2019 LCDH Exclusivo Cohiba Novedosos

This is a release I’ve been excited about. The LCDH Exclusivo releases have always been of high quality and very consistent, in terms of construction and flavour profile. When I saw COHIBA was going to be included in this line, I had to try it.

The LCDH Exclusivo Cohiba Novedosos were initially launched in Spain in September 2019 however, has not been released into the general market. A great BOTL who attended the event, generously sent me a couple to review. Can’t wait to fire it up.

Let’s see how this is progressing…

The 2019 LCDH Exclusivo Cohiba Novedosos is a magestic looking cigar. It comes in at a 50 ring gauge and is 6 inches in length. These will be available in a 25 count high gloss, stylized waffle patterned black box. These were premiered on September 21st at the Madrid Garment Museum*

* cigar information courtesy of Cigar Aficionado press release.

The wrapper is a light cocoa-hazelnut hue. Smooth to the touch. Excellent construction. Firm throughout the cigar with a slight give when squeezed. The rounded triple cap looks good and the foot is packed. Aromas of milk chocolate, leather, grassy notes and touches of barnyard and burnt sugar emanate from the wrapper.

A quick twist from my Siglo multi punch and we are ready for action. The draw is perfect. Nice air flow with a slight resistance. Cocoa, leather, cream, grassy notes and earth come from the cold draw.

Time to take this to the flame…

First Third

Big burst of flavour from the get go. Cinnamon, cedar, cocoa, grassy notes and earth come out swinging. Strength is at medium to full bodied level. Whoa…

The draw and smoke production are excellent. Nice air flow and copious amounts of blue smoke fill the evening sky. The burn is razor sharp and the ash is a ‘dirty’ dark grey.

The retrohale is unbridled. Muscular layers of cocoa, cedar, cinnamon, earth and leather move unabashedly through the nasal passages.

The after finish is heavy on the palate. Cocoa, cinnamon, cedar, earth and leather are going at full throttle. Grassy notes, expresso and chalk fill out the back end. Expressive and powerful on the palate. The medium to full bodied strength level makes sure that the flavours make a memorable first impression.

Second Third

Strength level subsided into a medium bodied category. Retrohale is more approachable now. Grassy notes, expresso, cedar, cinnamon and leather move more leniently through the nasal passages.

The after finish begins to show the potential of how complex this cigar can be, with time in slumber. Nice depth of flavours and nuance within the flavour profile. Grassy notes, cedar, expresso, cinnamon and leather evolve to earth, chalk and touches of nutmeg. Expansive and heavy on the palate still, with good staying power. More raw power than refined elegance at this stage.

Final Third

Strength moves up the scale, approaching full bodied. Really amplifies expresso, cedar, cinnamon and grassy notes as they assertively move through the nasal passages.

The after finish is hard hitting on the palate. Expresso, grassy notes, cinnamon and cedar hit the palate light a freight train and slowly ebbs away to allow earth, leather, chalk and nutmeg to reveal themselves. Heavy and unfiltered power on the palate. Flavours are making a statement, with a flex of raw, unbridled power in the final third. Quite the way to finish this journey.

Final Impressions

This reminds me of old school Cohiba. Raw, unbridled power that traditionally evolves to smooth, refined elegance. The core Cohiba flavour DNA is within this cigar in spades. The medium to full bodied strength level can only support the evolution with time in slumber. Has the pedigree to develop into something special. I suspect that these will evolve to be a brilliant smoking experience in years to come. Will be looking to buy a few boxes of these once they are released to market.

Bonus Pics