Cohiba Churchill

When you first toast the foot of this Julieta No. 2, the immediate aroma is unmistakably Cuban. It does not blast you with pepper right out of the gate. Instead, you get a smooth, grassy character that feels like walking through a hayfield in late summer. The draw usually offers a perfect amount of resistance, pulling in cool, thick smoke that coats the palate with a sensation akin to heavy cream. Underneath that initial vegetation note, there is a distinct sweetness. It tastes like raw honey or vanilla bean, providing a soft landing for the tobacco flavors. The burn line tends to be razor sharp early on, creating a stack of dark grey ash that holds on for over an inch. You can feel the quality of the construction here as the cigar warms up slowly without any harshness.

As you move past the first hour, the cigar begins to show its true weight. The grassy notes fade into the background, replaced by a robust cedar and oak profile that sits heavily on the tongue. That creamy sweetness from the start evolves into something darker and richer, resembling graham crackers or toasted almonds. You might notice the strength creeping up from a solid medium to something with more authority. The smoke production remains voluminous, filling the room with an aroma that smells like roasting coffee beans and fine leather. Complexity is the main driver here. Every puff seems to offer a slightly different nuance, shifting between baking spices and dry wood. It demands you pay attention rather than just puffing mindlessly.

This is where the Esplendido separates itself from lesser Churchills. Instead of getting hot or tarry, the flavors concentrate into a powerful mix of earth and spice. The cedar turns into a charred oak flavor, and you get a kick of white pepper through the retrohale that wakes up your sinuses. Notes of dark cocoa powder and espresso emerge, adding a pleasant bitterness that balances the lingering sweetness from the binder. The body is fully engaged now, sitting squarely in the medium-full range. It stays cool enough to smoke right down to the nub, leaving you with a savory, meaty aftertaste that sticks around long after you put it down. It finishes with dignity and intensity.

Cohiba is the heavy hitter of the Habanos portfolio, but it started as a complete secret. Established in 1966, the brand was originally created solely for Fidel Castro and high-ranking government officials. The story goes that Castro noticed his bodyguard smoking a particularly aromatic fuma and demanded to know who rolled it. That roller was set up in the El Laguito factory to produce these blends exclusively for diplomatic gifts. It took until 1982 for the brand to launch commercially to the public in Madrid. The Churchill format, specifically the Esplendido, joined the lineup later in 1989 as part of the Linea Clasica expansion. It represents the pinnacle of the post-revolution tobacco industry, using a unique "third fermentation" of the Seco and Ligero leaves in wooden barrels to smooth out the flavor.

This is not a cigar for a lunch break or a novice smoker looking to try their first Cuban. The Cohiba Churchill is for the experienced enthusiast who has two hours of uninterrupted time to dedicate to the experience. It serves as an excellent celebration smoke or a way to cap off a heavy steak dinner. You need a developed palate to pick up the subtle shifts in flavor, and you need a bit of tolerance to handle the strength at the end.