Pre-light Experience

Seth: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata is average in appearances. I believe with the right bands, it would take away from the imperfections of the wrapper. The foot is sealed to another level on this cigar. Wow! The wrapper has a silky and oily quality with small to medium sized veins throughout. Little bit of tooth present as well. The aromas on the wrapper are that of earth, tobacco, spices and wood. Having the foot closed takes a lot away from this cigar.
John: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata features a Maduro wrapper approaching Oscuro in color. The cigar includes the artisanal complications of a fantail-style cap and a closed foot. I weighed the cigar at 19.7 grams and measured the humidity at 66.6% using the HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper were dominated by strong wood and tobacco, while the closed foot offered primarily tobacco aromas.
Jiunn: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata has a hearty oscuro wrapper. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even, and the head is well wrapped and capped with a nice little flare. Pre-light aromas give faint copper/pennies minerality.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata

First Third

Seth: The first third begins with damp earth, tobacco, spices and leather. There are some herbal and wood notes present as well, and it is medium to medium-full in strength and body. The finish has this soft hay and salted wood quality.
John: The first third opens with sweet tobacco and wood, while medium-strength black pepper occupies the center of the profile and lingers into the post draw. As the cigar settles in, malty sweet tobacco intensifies to just above medium strength, accompanied by a chewy creaminess through the retrohale. Medium-strength earthiness moves into the finish and post draw before gradually receding. As the first third progresses, wood and baking spices replace the earth as supporting components. The black pepper also backs down to light-plus strength, allowing the sweeter elements to take center stage.
Jiunn: Upon first draw, I immediately recognize how dry the profile is. In terms of flavors, there’s leather, cocoa, dried red pepper spice, cedar and a hint of anise. Retrohaling gives a big hit of dried red pepper spice. The finish is especially dry with gritty soil and leather. Strength is medium and body is medium-full.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata

Second Third

Seth: The second third is in line with the first. Damp earth, tobacco, spices and leather. Herbal and wood notes are present as well with that hay and salted wood quality on the finish. Like before, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The second third begins with creamy wood and baking spices leading the profile, with mild bread providing support underneath. Wood and baking spices combine through the post draw and linger between puffs. As the cigar progresses, the profile becomes increasingly wood-forward, with the bread and spices acting as supporting notes. Earth returns to the post draw through the bottom half of the second third, adding some additional depth.
Jiunn: A mixture of dry leather, cream and dried red pepper spice are the main drivers of flavors in the second third. The profile seems slightly less dry as the cream factor helps it. Strength ramps up to medium-full, while body remains medium-full.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata

Final Third

Seth: The final third is lacking. It is in line with the second third with more hay and salted wood notes present. Medium in strength and body.
John: The final third opens with creamy earth and wood, while mildly bitter earth and wood combine through the finish. As the cigar settles in, bitter earth becomes the primary flavor driver. By the halfway point of the final third, wood occupies the center of the profile, but it is unable to offset the increasing bitterness and earthiness that dominate the experience.
Jiunn: The final third is fairly similar to the second third except that the cedar wood is now bitter. But overall still a fairly dry mouthfeel with leather, dried red pepper spice and cream. Strength and body finishes the same medium-full.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata

Burn

Seth: The burn is very good throughout the cigar.
John: The burn was excellent throughout the review. It remained consistently straight through all three thirds and required no intervention.
Jiunn: Burn performance was great as the burn was even, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperatures.

Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata

Draw

Seth: That draw is slightly snug at times.
John: The draw measured 60 inches of water on the Cigar Medics draw tester. Subjectively, it sat between three and three-and-a-half notches into the resistant spectrum, placing it firmly in the snug category. Normally I would expect a closed foot to draw test in the tighter range, and then open up as it progressed, but that was not the case here.
Jiunn: The draw was a couple notches tight, even cutting as close to the bottom of the head as possible.

Overall

Seth: The Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata is not a cigar I would come back to again, and that is because the flavors are lacking and the draw is an issue. Perhaps if I peeled back the tobacco covering the foot, cut the cap, and let the cigar dry-box for two to three weeks I would have a better smoking experience, but no one has time for that! There is not enough depth, complexity and transitioning. I truly believe most of the problem is due to the foot being sealed, but that is not fair to consumers.
John: Blind Cigar #1565 opens with one of the more engaging first thirds among recent samples. The combination of malty sweet tobacco, wood, black pepper, baking spices and a creamy texture creates a profile that feels layered and balanced. The initial sweetness is particularly enjoyable, and the chewy mouthfeel gives the cigar a richness that elevates the overall experience. The brief appearance of earth adds complexity without overwhelming the profile, while the pepper remains assertive enough to provide structure. The second third maintains much of that balance, although the profile gradually shifts toward a more wood-centric experience. The bread and baking spice notes provide some support, but the cigar begins losing some of the nuance that made the opening third stand out. Earth returns through the post draw and is a preview of the direction the cigar is ultimately heading. Unfortunately, the final third sees the profile narrow considerably. Bitter earth becomes increasingly dominant, pushing aside many of the sweeter and more interesting flavors that defined the first half of the cigar. While the wood remains present, it largely serves as a backdrop to the growing bitterness rather than restoring balance. The result is a finish that feels considerably less refined than the opening stages. From a construction standpoint, the cigar excels in terms of burn performance. The consistently straight burn allows me to focus entirely on the flavor profile. The draw, however, proves to be a notable weakness. While still smokeable, the snug resistance requires more effort than ideal and prevents the experience from feeling effortless. In the end, the Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata presents a tale of two cigars. The first half showcases an enjoyable combination of sweetness, creaminess, spice and balance that hints at a potentially excellent smoking experience. The final third, however, becomes increasingly dominated by bitter earth and loses much of the complexity established earlier. Combined with the snug draw, the cigar ultimately lands in average territory despite a very promising start. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 37 minutes.
Jiunn: While I liked the overall flavors centered around leather, cocoa, dried red pepper spice, cedar and faint anise, I didn’t like how drying the mouthfeel was. And by the time the cigar got to the final third where the cedar got bitter, it was salt added to the wound. As such, this Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata is a pass for me.

Seth Geise

SCORE

4.83

Cost/Point

$6.20

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.30

Cost/Point

$5.66

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.45

Cost/Point

$5.50

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Cohiba Serie M Reserva Plata