Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is medium brown with some darker marbling. There are a few raised veins visible, but they seem to add to the character of the cigar. The seams are nearly invisible as they blend in with the various shades of brown. The head is finished off with a well applied quadruple cap and the foot is covered with excess wrapper folded over. The band is the standard H.R. band. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of leather and very faint hay while the foot, although covered, gives just a very faint hay with no leather. The pre-light draw is snug with the closed foot, but I do get a very light hay note.

Pre-light Experience

The H.R. Habano Corona has an attractive medium brown wrapper, leaving traces of oil on my fingertips. Further, minor sized tooth can be seen all over the wrapper. Veins are well pressed and seams tight. The cigar provides an even give with no soft spots. The head is finished off with a well adhered triple cap. Nosing the wrapper tells pungent cedar and white pepper. Nosing the enclosed foot gives strong white pepper, cedar and mixed nuts. Cold draw reveals white pepper on the palate and lips and airy dry wood.

First Third

Initial draws bring a nice mix of creamy leather and cinnamon. As I get beyond the excess wrapper at the foot, some wood joins the profile of creamy leather and cinnamon. At a half inch in, the cinnamon morphs into a black pepper that is a supporting note in the background while the creamy leather and wood is up front. At three quarters of an inch, the leather leaves the profile and the pepper becomes a bit fuller and also has a long finish. The retrohale is really just a solid wood note. As the third comes to a close, the pepper fades into the background again while the creamy wood remains up front. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

First third immediately starts off with a powerhouse of flavors providing intense white pepper and spicy cedar. There’s also a good amount of toastiness and rich roasted nuttiness. Retrohaling presents over-powering white pepper and spicy cedar. The finish is fairly short with namely a lingering soft, dry wood and a hint of baking spices. Strength quickly ramps from medium to medium-full, and body is at a consistent medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the cream dials back some while the pepper is very faint and the wood is prominent up front. The retrohale continues with the wood note. At a quarter inch in, the wood gains a slight char while the cream and pepper are still sticking around in the background. At an inch in, some baking spice joins the wood note while the pepper has left but the slight cream remains. As the third comes to a close, the char picks up some while the baking spice is in the background. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

Second Third

The spice thankfully tapers down within the second half, leaving a better balanced formula of white pepper, less spicy cedar, toast and roasted nuttiness. The intensity of the spice still shows up on the retrohale, in addition to the spicy cedar. The finish lengthens with the same lingering soft dry wood and now picks up a relatively spicy cedar. Strength and body is still medium-full and medium, respectively.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the baking spice ramps up again to become even with the charred wood. At a quarter inch in, some bitterness enters which pushes the baking spice out. At an inch in, the bitterness drops back a bit letting the baking spice be noticed again. The retrohale is a charred wood note. As the cigar comes to a close, it is charred wood up front with some bitterness and baking spice in the background. The strength in this third was medium-full.

Final Third

The last third is basically a replica of the second third. Mouth draw notes of white pepper, less spicy cedar, toast and roasted nuttiness. Retrohaling gives stronger white pepper and spicy cedar. The finish is medium in length with lingering soft creamed wood, but loses out on the spicy cedar. Strength remains medium-full and body remains medium.

Burn

The burn line was just slightly wavy and never caused any trouble. Ashes held on in three quarter inch increments.

Burn

Burn was overall great. The only downside was the slight flowering of ashes. Aside from that, the cigar burned nice and cool, almost razor sharp burn line and solid self tapped ashes averaging 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was slightly snug in the first third and got a little tighter in the second third and beyond, but I didn’t feel like it caused any issues with the flavor.

Overall

Some nice transitions from the beginning when it started with the abundance of wrapper and then got into the regular smoking experience. Things fell off a bit in the final third, but for those that like a slightly above medium strength level with a wood, pepper and baking spice profile, this is a good cigar to check out. The construction was pretty good. This is still the line that shines the brightest for H.R. to me, as other vitolas I have smoked have also been pretty good. I would have no problem with smoking this cigar again.

Draw

The draw was fairly tight until I cut it down to the last cap. Not a big deal.

Overall

This cigar was not what I was expecting. Granted I have never smoked any of the H.R. Habano lines, I have heard this was a nuanced and balanced cigar. Balance and nuance are two words I would not use to describe the flavor profile. Semi-powerhouse is more like it. Yes, I was taken back but I still overall enjoyed the cigar after it settled down within the second third. I’m looking forward to smoking the thicker ring gauged vitolas to gauge if it’s as big as this one.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.47

Cost/Point

$1.54

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.67

Cost/Point

$1.49

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: H.R. Habano Corona