Probably fake "Cohiba" Sublimes

July 25th, 2021: I was given this box by a friend of a friend. I assumed that they are fakes, as I couldn't find the brand 'Sublimes' on the internet, only 'Sublimes Limited Edicion 2004' or 'Sublimes Extra'. 

So I put them aside for a couple of years. They are now four years old. Finally, I decided to try one. I cannot say whether or not they are fakes. Reasons to believe that they are not fakes:

1. The silver strip on the label is a hologram: it reflects a rainbow of colour at different angles.
2. The box has a three letter code EVA near the date.
3. The benefactor of the box has longstanding business relations in Cuba and would be unlikely to be duped. 
4. They have the Pinar del Rio flavour profile.

On the other hand, I received this comment which concludes that they are fakes:

The I in Cohiba should align perfectly with the C in Cuba, the squares are not aligned and should never touch under the chin, the Tanto head is off center, Cohiba box cuts  squares on the right side, comma after Cuba is in the wrong position. These flaws are not uncommon in many counterfeit examples. Due to the fact that Cohiba is so heavily counterfeited, the company in Switzerland only produces perfect bands for authentic Cohibas.

Whatever the status of the cigars, they proved to be a decent smoke, with excellent aroma, perfect burn and a Pinar del Rio flavour. 

Construction: 6 X 54, a very light claro wrapper, loosely packed, light in the hand. The box was marked June 17. Very smooth surface. The wrapper was extremely thin; a tiny part broke off with the band, exposing a dark binder below.

According to one website, the cigars, if genuine, are produced in the Vuelta Abajo factory in Pinar del Rio, the province on the extreme western tip of Cuba. 

Draw: Very easy draw. I would have preferred a bit more resistance and tighter packing. 

Burn: Perfect

Flavour: Mild to medium Cuban flavour, resembling that of the Vegueros cigar, which also comes from the Pinar del Rio Province. A little bit of mild pepper at outset and towards the end.

Complexity: Not much complexity in the flavour, but the aroma was amazingly rich and complex.

Body: Mild to medium

Strength: Not much kick, perhaps a bit at the end, but barely noticeable.

Finish: Good finish for such a mild cigar.

Aroma: The best part. Extremely rich, complex and delicious Cuban aroma. 

Ash: Very light ash, came off easily after the first inch with a light tap.

Balance and Consistency: Well balanced and consistently aromatic.

Time smoke: 75 minutes. Despite its size, the light packing made for a fast burn.

Overall: A pleasant, mellow, cigar, with a deep, rich aroma. Quite satisfying.

September 16th, 2021: Starts mild in body, low strength with a dash of white pepper. Aroma was rich and complex. Finish was long and very clean. Draw was very easy with volumes of smoke and a light ash that fell off after an inch. Despite the size of the cigar, it was very lightly packed. Burn was sharp. Despite the mildness, flavour was still complex.

By the second half body increased to almost medium and strength picked up a little. Spice increased to make the mixture more interesting. I smoked the cigar to nub. It was quite tasty, quite enjoyable. Not really enough body for my liking. A little more strength would have complemented the mild flavour. Overall, the cigar was quite balanced. I'm sure many people would find this a very satisfying cigar. 80 minutes. Pleasant. 

November 8th, 2022: Much the same as the previous cigar. If this is a fake, it's a very fine quality fake: excellent construction, draw and burn, albeit, lightly packed and fast burning for such a big stogie. 75 minutes. Pleasant.

Rocky Patel Royale Toro

July 15th, 2021:  Quite pleasant: good aroma, long finish, but lacking in body and flavour.

Construction: Box pressed, Ecuadorian Sumatra-seed wrapper, Connecticut binder, Nicaraguan filler, 6.5 X 54, looks good, feels weighty

Draw: Perfect throughout, with good smoke production.

Burn: Even enough.

Flavour: Rich and smooth during the first half inch, but that soon died away to a less exciting flavour. Milk chocolatey, occasional hint of pepper from time to time. Final third nothing much but vegetal flavour lacking in complexity. 

Complexity: No complexity to speak of in the flavour. Aroma was quite rich and finish was tasty.

Body: Medium throughout

Strength: Medium throughout. Never oppressive.

Finish: Long finish, excellent, milk chocolatey after taste. 

Aroma: Rich and complex aroma.

Ash: A bit flaky, but held on for an inch or two.

Balance and Consistency: Lacking depth in flavour, especially in the final third. 

Time smoke: 90 minutes

Overall: Pleasant. But nothing outstanding. Only two weeks in the humidor before smoking. Let's see what the next one brings.

August 25th, 2021: Another mediocre performance. I think the cigar was too dry, despite being a month in the humidor. It must have been in a dry part. The wrapper cracked - a sure sign of being too dry and the head was rock hard, another sign of being too dry. 

Too dry

Everything about the cigar was medium at best - or mediocre. Flavour was lacking, but that could be due to dryness. Body too, was not satisfying; rather meagre. The first third was pleasant enough: cool, voluminous smoke output with a mild, dry, cocoa-like flavour with a tinge of pepper. But it was monodimensional. There was no complexity either in the flavour or the aroma. Nor was there any strength to speak of. The cigar lacked depth.  

Draw was perfect; very easy draw with volumes of smoke output. Burn was wavy, requiring several touch-ups throughout. 

Overall: 85 minutes. Pleasant, at best. Not satisfying. Let's see whether a few months with more humidity will bring some life out of, or put some into, the cigar.

December 4th, 2023: After more than two years, this cigar was quite pleasant: rich and smooth, with much more flavour than recorded previously. I need to visit this cigar again and see whether time has improved it. Quite satisyfing at aorund 90 minutes. 

AJ Fernandez San Lotano Requiem Maduro Torpedo

While the first dip into this box was a dud, the second cigar was a delight: rich, smooth, excellent aroma, increasing intensity and with 100 minutes duration. The flavour was much like the New World Navegante at the outset, but built in flavour, body and strength, similar to the San Lotano Habano. 

1. July 13th, 2021: This was a disappointment. Flavour was mostly thin and lacked complexity. Burn was the most uneven I can recall. Draw was difficult at times. Aroma was nothing to write home about.

Looks good. Smells good. Feels good in the hand. But flavour was disappointing.

Construction: Box pressed, 6.5 x 52, Mexican San Andreas wrapper, Honduran and Nicaraguan filler. This sample appeared well made and had a bit of weight to it. Overall, it looked encouraging.

Draw: Inconsistent. Sometimes easy, sometimes tight.

Burn: The worst burn I can recall in a long time: wavy, jagged, requiring a couple of relights. This wouldn't have been an issue if flavour was there. But for the most part it wasn't.

Flavour: Started a bit thin and bitter. After the first inch, flavour improved to a more complex and smooth flavour; the usual maduro profile, but not as smooth and rich as the New World Naveganate or as consistent as the Padron 4000 Maduro.

Complexity: Occasional rich, complex flavour, but mostly, flavour was not rich.

Body: Good medium to full body.

Strength: Pleasant strength, not overwhelming.

Finish: Good long finish until the final two inches.

Aroma: A bit of a disappointment. Dry aroma was strong and spicy. But throughout, smoke was not as aromatic as I had hoped.

Ash: Curly, flaky and loose, suggesting poor construction.

Balance and Consistency: Occasional sections of balanced flavour, body and strength but not consistent.

Time smoke: 80 minutes.

Overall: A bit disappointing. Flavour didn't reach the intensity of the Navegante. This was the first of the box and so it might need a month or two of ripening in the humidor. Let's see.

Wavy burn and flaky ash, bitterness at the start and finish and tight draw made this one a bit of a dud.

2. August 11th, 2021: I approached this cigar with trepidation. I didn't want to waste another evening on a dud, such as the first sample from the box. Pre-light aroma was nothing special, but the initial draw was encouraging: a very smooth, slightly peppery, maduro flavour. From there things got better. 

Draw: Easy and pleasant. No resistance. 

Burn: Wavy but self-correcting. No touch up required.

Flavour: Started out with smooth maduro flavour and a little pepper, increasing in intensity by the middle of the cigar, but never bitter. Flavour was similar to that of the New World Navegante during the first third, but intensity during the second half was much greater than that of the Navegante. 

Complexity: Deep rich, complex flavour and aroma, increasing in intensity.

Body: Starting at an easy medium but developing to full body by the second half.

Strength: No strength to speak of at the outset, but strength built by the second half. Quite strong by the final third, causing a mild sweat in the tropical heat. 

Finish: Good clean, long finish but becoming dirty towards the end. 

Aroma: After the first inch, a burst of delicious, complex aroma, which continued throughout.

Ash: fine grey and white ash which lasted about 20 minutes per tap.

Balance and Consistency: Well balanced flavour, aroma, body and strength, with a steady increase on all dials as the cigar progressed.

Smoking time: 100 minutes.

Overall: This cigar redeemed itself after the disappointment of last month. Very satisfying. Although it started out as a mere copy of the New World Navegante during the first third, it distinguished itself as a much stronger cigar, albeit with slightly dirty finish.

Deep, rich, maduro, mild to medium in the first half and building in intensity during in the second half to a full bodied cigar.

3. September 29th, 2021: The first half was rich and succulent, one of finest maduros I have tasted: full body, just the right amount of strength and pepper, a minty taste and a richly sweet aftertaste all of which combined to make a deliciously complex concoction of flavour. 

The second half, however, was a bit of a disappointment. Burn was extremely wavy and required several touch ups. Flavour dissipated to the more simple earthy maduro flavour with a touch of pepper. The minty, sweet complexity abated. Finish was dirty. 80 minutes. Still quite satisfying. 

The second half was somewhat of a disappointment: burn was wavy, ash flaky, draw was sometimes difficult and flavour was not at the level of the first half. 

4. December 8th, 2021: This was a good sample. It was smooth and mellow with medium body and no excessive strength. Aroma was rich and complex, as was the long finish, which left a slightly sweet, leathery residue, with a touch of dirt. The cigar was consistently good. 

Burn was even, unlike the cigar of September 29th, however a two-inch long crack developed at the foot upon lighting. I've noticed this phenomenon before: the cigar is fine pre-light, but immediately upon lighting the wrapper cracks. The cigar was not too dry. It had been stored for a few months in the 67 to 69% range.

The wrapper split soon after lighting.
It was only a cosmetic defect. Burn and draw were unimpeded. 

Despite the crack, burn was fine. The crack had no effect on either burn or draw. The cigar burned almost perfectly; a little wavy perhaps, but always self-correcting.

At the one hour mark. The crack had passed and burn was even enough.

Overall this was quite a pleasant cigar. It had depth and complexity both in flavour and aroma. The long finish was one of the most outstanding qualities. The final third gave a little spice, but otherwise, the profile was homogeneous throughout: smooth, almost creamy and plenty of flavour. Quite satisfying. 95 minutes. 

5. March 26th, 2022: This was a very satisfying cigar. Pre-light aroma was of dried fruit; sweet and complex with a bit of musty barnyard. Upon lighting, flavour was smooth, mellow and had a little mustiness of age, which complemented the profile delectably. Body was medium, perhaps medium plus. Draw was easy. But burn was a little irregular and required a touch up. This cigar was consistently good. 110 minutes. Very satisfying. 

6. August 1st, 2022: Pre-light aroma was very complex: sweet, dried fruit, earthy. First puff was rich and spicy. The cigar stayed around the medium body level throughout. Flavour was much as described above: maduro with a bit of spice. Aroma was good but fleeting. Finish varied, from a deep rich aftertaste to nothing much. The cigar was not as consistent as the best examples. Flavour was sometimes a little bland, before recovering complexity and after taste. One small touch up required, but otherwise burn and draw were fine. 85 minutes. Quite satisfying. 

7. March 16th, 2023: A very sweet, chocolatey flavour with an easy draw and medium body, but hot and less tasty in the final third. 90 minutes.