Cohiba Red Dot

It's the most recognized cigar brand name in the world. After Castro took control of Cuba, this brand was commissioned by the Dictator to make the finest Cuban cigars available. Over time the cigars became available to a wider audience and are now considered the top cigar manufactured in Cuba today. The Cohiba Red Dot is one of the Dominican versions of Cohiba.

Over the long 4th of July weekend, I treated myself to a $24 Cohiba Red Dot Lonsdale Grande. The length of this size if 6 1/2 inches and the ring is 42. The filler of this stick is made with Dominican tobaccos, the wrapper is an African Cameroon, and the binder is made from a rare Indonesian leaf.

The smell of the stick suggests a medium to full bodied smoke which is pretty much what Cohiba advertises itself as. The cigar looks well kept. The wrapper seems to be in good condition and while the stick isn't as pliable as I usually shoot for, it seems good enough to give a try.
The cut is actually kind of lousy as the tip just crumbles off. I don't dwell on this too much since the rest of the wrapper remains in tact. The foot also toasts nicely and the cigar lights well. The draw is tight to start but the fullness of the smoke is still there. Not ideal, but still perfectly smokeable.

The flavors during the first third of the cigar are very mild but still pretty good. There are some light coffee flavors and a creamy texture. I also like the particularly oily wrapper which leaves the lips feeling coated. It's a mild beginning but I'm expecting a transition into something bolder as it gets going.

As I get into the next third of the cigar, the draw starts to loosen a tad. The creaminess remains but there are also some earthy tones that start to develop along with the taste of some spice that I just can't put my finger on. It's a mild transition to say the least and I'm really hoping things start to pick up. At this rate, this stick isn't going to justify it's price until the last two puffs.

At the halfway mark, I'm still waiting for that explosion of taste. The earthy tones have been around for too long and with the creaminess now fading out as well, the cigar just refuses to show any personality. It's still smoking well with the draw improving even more as the stick continues to burn, but I want more flavor here.

I will say this, the burn here is superb. A perfect ring has formed around the foot since I first lit it. The ash is almost white, and has yet to fall off past the halfway point. It's over three inches right now. Yes, I'm ecstatic about this. Yes, Cohiba is receiving some huge bonus points right now.

As I get into the final third of the cigar, the flavors finally start to come out. I'm so excited they could join us this evening. There are some great cedar notes here as well as some spicy leathery tastes.

The final third is really quite enjoyable. The draw has loosened up and the flavors are again full and now spicier than before which at least allows me to label this a medium bodied cigar. the wrapper is still deliciously oily at this point. sometimes the wrapper can really add a lot to a smoke and this is a great example. I end up finishing the cigar thinking much more highly of Cohiba than I did about 45 minutes ago.

This cigar ended up having some qualities on opposite ends of the spectrum so let's review the good and the bad.

Bad: Poor cut, boring earthy middle, tight draw for most of the cigar, high cost.

Good: Decent transitions, great tastes in the end, flavorful in the beginning, phenomenal burn, creamy oily wrapper.

Factoring in the cost, I'm not exactly ready to label this a premium smoke but overall it's a decent cigar. In fact, the cost ends up being what brings my rating down. I'd happily pay $8.00 for this cigar as the ending really was good. I wouldn't put down another $24 though.

Overall: 81