So I brew myself some coffee, put on some warm clothing, and ventured in the garden with the cigar.

The Cohíba Robusto is a superb-looking cigar, with finely veined colorado wrapper and beautiful triple cap. It feels just right in my hand: firm overall, with a bit of resilience. The golden band slid effortlessly off the cigar. There was a slight depression in the middle of the cigar, possibly left by the cabinet band. The unlit cigar had a very pleasant fragrance evoking images of hay-barns and fertilised soil. The pre-draw hinted at slight cocoa-like aromas and otherwise led me to expect a draw little bit on the light side.


For once, this cigar experience lends itself to be described in thirds. The initial third brought images of dried flowers and herbs in my mind. At times I was thinking of some medicine of my childhood, with camphor and hints of honey. The second third was dominated by images of light brown sauce, something that might be served over light meat, perhaps cream sauce with rosé pepper. This was very pleasant and wholesome. The last third had once again more intensive herbal flavour, with drops of lemon and pepper. Oddly, the cocoa hinted by the pre-draw was never perceptible. This all was delivered quite nicely through the light draw that necessitated careful slow smoking and light puffs. I had to relight the cigar once.

Did I enjoy this cigar? Yes and no. This is surely a fine cigar that has its own characteristic style that sets it apart from other fine Habanos. It is not a strong cigar by any means; strengthwise, it was the perfect afternoon cigar.

Yet the cigar, fine as it was, did not quite manage to work for me the magic that great Habanos sometimes are capable of. I am thinking of expressions and figures of speech that my colleagues in media research use to describe the media experience: presence, flow, immersion. A truly great cigar smoking experience alters the mental state of the smoker, changes the flow of time, and the way sensory inputs are processed and gain dominance in smoker's cognition. I too have sometimes experienced this immersion: in effect, while smoking a really great cigar, I become a big sensory organ completely focused on the cigar and its aroma. This magic did not happen this time. Instead, the mental experience seemed to have two levels: one where I was smoking the cigar and sensing its taste and aroma, and another where I was "objectively" observing myself smoking it and the sensory experiences it created. When I finally dropped the remaining nub of the Cohíba, I did not feel the awakening-like letdown that characterises a true flow experience. I just stopped.

So, even after this basically pleasant and positive experience, I continue to be relatively speaking immune to the allure of Cohíba. Whether this personal deficiency (which nevertheless at this time may be the only remaining thing keeping my personal economy on some resemblance of firm footing) will ever be cured, remains to be seen. I still have other samples of this vitola sleeping in my humidor; perhaps time will do the trick.