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Cigar Review: Cohiba Maduro 5 Mágicos (Cuban)

21 Jan 2013

Cohiba is considered the pinnacle of Cuban cigars, and recent additions to the Cohiba portfolio have succeeded in capturing the attention of cigar enthusiasts the world over.

Maduro 5Most notable among these is the super-expensive Cohiba Behike, which was dubbed “the new standard among smokers worldwide” when it became available in May 2010—albeit in very limited quantities. The Pirámides Extra is another important development, as it was the first addition to the core Cohiba line in 20 years, a line that launched in 1982 (the Siglo line didn’t come around until later).

But perhaps no addition diversified the Cohiba portfolio like the Maduro 5 line, launched in 2007. The first Cohiba cigar to feature a maduro wrapper, it’s made in the Partagas factory in Old Havana and boasts a five-year-old wrapper with thin yet prominent veins and a mottled, reddish hue.

Maduro 5 is available in three sizes: Genios (5.5 x 52), Secretos (4.3 x 40), and Mágicos (4.5 x 52). Secretos earned the number six slot on Cigar Aficionado’s list of the best cigars of 2007 with a 93 rating. The Mágicos cigars I smoked for this review run $23-28 apiece (with a black varnished box of 25 selling for $590).

The pre-light aroma is of cocoa powder and caramel and the cold draw is moderately stiff. Once an even light is established, a profile of coffee, leather, spice, and black licorice emerges. The texture is syrupy. Notes of cream and roasted nut add complexity. The resting smoke is sweet and pleasant.

Sadly, the physical properties leave much to be desired, especially for such an expensive cigar. The burn line is atrocious and will easily canoe without close attention. And while the gray ash holds firm and the draw is smooth, the Mágicos gets exceptionally hot and burns way too quickly—even if smoked slowly and after several months resting in the humidor. Perhaps age will do this cigar well.

All this is a shame, especially since the flavor profile is so agreeable. I wish I could tell you the burn line is straight. I wish I could tell you the Mágicos burns slow enough to savor the flavor. And I wish could say this smoke is worth its high asking price. But the three samples I smoked for this review say otherwise. Torn between the depth of the interesting flavor and the substandard construction, I’m awarding this high-priced Cuban a somewhat disappointing rating of three and a half stogies out of five.

[To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.]

Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

5 Responses to “Cigar Review: Cohiba Maduro 5 Mágicos (Cuban)”

  1. foozer69 Monday, January 21, 2013 at 8:04 am #

    sounds very disappointing… and for that $$$ …

  2. Swede214 Monday, January 21, 2013 at 8:34 pm #

    That was a very honest review, even though I would not spend that much money for a cigar, thanks Patrick.

  3. Manrique Hidalgo Tuesday, April 15, 2014 at 7:14 pm #

    is a difference in aroma betwen Maduro 5 Magico vrs Genio
    spmeone know

  4. Peter Brown Tuesday, June 3, 2014 at 2:22 am #

    Form my sight; the Secretes is the best of the new Maduro line at this time. This is a influential break time cigars, full of rich bean with peppery aromas.

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    […] Cigar Assessment: Cohiba Maduro 5 Mágicos (Cuban) Secretos earned the number six slot on Cigar Aficionado&#39s record of the ideal cigars of 2007 with a 93 rating. The Mágicos cigars I smoked for this evaluation run $ 23-28 apiece (with a black varnished box of 25 offering for $ 590). The pre-light aroma is of … Study far more on Stogie Guys On the internet Cigar Magazine […]