Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda is light brown and has some lightly raised veins along with some protruding from below the wrapper. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, with the primary being red, blue, gold and white and denoting the brand, while the secondary band is blue, gold, white and red and denotes the line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of earth and cedar while the foot brings cedar and dry wheat bread. The pre-light draw is a smooth mix of cedar, leather and floral notes along with a mild spiciness on my lips and tongue.
Seth: The Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda is finished with a dark marbled wrapper that is slightly coarse in texture and veins present throughout. I would classify the cigar as having some dark Natural and Colorado coloring throughout. It is firm in hand, and is finished with aromas of sweet spices, barnyard, cedar and earth.
John: The Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda came in cellophane and had a UPC sticker with the cigar information and an integrated tear space to remain intact when opened. There is the Ceniza Fina primary band and a Corojo secondary band. I weighed the cigar at 15.0 grams and measured the humidity at 62.4% with the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included musty bread, wood and sweet tobacco. From the foot, I was picking up musty hay and wood.

Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mix of toasted oak and earth along with some black pepper and leather. At a quarter inch in a light creaminess joins the profile. The retrohale is toasted oak, earth and creamy leather. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth are even up front, with a creamy mix of black pepper and leather just behind the middle of the profile. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: The first third begins by delivering some sweet spices with cocoa and coffee notes. Cedar and barnyard qualities are present as well with some earth, herbal and hay qualities on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: My first third gets going with musty spices, dark earth as earth and tannic wood team up into the post draw. Some spices join the post draw after a few puffs. A creamy wood joins the retrohale as the first third settles in. Some mild chocolate moves into the center of the retrohale as it passes the 30 minute mark.

Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth takes a slight lead in the profile and the overall profile becomes a bit dry. At a quarter inch in, the leather increases a bit. The retrohale is now toasted oak, earth, leather and mild black pepper. At an inch and a quarter a vegetal note with light bitterness joins the profile. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the toasted oak, with leather in the middle of the profile and creamy black pepper and the vegetal note with light bitterness a bit behind. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The second third shows some more sweet spice and barnyard notes. Cocoa, coffee, earth and cedar are present on the finish. Herbal and hay notes as well. Still around the medium level for strength and body.
John: Creamy, musty tobacco and wood leads the cigar into the second third as spices and wood combine on the finish. Through the post draw, the wood takes on a dry nature. Musty tobacco and wood make up the retrohale as some spices provide an accent note in equal strength measures of light-plus. Sweet tobacco joins the center of the retrohale as the cigar reaches the halfway point. Mild, musty earth adds to the finish and post draw during the bottom half.

Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper bumps up to become even with the leather and the vegetal note mellows a bit. The retrohale remains toasted oak, earth, leather and mild black pepper. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is just ahead of the toasted oak, with black pepper and leather in the middle of the profile and the slightly bitter vegetal note in the background. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The final third is a continuation of the second third. Some sharper spices are present towards the end, but overall, nothing major. Coffee, earth, barnyard and cocoa notes. Medium in strength and body.
John: The last third begins with creamy wood as wood and spices make up the finish. As the last third settles in, some mild bitter wood is present on the finish. The bitter wood has intensified to medium strength by the halfway point.

Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was a little wavy throughout.
John: The burn had a wavy start in the first third which became uneven and continued into the second third. The burn corrected itself, but then went out, requiring a re-light. The burn was straight for the remainder of the review.

Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw was somewhat snug in the second third.
John: The draw had some resistance to it, roughly 2-1/2 to 3 notches towards the resistant spectrum.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mix of toasted oak and earth along with some black pepper and leather. Some light creaminess joined in fairly quickly. The second third saw the earth take a slight lead in the profile. A lightly bitter vegetal note joined in a bit later. The final third saw the vegetal note mellow a bit. The construction was absolutely perfect. The Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda had a nice start, with a smooth profile. As the earth took the lead in the profile the enjoyment dropped a level and maintained that level the rest of the way. Overall, just a pretty average experience with the earth and oak focused profile. The supporting notes were fairly average as well and I wouldn’t see this as something I’d be in a hurry to return to.
Seth: The Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda is a decent cigar. It’s average. I think the struggle it will face is competing with some of these larger National brands that have profiles along this line. It’s not a bad profile, it’s just once that is already present and established. The price is great on the cigar, so that will help, but the blend needs more to really take off. If that changes the price, I don’t know what that does to the cigar.
John: The Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda was a brand I was not familiar with, but I’m always eager to try new brands and cigars. I found the overall profile to be pleasant, with the last third having a bitter component to it which left it unbalanced on the palate. Both the draw and burn had issues, with the draw having some resistance to it and the burn requiring a re-light to correct. While the price point is attractive, the flavor profile here was lacking and not something I’d be interested in returning to. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 4 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$1.56

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.00

Cost/Point

$1.90

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

4.90

Cost/Point

$1.94

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Ceniza Fina Corojo Corona Gorda