Blind Review: Cohiba Royale Gran Royale

From General Cigars—the makers of the non-Cuban Cohiba brand and others like Macanudo—comes another high end premium cigar in the Cohiba Royale Gran Royale. This Cohiba is covered in a wonderful Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper and is said to have extra-aged filler tobaccos. I’ve smoked some of the more ultra-premium lines lines such as the Comador, Macassar and both Spectre blends with some of the blends being better than others, though all enjoyable smokes. I’m a fan of quality broadleaf—when it is done right it can bring great flavor and balance to a cigar.  

As you’ll ready below, with this being a blind review I was pleasantly surprised with the results.

Blend Specifics

• Cigar Reviewed: Cohiba Royale Gran Royale
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan Broadleaf
• Binder: Dominican
• Filler: Dominican, Honduara, Nicaraguan
• Size: 4.5 x 52 robusto
• Price: ~$24

Appearance and Construction

The Cohiba Royale is draped in a dark, reddish, veiny wrapper with a nice oily sheen to it. The cigar is rolled solidly full of tobacco and dense to the touch. From the foot there are aromas of cocoa and earth. A fine looking robusto at first sight.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

Utilizing my Xikar cutter, I clip a straight cut. The dry draw has just the right amount of resistance, with espresso and balsa wood coming through. As I draw with flame the first few puffs deliver rich tobacco notes along with cherries and leather. The additional spice that comes through is balanced by a creaminess left on the palate. The cigar transitions from spice to leather while remaining nuanced and composed, and the ash that develops with the straight burn is light gray and rather firm attesting to the packed tobacco in the filler.

Through the Cohiba Royale’s progression into the second third, the espresso returns along with dried fruits on the retrohale. Additional notes of graphite and almond emerge while the smoke delivers a long creamy finish. The Cohiba Royale continues with a medium to full flavor without overwhelming and hitting just the right amounts of strength and flavor.

As the Cohiba Royale reaches its last third, there is a swath of chocolate and cream in the smoke with some citrus hitting the tip of the tongue. The Cohiba Royale’s complexities continue, with coffee coming through on the sides of the mouth while floral notes play on the retrohale. These are intriguing sensory flavors that round out the cigars profile well. A thoroughly enjoyable robusto.

Conclusion

This cigar in no way compares to the flavors of a Cuban Cohiba. They are, after all, completely different tobaccos and taste, and I do not believe that was ever General Cigars intention.

In General’s ultra-premium lines the Cohiba Royale Gran Royale easily justifies the high price point for me. The wrapper and filler blend work together in generating a fuller flavored smoke without overpowering the palate. The combination of rich tobacco, earth, cherries, spice and a creamy finish gives this cigar a complexity I enjoyed throughout the entire smoking experience.

I believe that when you pay a higher price for a cigar—especially when it’s highly touted—you should walk away satisfied. In the case of the Cohiba Royale Gran Royale, it delivered that level of flavor for me and I would absolutely recommend picking a few up.

Final Rating: 93