Cohiba Coronas Especiales

Description

Modern trends keep pushing for thicker cigars, but the Cohiba Coronas Especiales proves that elegance often beats pure size every time. This Laguito No. 2 vitola concentrates the flavor of the Vuelta Abajo tobacco into a tight, intense beam of taste that a massive 60-ring gauge simply cannot replicate. It demands your full attention and rewards patience with a density of flavor that defines the very best of the Linea Clasica.

The Smoking Experience

First Third: When you first light this panetela, do not expect an immediate assault on your palate. The draw on these thinner formats can be snug, requiring a gentle pull that yields cool, aromatic smoke. You get hit immediately with that signature grassy note Cohiba is famous for, but here it is refined and mixed with fresh hay. There is a distinct sweetness right away, reminiscent of raw honey or sugar cane, which balances out a subtle earthiness. It starts mild to medium, teasing you with a dry cedar aroma that lingers in the air. The burn line is usually razor sharp, showcasing the skill required to roll this difficult shape.

Mid-Section: As you carefully navigate into the second third, the profile undergoes a significant shift. The grassy brightness settles down and makes room for warmer, richer flavors. You will start tasting roasted coffee beans and a very specific nutty character, like toasted almonds or hazelnuts. This is where the famous third fermentation of the Seco and Ligero leaves makes its presence known, smoothing out any rough edges and introducing a creamy texture to the smoke. The strength begins to climb steadily, moving from medium into a more assertive territory, while notes of vanilla and milk chocolate weave in and out of the profile.

Final Third: The final section is where this cigar separates the casual smoker from the aficionado. The body ramps up to a solid medium-full, bringing with it a kick of white and black pepper that tingles on the retrohale. The creamy sweetness recedes slightly to reveal a core of leather, wet earth, and intensified cedar wood. If you smoke too fast here, it will get hot, but if you pace yourself, the finish is savory and incredibly long. It leaves a coating on the palate that tastes of espresso and dark wood, urging you to smoke it until it burns your fingertips.

Flavor Profile

The Story Behind Cohiba

Cohiba was never meant for the general public when it was founded in 1966. It served exclusively as a diplomatic gift for heads of state and visiting dignitaries, giving it a mythical status long before you could buy it in a shop. The Coronas Especiales was introduced in 1967, making it one of the original formats produced at the secretive El Laguito factory. The brand is famous for its “selection of the selection” process, where the tobacco is harvested from the five finest plantations in the Vuelta Abajo region. The defining characteristic of these cigars is the additional fermentation stage in wooden barrels, which removes impurities and creates that unbelievably smooth finish.

Perfect Pairings

• Rum: Ron Zacapa 23 – The solera-aged sweetness and molasses in this Guatemalan rum latch onto the honey and vanilla notes in the cigar, creating a dessert-like combination without being cloying.
• Whiskey: Macallan 18 Sherry Oak – The dried fruit and ginger spice in this sherry-cask scotch cut through the earthy leather notes of the final third while complementing the cedar profile.
• Coffee: Vietnamese ca phe – The intense strength of the robusta bean combined with the thick sweetness of condensed milk stands up perfectly to the creamy texture and coffee notes of the smoke.

Ideal For

This is strictly a cigar for the experienced enthusiast who understands the mechanics of smoking a thin ring gauge. It requires a slow cadence to keep the tobacco cool and prevent the flavors from becoming bitter. If you have an hour and a half of uninterrupted time and appreciate concentration of flavor over massive clouds of smoke, this is the vitola for you. It is not a cigar to be rushed or smoked while distracted.