CA Review Panel: Cohiba Serie M
THE CIGAR ADVISOR TASTING GUIDE TO COHIBA SERIE M CIGARS
Cohiba Serie M Backstory
It’s not uncommon for a cigar blend to reference Miami—even if it’s just with an ‘M’ in this case. Popular manufacturers like Drew Estate, Aganorsa Leaf, Tatuaje, and Villiger, among others, have pioneered Miami blends. So many, that you’d be forgiven to ask why they keep paying homage. The answer is simple: Miami is the cigar capitol of the United States. A gateway through which many of the premiums we love pass, before arriving in our humidors.
But… Serie M isn’t merely a moniker. The cigars are crafted in Miami, too—a first for Cohiba—by the famed Cuban expatriates running the El Titán de Bronze factory in the city’s Little Havana district.
“This brand has all the makings of a connoisseur’s cigar,” said Cohiba brand ambassador, Sean Williams in a press release. “It harnesses the collective blending expertise of El Titán de Bronze with the mastery of the Cohiba team and encapsulates some of the finest cigar making techniques in one cigar.”
Sure, the brand ambassador is going to have nothing but nice things to say. We’re here to smoke it and see if it lives up to the hype—and to the standard of Miami blends we’ve seen previously. Check out our reviews below!
Cohiba Serie M – Cigar Details
Factory: El Titan de Bronze, Miami
Size Reviewed: 7” x 50 Prominente (Churchill)
Strength: Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo Maduro
Binder: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Filler: Nicaragua
Construction: Unanimously satiny, firm, and well-made.
Draw: John & Gary noted a firm draw, Paul’s was open.
Pre-Light & Toasting Flavors: A wide range of notes: cedar, pepper, earth, cocoa, coffee, leather, and powdered sugar.
Key Cigar Flavors: Earth, pepper, cedar, cinnamon, almond, sweet tobacco, leather, & nutmeg.
Smoke Aroma: All agreed it is herbal and floral.
Burn & Ash Color/Quality: Each thought the ash was firm and grey with Gary noting a bit of waviness.
Presented in boxes of 10
John’s Tasting Notes…
Summary: We have been blessed to smoke and review some pretty highfalutin’ cigars lately…and our streak continues with Cohiba Serie M. Exceptional presentation, but be aware that the closed foot can do funny things: it usually mutes the cold draw, and the burn doesn’t always cooperate. First few rips of thick, dense smoke are loaded with cedar and spice, and eventually espresso and earth. There’s also a floral quality to both the taste and aroma, while the retrohale adds a creamy sweetness. The aroma is just generally “nice.”
Second third of this Serie M is where the smoke is at its creamiest; that’s a sensation I rarely experience. So, if it’s this pronounced for me, then it has to be pretty obvious and enjoyable. The profile is rich with coffee and bread, though not as peppery – which is how you get to really notice these other features. Final third is where the spices reappear, balanced against a nutty base flavor.
In sum, the Serie M is full-bodied, rife with complexity. The thing about this cigar, however, is that it brings us back to the price discussion again. Where you ask yourself, is the Cohiba Serie M worth my $30? I think the better question is, are you worth your $30? I like to think so.
Last time we smoked Cohiba Weller I said, “Buck the price tag and smoke it just to smoke it, no matter the cost.” I’ll stand by that advice not only because it still rings true, but because this is an even better Cohiba than the Weller was.
Gary’s Tasting Notes
Summary: If superb craftsmanship and refined flavor profile are top priority, and price is no object, have we got a Cohiba for you.
My Cohiba Serie M Prominente started-off toasty and nutty with an earthy-spicy finish. Even at this early stage the cigar proved to be smooth and creamy on the palate and well-balanced. Medium in body, it had just the right amount of sweetness, too.
Further along, a note of nutmeg arrived while the nutty flavor I was getting tasted like almond. At mid-stage, hints of leather and cedar entered the mix. More medium-plus in body at that stage, the strength increased a notch, but the cigar was burning very cool.
Medium-full, as in just shy of full-bodied, my Prominente continued to smoke smooth, cool and balanced in the latter stage with a combination of nutty, woody and baking spice notes. Longer pauses between draws were a plus here. Yet as I started to squeeze in those last couple of inches something unexpected happened. Almond, nutmeg, leather, cedar, and sweet tobacco hit me all at once with an earthy finish. (Think of a fireworks show finale where a barrage of rockets take-off all at the same time.) Not too many cigars, especially Churchills, can do that, and over the course of two hours, no less.
For me, the Prominente was a refined and fairly complex smoke that hit all the right notes. Mostly medium in body and well-balanced, every puff was flavorful as some notes, like the almond and cedar flavors, were more nuanced than others. The body and strength begin to pick up a bit in the second half but very gradually. I found that to be a crucial attribute since this cigar has a long way to travel.
Suffice it to say, the Serie M Prominente is aimed at the dedicated Cohiba smoker including the more experienced passionado. All I can add is that I found the Serie M to be as flavorful at the end as it was at the start. As to its luxury-class price, for all of those cigar smokers who are willing to spend a lot more for some Cuban Cohibas, I don’t think they’ll be disappointed with a Miami version.
Paul’s Tasting Notes…
Summary: It bears repeating—even though I said it in the video—it’s days like this that I truly love my job.
A whiff, a snip, and then blessed with fire—the countdown began. Like sands through the hourglass, with each extraordinary pull I was reminded that this glorious cigar was expiring before my eyes.
Lying a ways beyond my normally pedestrian tastes, the Cohiba Serie M is a luxury cigar that more than justifies its cost. Medium-bodied, the first notes—purely Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper from the closed foot—made me sit up and snap to attention with a dose of pepper and earth. As the binder and fillers caught flame, cedar, floral notes, and some sweetness came out to play.
Cohiba Serie M Prominente has all the hallmarks of an exceptional cigar—world class ingredients, complexity galore, and everything in perfect balance. The pepper dials back noticeably in the second portion allowing the other flavors to pop. Some nutmeg enters along with espresso, while cedar and earth are holding down the fort. This Cohiba smokes long and cool and a hair over medium-bodied.
The end draws near and I’m already lamenting setting the Cohiba Serie M down for the final time. Still a tick over medium-bodied, the cigar continues to keep me on my toes by offering up a climax containing its greatest hits so far.
While many—yours truly included—might initially balk at the price of the Cohiba M Prominente, the question to ask yourself isn’t whether to take the plunge. Perhaps a better question is, what’s 2-plus hours of happiness worth to you?