My CoRo from vitasea

Eshaw99 · Mar 17, 2005

DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on Cohibas, nor any other cuban cigar for that matter. However, I have smoked a few Cohibas in my day. What follows is merely my impression of the cigar that I personally received from vitasea and smoked. I consider myself educated enough to spot fakes based on appearance, but those are mostly bad fakes. I do not consider myself educated enough to spot a fake based on taste.

So here goes...

The cigar I received was a Cohiba Robusto. It was not wet like some of the others that some got, however it was a little misshapen due to (I'm assuming) the shipping. The band looked legit, and the pre-light aroma of the stick seemed to be that of cuban tobacco. I let it sit in my humi for a little over a week before I smoked it. So today I lit it up, and it lit up fine. It tasted smooth and a little creamy, but a bit milder than other Cohibas I've had. It burned pretty even for about the first inch. But it went downhill from there.

This cigar started to develop burn issues. Burn issues that, not only have I never experienced with a Cohiba, but never with any other cigar I've ever smoked. When it first got a little uneven, it still tasted fine. Hell, it tasted good. However, the burn issues started to get more severe, and the flavor began to suffer. One side of it stopped burning all together. The other side burned down for about another 3/4 inch, but then began to burn almost in a corkscrew pattern.

Then shortly after, I began to have split wrapper issues.

About one minute after that picture was taken, it fizzled out and stopped burning all together, with about 2 1/2 inches to go. That's a lot of unsmoked cigar, especially for a robusto size.

There isn't really an emoticon to describe the confusion I felt at this point, so I made my own:

Like I said at the beginning, I don't think I am educated enough to question the authenticity of this cigar, but I do know that I don't want any part of what's left in this particular box.

Eric

stevehawk · Mar 17, 2005

Dude! That facial expression says it all! :laugh:

Sorry about the burn issues, though. Even though you said it wasn't wet, do you think that might have been the problem?

Eshaw99 · Mar 17, 2005

stevehawk said:
Dude! That facial expression says it all! :laugh:

Sorry about the burn issues, though. Even though you said it wasn't wet, do you think that might have been the problem?

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could've been, but it didn't look wetter than any of my other cigars

moki · Mar 17, 2005

Interesting; the "Esplendido" that I had was by no means mild; it was rather harsh and bitter. I wouldn't be too concerned with the burn/construction issues regarding whether it is real or not (unless they are something blatantly wrong), but rather the taste.

Did it have that woody/mild spice slightly grassy/sweet flavor you've enjoyed in known-good Cohibas? It's pretty distinctive, IMHO.

I can't say anything about the CoRos -- he didn't send me one -- but if they are uncured/fermented Cuban farm tobacco like I believe the "Esplendidos" are, they really could taste like just about anything (except a Cohiba that is

).

Thanks for the review.

Eshaw99 · Mar 17, 2005

moki said:
Did it have that woody/mild spice slightly grassy/sweet flavor you've enjoyed in known-good Cohibas?

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No wood, absolutely no spice, a little sweet. It also lacked the coffee hints that I've detected in Cohibas before, but maybe that's just me.

Josh · Mar 17, 2005

Next time give it a bit of touchup with your lighter. Something like that isn't likely to recover itself.

Burning out and burning unevenly are common signs of over humidification.

Also, I love the review. Kudos on that.

BkCloud114 · Mar 17, 2005

Hey Rod....
You should add this emoticon to the list.... LOL

Eshaw99 said:
There isn't really an emoticon to describe the confusion I felt at this point, so I made my own:

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I'll try mine this weekend

Eshaw99 · Mar 17, 2005

Wildcard said:
Next time give it a bit of touchup with your lighter. Something like that isn't likely to recover itself.

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In that type of situation, I usually do a little touchup. However, it has been my experience that a little uneven burn on a well-made cigar usually straightens out on its own. That being said, I was curious to see if this one would straighten up, so I left it alone. I figured a Cohiba would straighten out, so I was curious to see how it would progress. This started out as only a little uneven burn, and then very quickly progressed into a HOLY CRAP burn.

Matt R · Mar 17, 2005

As to the burn issue, no matter what kind of cigar it is, you can have an uneven burn. I've had Dunhill Cabinettas that did exactly what your pictures show. It really chaps your ass when that happens. LMAO!

Lee · Mar 17, 2005

I had a chapped ass once.....I ran out of Chapstick :0

Mephiston · Mar 17, 2005

Nice review, and great emotion...roflmao.

KayakinBoy · Mar 17, 2005

Paging Beefcube for a pic he might want to use.

Nice eric. I'll smoke mine tommorrow @ the T-Box and give another review.

CoventryCat86 · Mar 17, 2005

Eric, this is FANTASTIC!!!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

SamClemmons · Mar 17, 2005

Burned VS's Esplendido today.
It had a very strong "barnyard" odor when I took it out of the cling wrap. Kept it for 3 days in a "on deck" box and when I took it out today the barnyard odor had intensified if anything. Prelight draw was a little too firm but i sparked it anyway. The initila draws on this cigar had an unusual "tang" tha was not enjoyable. Once it was going decently the tang disappeared and it bacame harsher by the draw. The smoke stung my tongue as it burned down. The ash was lighter gray than I'm used to with cohiba's and lacked the black streaks and smudges the usually accompany these cigars... it was very flaky with several peal backs. Ash dropped 3/4" in and I could see that the fill ash had an odd yellow shade to it. Smoked this another two inches and the harshness continued. There didn't seem to be much complexity to the blend, at least from what I could detect after the battering my tongue took from this angry cigar. I am convinced that this was a very young stogie. I couldn't swear that it was Cuban but it could have been.

I butted this about 4" in, cleared my palate with a good jolt of well water and lit a Cohiba Robusto. The difference was startling. I took pictures of these side by side with less than an inch of ash on each but can't find my freaking cable to transfer the pics so that will have to wait.

moki · Mar 17, 2005

SamClemmons said:
The initila draws on this cigar had an unusual "tang" tha was not enjoyable. Once it was going decently the tang disappeared and it bacame harsher by the draw. The smoke stung my tongue as it burned down.

Ditto. Even smoking mine halfway was painful.

SamClemmons said:
I butted this about 4" in, cleared my palate with a good jolt of well water and lit a Cohiba Robusto. The difference was startling.
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Tasting the real thing side by side with a fake is definitely a useful way to put the final nail in the coffin. A real Cohiba should be a wonderful thing. These cigars were punishingly bad.

vitasea · Mar 18, 2005

i can not understand these problems that your having with my cigars. i have smoked many of these and get a good even burn, a solid firm ash dark gray with some black in it. the ash will stay on till you ash it. my shipping method was quick and crude and may have contributed to the problem. i've resent samples to all who have complained about crushed heads and feet. the moister thing has me also confused as my humidor is about 65 65, would wraping them in plasic wrap cause that?
i have used two + boxes & many more $ on postage and wraping so i don't take this lightly
have only heard from 3 or 4 members what about the other 30???
later

AVB · Mar 18, 2005

I have a wicked cold right now so it wouldn't be fair to you, me or the cigar to fire it up. I'll post a review when I'm able.

vitasea said:
I have only heard from 3 or 4 members what about the other 30???
later

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emodx · Mar 18, 2005

I'm sure there is a retired police officer that could whip that cold right outta ya! :laugh:

BkCloud114 · Mar 18, 2005

SOMEBODY NEED A WHIPPING !!!!!!!!

Too cold here to enjoy it right now, I will let ya know

AVB · Mar 18, 2005

I don't have a clue about your comment. It's a bad one though, not even my usual cure of blindingly hot chili and Wild Turkey put a dent in it.

emodx said:
I'm sure there is a retired police officer that could whip that cold right outta ya! :laugh:

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My CoRo from vitasea

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