Review: JR Alternatives Cohiba Robusto

[air1070]

Length: 4.5
Ring: 50
Price: $19.95 per Bundle of 20
Wrapper: "Varied"
Binder: "Varied"
Filler: "Varied"
Origin: DR/HON/NIC
(as quoted from the JR website)

Body: Mild to Medium
Construction: Nice to look at, but fair at best.
Beverage: Black Coffee

Background:
Ordered these a few months ago, and have smoked a few from time to time. Overall, I haven't been that impressed with these. I'm about halfway thru this bundle, but I have chucked a few because of bad burns, plugged sticks and flaky wrappers. Advertised as Medium to Full bodied, I find them more on the mild side. I really wanted to like this Cigar...

First 3rd: Nothing to write home about. Just a mild Tobacco flavor.

Second 3rd: Same thing. Kind of tastes a bit cardboardy...Body picks up slightly, this particular stick burned great with no corrections with a light gray solid ash. Flavor is pretty boring. Wrapper flaked (again).

Last 3rd: Cardboardy with a mild Tobacco flavor. Nothing exciting at all.

Finish: Slight (VERY SLIGHT) Carmel flavor...Returning to the nominal bland flavor. Nothing substantial developed.

Overall: The wrapper on these seems thin. These also feel a bit spongy to the touch. The particular cigar that I smoked today had an impressive ash, but the flavor just wasn't there. These are the only cigars I have smoked with consitent wrapper cracking issues...I know it isn't my storage conditions, as my other older sticks are just fine. I think that the Consuegra's from JR are a much better value in the taste/construction department for a few bucks extra. Average at best. I won't be buying these again...

[Ermo]

I don't like any of the JR house blends, my experience has been just like yours.

Consuegra's are WAY better for the price.

[tazziedevil]

none of the JR house brands are very good...you really do get what you pay for.

[Full Bodied Bruce]

Thanks for the review.

[craigchilds]

Originally Posted by tazziedevil

none of the JR house brands are very good...you really do get what you pay for.

I can't speak for the Cohibas, but the JR ALT-Excaliburs and JR Alt-JR Ultimates are very, very good, for bundled cigars. Much better than Consuegras, IMO.

(although I still can't figure out why/how JR produces an "alt" to its own Ultimate line).