Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul is light brown with some darker freckles and has some lightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth, the head is finished with a twisted flag and the foot is covered with excess wrapper that is folded over. There are two bands, with the primary being blue, holographic gold, black and white and denoting the brand and line. The secondary band is holographic gold, blue and white and denotes the sub-line. The aroma from the wrapper and covered foot is just a light mix of cedar and earth. The pre-light draw is so snug with the covered foot, that I’m unable to pull any flavors.
Seth: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul is beautiful in appearance. The finish is stunning with the blue and gold colorings of the band popping off the wrapper. There is a great fan tail cap to the cigar, and the wrapper is between Colorado and Colorado-Maduro in coloring. Beautiful dark leather coloring. The cigar is firm in hand, and the wrapper sports few veins throughout. The veins range from small to medium in size. The wrapper gives off sharp spices, leather and tobacco notes, and there is a cold draw of spices, leather and tobacco. The closed foot has those spices, leather and tobacco notes.
John: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul did not come in cellophane. It featured a UPC sticker affixed to the main band. The cigar is double-banded, with a primary Cohiba Serie M band and a thin secondary band reading 2025 Reserva Azul. For artisanal complications, the cigar has a fantail cap. I weighed the cigar at 18.2 grams and measured the humidity at 64.3% using the CigarMedics HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included barnyard, hay and sweet tobacco. For aromas from the foot, I could only pick out mild wood as it was clearly devoid of distinct aromas.
Jiunn: The wrapper on the Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul is Colorado in coloration and is incredibly oily. I can probably use it to lotion my face. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the pony tail head is well wrapped and capped. Pre-light aromas consist of sharp cedar and barnyard.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, black pepper and some light earth. At a quarter inch in, a light mustiness joins the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the toast level and the earth both increase a bit. The retrohale is toasted cedar with some black pepper and earth. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper increases a bit. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the black pepper, with earth right behind it and some mustiness in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with warm baking spices. I am picking up a good bit of black pepper and cinnamon. There are leather and tobacco notes present as well, and they are paired with some coffee, cedar, barnyard and earth notes. The strength and body of the cigar is at a level between medium and medium-full.
John: The cigar opens with a profile of sweet tobacco, hay and mild wood, followed by mild spices settling into the post draw. On the retrohale, the tobacco sweetness becomes more defined and is joined by cinnamon on the finish. As the third settles in, milk chocolate enters the retrohale, adding depth. A consistent light-plus hay note hums beneath the profile. Toward the end of the third, graham cracker develops in the center of the retrohale, also at light-plus strength.
Jiunn: The first third shows a great cohesive mixture of fresh, seeded red pepper spice, barnyard funk, roasted nuts and cedar tannins. Retrohaling brings out the freshness and intense pepper spice, awesome. The finish is medium in length with cedar tannins. Strength is medium-full, and body is medium.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the mustiness picks up a bit. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper and earth swap places. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth, with very mild black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper is now pretty mellow. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with the earth a bit behind and the black pepper and mustiness in the back half of the profile. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third continues to deliver those warming baking spices paired with cedar and barnyard qualities. Bits of earth and coffee are present, along with cinnamon and black pepper. Aged tobacco notes are present along with leather on the finish. Like before, the cigar smokes at a level between medium and medium-full.
John: The second third begins with creamy tobacco, wood and baking spices, all hovering around light-plus strength. Wood and spices team up on the finish. As it settles in, mildly bitter hay emerges and defines the post draw. Approaching the halfway point, milk chocolate returns to the retrohale, although slightly muted by the growing baking spice presence. The bottom half is marked by the dominance of that mildly bitter hay on the post draw.
Jiunn: The second third lessens the fresh pepper spice that I enjoyed from the first third. With that out of the picture, it’s now a more mundane mixture of roasted nuts and cedar tannins. Strength and body remains medium-full and medium, respectively.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the toast level increases a bit more. At a half inch in, the toast level is now very heavy and there is a bit of vegetal bitterness that has joined in. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with a vegetal note. As the cigar wraps up, the heavily toasted cedar is a bit ahead of the earth, with vegetal bitterness in the middle of the profile and some black pepper and mustiness in the back half. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with the first and second. There has not been a lot of transitioning, but the flavor profile is complex and balanced. Warm baking spices with cedar, barnyard, coffee and earth. Pepper and cinnamon present with tobacco on the finish. The cigar continues to smoke at a level between medium and medium-full.
John: The final third opens with creamy, medium-strength baking spices and wood, while the finish brings together baking spices and dry hay. A return of tobacco sweetness appears in the center of the retrohale, blending with the lingering dry hay. The overall intensity remains steady, though the profile loses some of the earlier nuance from the first third.
Jiunn: The final third is the same as the second third. Much less representation of the fresh pepper spice, mixture of roasted nuts and cedar tannins. Strength and body is unchanged at medium-full and medium, respectively.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout, but the cigar did go out once in the first third, requiring a re-light. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: The burn was perfect from start to finish.
John: The burn line was relatively straight in the first third. In the second third, it became wavy and went out, requiring a re-light. For the remainder of the review, the burn remained mostly straight without further issues.
Jiunn: Burn had its fair share of issues. The cigar went out three times, once within the first third and two times within the second third.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: The draw was perfect throughout the entire smoking experience.
John: Measured at 63 inches of water using the CigarMedics draw machine. Subjectively, the draw was about 3 to 3-1/2 notches toward the resistant side, making it fairly snug and restrictive.
Jiunn: The draw was decent but also could have used help. The tightness of the draw at times was a hinderance to enjoying the flavors.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, black pepper and some light earth. Some light mustiness joined in fairly quickly. The second third saw the mustiness pick up a bit and the pepper and earth swapped places. Later, the pepper was pretty mellow. The final third saw the toast level become pretty heavy and some vegetal bitterness joined the profile. The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul had an average flavor profile throughout, focused around toasted cedar and earth. The supporting notes were pretty typical and never elevated the profile. Not a very exciting cigar, and not something I’d see myself coming back to, especially with the extremely high price point.
Seth: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul is a lovely cigar and a fantastic addition to the Serie M portfolio. The Dominican Corojo wrapper balances out the Nicaraguan tobacco, and produces a nice flavor profile of warm spices, leather, tobacco and wood. The blend really takes the brand in a different direction while also delivering a premium cigar experience. It has that premium Dominican Cohiba quality, which is what the brand needs. There is amazing construction from beginning to end, and a lovely strength and body level. It’s a cigar that smokes great right now but will also age wonderfully.
John: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul offers a refined start, marked by sweet tobacco, subtle spice and excellent retrohale depth, featuring cinnamon, chocolate and graham cracker. However, as the cigar progresses, it loses some of that initial character. The second and final thirds lean more heavily on bitter hay, baking spices and wood, with fewer dynamic shifts. While the construction and draw were serviceable, the tight resistance and mid-session re-light held back the experience slightly. Overall, it’s a cigar that opens with promise but delivers a more muted and average progression in the latter stages. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 44 minutes.
Jiunn: The first third of the Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul was by far the best experience flavor wise. It had a good balance of spice that popped, followed by some nice wood tannins and softer notes from mixed nuts. Although I don’t believe the constant re-lights and tighter draws didn’t materially impact the flavors, I was annoyed by constantly babying the construction. At this day and age of cigars, there’s really no good excuse for this.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.50

Cost/Point

$5.45

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$4.18

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$5.50

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.15

Cost/Point

$5.82

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cohiba Serie M Reserva Azul