As the Robusto is my favorite cigar vitola, it should come as no surprise that the Cohiba Robusto would be a cigar I would be interested in. I have looked forward to having one for a very long time and opportunity came knocking. Here are my thoughts.

Construction

I’ve read from a number of sites that construction issues plague Cohiba; complaints range from loosely rolled cigars to cracked wrappers. Fortunately the three Cohiba Robustos I sampled exhibited no problems, physically anyways.

The Cohiba Robusto has very small, minor veins on it’s otherwise ordinary looking milky chocolate wrapper. When squeezed, there is some slight sponginess, but no soft spots so no odd burning issues are anticipated. The burn is decent, I did touch it up a few times with my Zippo Blu. The ash is an unimpressive flaky salt-and-pepper color that refused to hold for more than an inch at a time.

Flavor & Taste

Pre-light draw revealed very subtle hints of…hay/grass…? The foot of the Cohiba Robusto smelled like nothing but perhaps the subtle scent of floral.

The first third of the cigar is the worse in flavor. A combination of what I can only describe as chewing on wet, bitter grass. Of the two Cohiba Robusto I smoked, as well as my buddy who had one, that inital crap taste was consistent on all three. Yum.

By the second third, things definitely started getting better. The bitterness resided and flavors of coffee as well as dark chocolate began to overtake.

The last third is where this baby starts to shine and becomes what one would expect of a Cuban cigar. A touch of pleasant spiciness develops and becomes an enjoyable smoke.

Despite all the talk about the strength, power, and kick of Cohiba cigars, I hate to say it but, it is overstated. The Cohiba Robusto, in my opinion, is more of a decent medium body cigar compared to, say, the Bolivar Royal Corona. But let me add, what I consider a strong cigar isn’t one that necessarily is overpowering, kicks the crap out of you and churns your stomach like drinking heavy liquor on an empty stomach, but rather the quality and complexity of taste.

Value

At $15 a cigar, the Cohiba Robusto, to me anyways, is hardly a value buy. A box purchase of 25 will certainly set you back a pretty penny. Had this cigar been more enjoyable from the get-go, it would be worth having a few sticks lying around in the humidor for those special occasions.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, I’m sure some readers may find my observations and experience with the Cohiba Robusto a bit harsh, but when a cigar passes the $10 mark, I’d expect to pay for more than just the brand name. Given the many Robusto choices, I have to say I’m more likely to reach for a Bolivar Royal Corona or a Montecristo Petit Edmundo for more half the price of a Cohiba Robusto. Obviously everyone’s taste varies, but for my taste, despite how much I’ve been looking forward to having a Cohiba Robusto and finally having one, the experience came up short.

I’m sure down the road, I may consider trying a couple or few more to be sure, but that won’t be anytime soon.

Related posts:

1. Cohiba Esplendido, Cuba’s Best Cigar?
2. Bolivar Royal Corona Cigar Review
3. Montecristo Edmuno Cigar Review

Montecristo No. 2

Construction

As I’ve come to expect from Cuba’s largest exported cigar brand¹, the No. 2 is beautifully constructed although not the most attractive looking stick. The No. 2 feels heavy and solid in my hands, firm with no soft spots when squeezed and very well rolled as evidenced when inspecting the foot. The closes I have in size to the No. 2 are my Montecristo Edmundo which are about an inch shorter than the No. 2.

One interesting feature of this Pirámide vitola is that the foot is the thickest (ring gauge of 52) and tapers down slowly until it reaches the pointed head of the cigar which lends itself to the taste because the pyramid shape helps concentrate the flavors on a smaller part of your tongue.

A smooth and excellent draw, the No. 2 has very little veins throughout the cigar.

Of the few I’ve smoked so far, the burn is excellent requiring just the slight burn correction on one of the stick. The ash is mostly white with a few flakes and holds for about an inch before breaking off.

Flavor and Taste

I was initially hesitant on whether the No. 2 could live up to the hype; after all, many well-known celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Jack Nicholson, Michael Jordan, Michael Douglass, John Travolta, Demi Moore, Tom Selleck, Kinky Friedman, and James Woods count the No. 2 among their favorite smokes² and what celebrities like don’t always live up the hype. I’m so glad I broke down and tried them because the No. 2 is not only every bit as good as everyone says they are, they are mouth-watering good!

The Montecristo No. 2 starts out mild in the first third with hints of cedar and coffee and starts picking up strength in the second third with more pronounced flavors of coffee with some leather and chocolate with a touch of spiciness. By the last third, the cedar, leather, chocolate, coffee, and spicy flavors are at its peak until finish. I would definitely classify the No. 2 as a strong medium bodied cigar that is very smooth from beginning to end with complex flavors that leaves a very pleasant aftertaste that lingers for hours, as a great cigar should. The larger size will mean you need some time to fully enjoy the amazing flavors and is a great choice to enjoy when entertaining with friends. This is a cigar you do not want to rush or risk ruining the taste of this fine cigar.

Also, this is a personal preference, but I recommend not snipping off too much of the pointed cap. Snipping off too much may cause the cigar to unravel and you don’t get the same level of flavor concentration that comes from a Piramide shaped cigar.

According to the box code on my Montecristo No. 2 dress box, these sticks are from June 2009, not even a year old at the time of this writing and they already taste amazing. Given a few more years, these sticks will be divine, but I don’t see how I’ll be able to let them sit undisturbed for that long!

Value

For a cigar that taste this good at ~$10, this is a no-brainer box purchase. My buddy CigarInspector.com says it best: “Not overpriced, yet expensive – and worth every penny”³.

Conclusion

I have a buddy who really, really likes the Cohiba Esplendidos, willing to shell out $25 per stick, but after having the Montecristo No. 2, he’s hard-pressed on justifying the extra $15 for the Cohiba. Granted they are completely different cigars, but the Esplendidos and the No. 2 represent the best offerings of their respective brands so there is some room for comparison.

Prior to having the Montecristo No. 2, I thought the Edmundo was Montecristo’s best cigar as I couldn’t imagine how it could get any better, but the No. 2 changes all that,  fastly becoming my all-time favorite cigar, Cuban or not.

I can safely say that my humidor will never run out of the Montecristo No. 2.

Be sure to read these other great reviews on the Montecristo No. 2:

• CigarAficionado.com
• CigarInspector.com
• Cigars-Reviews.org
• StogieReviews.com
• TheFridayCigar.com

Montecristo No. 2 Gallery Pics

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montecristo_%28cigar_brand%29
2. http://www.cigaraficionado.com/Cigar/CA_Profiles/People_Profile/0,2540,178,00.html
3. http://www.cigarinspector.com/montecristo/montecristo-no-2

Related posts:

1. Montecristo Edmuno Cigar Review
2. Bolivar Royal Corona Cigar Review
3. Cohiba Esplendido, Cuba’s Best Cigar?

Cohiba Esplendidos

Construction

I have always found how unimpressive looking the Esplendidos are; other than for the famous Cohiba cigar band and the large size, there is nothing distinguishing or flashy. Compared to how beautifully constructed a Fuente Opus X is, the Esplendido looks like a Honda Accord next to a Ferrari. There are few minor veins on an otherwise smooth dark caramel wrapper.

The two Esplendidos I’ve had so far did not have any burn issues, but did need a few burn corrections. My buddy who also smoked one with me did experience some crazy burn issues that resulted in a very bad burn that was never correctable, although it did not affect the taste. The salt-and-pepper ash is unimpressive and barely held on for more than an inch, even when I was trying. The cigar remained lit and the draw was initially tight in the beginning, but clipping off more of the cap resulted in a looser draw.

Otherwise, no construction issues.

Flavor & Taste

For the first 1/3rd of the cigar, I found it to be ever so slightly bitter with a grass taste, but once we progressed into the 2nd and final third of the cigar it settled to more woody/cedar with some spicy tastes to it. The Cohiba Esplendidos starts off mild to medium and becomes be mostly medium body in the 2nd third and a bit stronger by the final third, but never really reaching full bodied taste. The final third is probably the best part of this cigar as the flavor is at its most intense yet the cigar remains buttery smooth.

Throughout the entire smoke, you can get decent clouds of white smoke on each draw. Many tend to describe cigar smoke as pungent and disgusting, but I’ve found the smoke produced by the Esplendidos to be pleasing, although I wouldn’t recommend prolonged (or any) exposure to second-hand smoke…

Value

Next to the Opus X, these are the most expensive cigars I’ve smoked. For nearly $30 a cigar, this will definitely be a special occasion treat. But in all honesty, I think the Cohiba Esplendidos are overpriced.

Conclusion

While many go ga-ga over the Esplendidos, I have to say, considering the price, I wasn’t impressed. There are a number of other cigars that I am quite happy with that can be “daily-smokes” without breaking the bank such as the Montecristo Edmundos or Bolivar Royal Coronas, but then again those aren’t Cohibas. There’s a certain prestige, justified or not, smoking Cohibas just as there is choosing a Rolex over a Timex, but to each his own.

Would I purchase the Esplendidos if I could? Probably not. The flavors and tastes just wasn’t there enough for me to justify the three times the cost over the Edmundos, which are one of my favorite go to cigars. YMMV.

Be sure to check-out these other excellent Cohiba Esplendidos reviews:

• CigarInspector.com
• Cigars-Review.org
• StogieGuys.com

Cohiba Esplendidos Gallery Pics

1. http://www.wsbt.com/news/consumer/17369179.html
2. http://www.stogieguys.com/2008/05/05202008-stogie-review-cohiba-esplendido-cuban.html

Related posts:

1. Overpriced brand-name cigar: Thou Name Is Cohiba Robusto
2. Best Cuban Cigar: Montecristo No. 2?
3. Montecristo Edmuno Cigar Review

Related posts:

1. Happy Chinese New Year!
2. Happy New Year and Welcome to 2009
3. 2010: Ring in the New Year

Also if you happen to like Joya De Nicaragua cigars, they are offering a special event promotion sale prices:

• buy any box of Joya De Nicaragua cigars and get a second box FREE
• buy any 4 Joya De Nicaragua cigars and get 1 FREE

If you have some time, I would recommend coming out. I hear that events held by the Cigar Loft & Lounge are pretty well done events and no one is ever disappointed. I’m hoping to make it out there if I have time. I personally have never heard of Joya De Nicaragua, but you can read the company’s history on their website here.

Cigar Loft & Lounge
106 W. 25th Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 312-1141
Hours: Monday to Saturday: 10 AM – 8 PM, Sundays: 10 AM – 6 PM

You can read reviews of Joya De Nicaragua cigars at:

• ACigarSmoker.com – Joya De Nicaragua Antano 1970
• ACigarSmoker.com – Joya De Nicaragua Dark Corojo Antano
• CigarCommand.com – Joya de Nicaragua Serie “C” Robusto
• CigarFan.com – Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion Consul
• CigarVault.blogspot.com – Joya De Nicaragua Antano 1970 Belicosco
• FireUpThatCigar.com – Joya De Nicaragua Antano Consul

Related posts:

1. Best Cigar Lounge in the San Francisco Bay Area: Cigar Loft and Lounge
2. NUB 460 Cameroon Cigar Review
3. CAO MX2 Robusto Cigar Review

© BleepingComputer.com

This particular malware is really annoying as it brings your computer to a grinding halt as well as prevent you from opening up or running any programs easily. So far I’ve only seen this hit Windows XP computers, but I’m sure other Microsoft OS are vulnerable.

Great. So how do we get rid of it? Very easy. Download and install the free version of Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware (MBAM) here. Do the quick scan first to get rid of the problem, it’ll ask you to reboot, and then run Malwarebytes Anti-Malware again and do a full-scan to make sure everything is gone. I haven’t found it to be any more or less effective installing and running MBAM in Windows Safe Mode or not. Either way seems to get rid of the virus.

Problem solved.

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3. Mac OS 10.5 Leopard Initial Thoughts

I have a feeling I’m not going to be disappointed.

Bolivar Royal Corona

Construction

The Bolivar Royal Corona is a very well rolled Cuban cigar with minimal veins throughout the wrapper leaf. It has a nice rustic-brown color that is very similar to one of my other favorite Robusto cigars, the Ramon Allones Specially Selected (RASS), I have noticed that the Royal Coronas are consistently better rolled than the RASS with less construction issues. And like the RASS, the Bolivar Royal Corona has a slight box press.

Everyone of Bolivars that I’ve squeezed have no soft spots with a slight spongy feel. The triple-cap is nicely applied, but still not as nicely done as the ones on the Montecristo Edmundo, but obviously an issue that has little to do with taste or flavor and more with aesthetics. Looking at the foot of the cigar, it seems to be rolled tightly and packed with plenty of tobacco.

The Bolivar Royal Corona burns evenly requiring very few adjustments to correct any slight uneven burning. The ash holds firm for an inch to inch-and-half before breaking off. The draw is great, easy to pull with just the right enough of resistance.

Flavor & Taste

The Royal Corona is a full-body cigar with lots of powerful taste, but not overly kick-you-in-the-ass strong. Pre-light flavors are spicy, peppers, and mildly earthy.

Once lit, the predominant taste is pepper with roasted almonds and coffee. Occasionally I’ll enjoy the Royal Corona with a Grande Starbucks Chai tea and they compliment each other well.

I like how it’s almost buttery smooth like the Montecristo Edmundos and leaves a pleasant aftertaste. The flavors come out best, never getting harsh, at the last-third mark where you can’t resist nubbing it to where it burns your fingers.

Value

At $7.16 a cigar when purchased in a box of 25 is certainly not a bad value. With solid construction, great taste, and a 45-minute smoke time, you can’t go wrong with a box of these in the humidor.

Conclusion

Between the RASS and the Royal Corona, those are my go-to stick when looking for a daily smoke. With strong, complex flavors that never leaves you bored, it’s a great cigar for those days you’re looking for something different. A box purchase of these are a no brainer. This cigar is definitely on my recommended cigar list.

As always, be sure to checkout these other great reviews of the Bolivar Royal Corona:

• Cigars.ie
• CigarAficionado.com
• Cigars-Review.org
• CigarInspector.com
• CigarSmokingLounge.com
• CigarWeekly.com
• Humiblog.com
• StogieGuys.com
• StogieGuys.com – Quick Smoke

Bolivar Royal Corona Gallery Pictures

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bol%C3%ADvar_%28cigar_brand%29

Related posts:

1. Overpriced brand-name cigar: Thou Name Is Cohiba Robusto
2. Ramon Allones Specially Selected (RASS) Cigar Review
3. Montecristo Edmuno Cigar Review

I added it to our Netflix queue and when we got it, we watched it. In the end, I thought the movie was quite entertaining with a number of comical parts. The chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds comes off as believable and they look as if they would make a great couple.

Click here to view the embedded video.

© Cinematicpassions.Wordpress.com

The story is about a cold and emotionless executive editor-in-chief, Margaret Tate (Bullock), at book publishing Colden Books who is successful at what she does but fails ineptly at human interaction. Her assistant, Andrew (Reynolds), is doing his best to keep up with her and cater to her demanding whims in hopes getting his manuscript published. Things take a turn in his favor when Tate is called into her bosses’ office informing her she will be deported back to Canada immediately because of an expired Visa. Andrew interrupts the meeting to tell Tate she has a client holding on the phone for her, Tate takes advantage of the situation and shocks everyone by telling everyone that Andrew have been having a secret relationship and are now engagement to be married.

Some of the best scenes are when Reynolds explains to his family how he proposed to Bullock and what ensues is a hilarious ad-lib dialogue from the both of them. There is also the in-famous shower scene, which is quite hilarious. Throughout the movie, there are many laugh-out-loud moments. Also by the end of the movie, be sure to watch the little added bonus that runs with the credits.

I am a big fan of Ryan Reynolds. He has a certain sarcasm and humor that he brings successfully to each of his roles such as National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, Blade: Trinity, and so on that really made his character a stand out. I’ve also liked Sandra Bullock, although haven’t seen her in anything for awhile. But I definitely think the best part of the movie is the chemistry between Bullock and Reynolds.

Verdict: DEFINITE rent.

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1. Paranormal Activity Movie Review
2. Casino Royale Movie Review
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The question here is: Are their different grades of Cuban Cigars?

Obviously Cuban Cigars can be real or fake, but for the purposes of this discussion let’s leave fake Cubans out of it. It is assumed that any serious cigar smoker can detect a fake Cuban anyway, and so it really doesn’t apply.

Officially, Cuban Cigars distributed by Habanos S.A. are all of the highest quality. So why then are some boxes spectacular, and other boxes just ok?

Like Truffles (the mushrooms, not the chocolates) their is a magical quality to Cuban Cigars that can make them truly spectacular. But at times it seems as though the magic is missing. And really that’s just an acceptable part of the Cuban Cigar business.

You can justify these magic lacking Cubans through terms of inadequate aging or improper storage. You can also justify it by the fact that storing great Cubans together makes them all become greater, and so the ability of the tobacco to merge and mingle with other nearby leaves could be the answer to why some boxes are great and some are just ok.

But why don’t we see this problem with other great cigars produced in Nicaragua, Honduras or the Dominican Republic? Could it be that the great world wide demand for Cubans has led to a hush hush Cuban Tobacco Industry that imports much of it’s tobacco from neighboring countries and calls them Pure Cuban Cigars? That’s one rumor. And it would explain how one box of 100% Pure Cubans could taste so magical, while another box of say 30% Pure Cubans might not taste as great.

I have also found that while all my sources for obtaining Cuban Cigars provide me with real authentic Cuban Cigars, some sources consistently provide a higher percentage of magical Cubans. Could it be that some suppliers get the first take of the highest quality product, while others get the rest?

With all products planted and harvested in large amounts, their are going to be good years and bad years. A bad harvest could be due to a hurricane or a flood, but none the less a bad crop is the result.

Cigars are produced, released, rated, marketed and sold. This is the business. This leads to the first release of a cigar to be the best, to get the highest rating. Let’s say a cigar gets a 93 point rating when first released in 2003. You buy one, and smoke it, and love it. A few years later, let’s say in 2005, it may be a 91 point cigar, but the store shelf still advertises it’s 93 point rating. You buy one, and smoke it, and it’s just ok. This is just how the marketing of cigars works. It should also be noted that manufactures may try their absolute best to maintain the high ratings quality, but it may just not be possible for the aforementioned reasons.

I believe this marketing strategy to be true. And I believe that by analyzing the life-cycle of a given cigar over several years, this will likely show. It is even more apparent in cigars that garner extremely high ratings when first released, as the market need naturally increases, and so any business in an attempt to maximize profits will increase supply while slightly sacrificing quality. This is the natural evolution of a cigar over several years in the marketplace.

What about “Factory Seconds”, cigars with slight blemishes or rolling issues, that were deemed not good enough to be sold as high quality products. I have seen factory seconds from Padron sold through Famous Cigars online. I have also seen factory seconds of Rocky Patel Decades sold through Thompson Cigars online (which I plan to buy soon). These are sold at a fraction of the price, with no band, but should offer close to the same smoking experience. Again, from a production standpoint, all manufacturing industries, even those with machine made products achieving levels of Six-Sigma (99.996%) Accuracy admit to a small number (3.4) of defects per million products produced.

So the cigar industry does have a marketplace for these slightly inferior cigars. And this factory second marketplace includes cigars from all the cigar regions including Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic, etc…but I have never seen a Factory Second from Cuba? I wonder where the Cuban Factory Seconds go? Are they mixed in with the regular production? Are they smoked by factory workers? Are they given to certain, less preferable, online retailers?

Of course, with cigars being handmade organic products, their is some acceptable level of variation from cigar to cigar, box to box, year to year. But their is no clear answer for consumers as to how this process works, and ultimately, and unfortunately, it can at times leave a Cuban Cigar Lover with the short end of the stick. No pun intended.

Article written by Bernie.

Related posts:

1. Ramon Allones Specially Selected (RASS) Cigar Review
2. Montecristo Edmuno Cigar Review
3. Best Cuban Cigar: Montecristo No. 2?