Cohiba Exquisitos

The Cohiba Exquisitos is a slim Cuban cigar in the Línea Clásica of the Cohiba brand. This article gathers what Wikipedia, retailers and a few reviewers publish about its size, history, flavour and smoking time, and it flags the points where those sources disagree.

Quick facts

Item	What sources report
Name	Cohiba Exquisitos (Wikipedia lists the vitola as "Exquisito")
Country of origin	Cuba
Vitola	Seoane, a small panetela (Wikipedia, retailers)
Length	About 5 in (126 mm) in retailer listings; 4 7/8 in (124 mm) on Wikipedia
Ring gauge	33
Line	Línea Clásica (Wikipedia)
Introduced	1989, according to Wikipedia
Strength	Medium (one retailer; another rates it 3 of 5) to medium-full (one review)
Typical smoking time	About 30 minutes; one retailer gives 30 to 40 minutes
Retail packaging	Boxes of 25 and packs of 5, per one retailer

What is the Cohiba Exquisitos?

The Exquisitos is a thin, short cigar from the Cuban Cohiba brand. Its factory vitola name is Seoane, which Wikipedia describes as a small panetela. Retailers use the same description, with one calling it a "Small Panetela".

One reviewer at Watch Collecting Lifestyle frames it as a quick smoke for when time is short.

What size is the Cohiba Exquisitos?

Two sets of numbers circulate, and both point to the same cigar.

• Wikipedia: 4 7/8 inches by 33 ring gauge, given as 124 mm by 13 mm.
• Retailers: a Swiss retailer lists 126 mm (4.9 in) by 33, and a UK retailer lists 5 in by 33.

The ring gauge of 33 is the same in all of them. The gap of a couple of millimetres in length is most likely a matter of rounding or of how each source measures.

An official Habanos specification for the Exquisitos could not be retrieved. The Habanos Cohiba brand page that was fetched showed no vitola list, so the figures above come from Wikipedia and retailers only.

Is the Cohiba Exquisitos part of the Línea Clásica?

Yes, according to Wikipedia. Its article on the brand describes the Línea Clásica as the first six vitolas of Cohiba, and lists the Exquisito among them. It is not part of the Línea 1492 (the Siglo series), and no source checked places it there.

When was the Cohiba Exquisitos introduced?

Wikipedia gives the date.

• Wikipedia says the Línea Clásica began with three vitolas (Panetela, Corona Especial and Lancero) released with the brand's public launch in 1982, and that three more, the Robusto, Espléndido and Exquisito, were added in 1989.

Until Habanos publishes a date for this vitola, 1989 is the documented figure, and it rests on Wikipedia alone.

What does the Cohiba Exquisitos taste like?

Flavour descriptions come from retailers and individual reviewers, so they are impressions and not a standard.

• A Swiss retailer calls it "rich, tasty, and complex" and says extra fermentation in wood barrels gives Cohiba cigars their character.
• The Watch Collecting Lifestyle review reports mild notes of leather, pepper and a hint of vanilla, and says the ash holds up well.

Age, storage and the individual cigar all change the result.

How strong is it?

Listings vary. A UK retailer rates its strength 3 out of 5, and a Swiss retailer lists it as medium. The Watch Collecting Lifestyle review calls it medium to full. Strength is subjective, so treat these labels as a rough range and not a measurement.

How long does it take to smoke?

Retailers and reviewers give different answers:

• About 30 minutes, per the Watch Collecting Lifestyle review.

• 30 to 40 minutes, per one UK retailer.

Both sources that give a time put it at 30 to 40 minutes; no manufacturer figure was found.

What is it made of?

The sources are thin here. The Watch Collecting Lifestyle review says the wrapper and filler come from the Vuelta Abajo region, include seco and ligero leaves, and receive a special barrel fermentation. A Swiss retailer mentions extra fermentation in wooden barrels. Wikipedia describes Cohiba tobacco in general as coming from Vuelta Abajo. No source checked gave a leaf-by-leaf breakdown for this vitola, and none was checked on whether the wrapper or binder differs from other Cohiba sizes, so none is stated here.

Is the Cuban Cohiba Exquisitos the same as the Cohiba sold in the US?

No. Wikipedia says General Cigar first registered the Cohiba name in the United States in 1978, that its Cohiba cigars are made in the Dominican Republic and contain no Cuban tobacco, and that boxes carry a disclaimer that they are not affiliated with the Cuban brand. Tobacco Reporter reports that Scandinavian Tobacco Group moved the non-Cuban Cohiba brand from its General Cigar division to its Forged Cigar Co. sales division, effective 2 February.

In short, a review or rating for a non-Cuban Cohiba says nothing reliable about the Cuban Exquisitos, which is a different product with a different blend and different sizes.

How can you check authenticity?

No Habanos checklist specific to the Exquisitos was retrieved, so these points are general ones that follow from the facts above.

• The size should be consistent with the published figures: roughly 5 in (about 124 to 126 mm) by 33 ring gauge. A listing with very different dimensions.
• The cigar should be described as Cuban, with a seller who can answer questions about origin.
• If in doubt about a particular box, contact the official Habanos distributor for your country.

Rules on buying, carrying or importing Cuban cigars differ by jurisdiction and change over time, so check the current regulations in your country or state before making any plans.