The MBombay Corojo Oscuro is one of five regular production lines produced by Bombay Tobak’s MBombay line. The Corojo Oscuro made its national debut back in 2014. The name is appropriate for this line because the cigar is highlighted by a dark Corojo wrapper. Back in January we first took a look at this line when we assessed the Perfecto size. Today, we take another look at the MBombay Corojo Oscuro, but this time in the Double Corona size. One philosophy we have subscribed to at Cigar Coop and Stogie Geeks is “size matters” – namely we judge each individual vitola on its own. With the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona, I found this delivered a much different experience from the perfecto. At the same time, Double Corona was equally satisfying as the perfecto as it was one excellent cigar.
Bombay Tobak is owned by Mel Shah. Shah is retailer who owns Fame Wine and Cigars in Palm Springs, California. After retiring from the IT industry in 2001, Shah opened his shop and last year entered the manufacturing side. For his brand, Shah produces his cigars out of Costa Rica.
Without further ado, let’s break down the MBombay Corojo Oscuro and see what this cigar brings to the table.
Blend Profile
The MBombay Corojo Oscuro is a little different in that this cigar incorporates tobacco from Ecuador in all three components of the blend. Not only does this feature an Ecuadorian wrapper and binder, but there is also Ecuadorian tobacco as a part of the filler.
As with all of the five regular production offerings from MBombay, Peruvian tobacco is incorporated into the blend. Peruvian tobacco is a common denominator across each of MBombay’s blends. Back in May, 2015 Shah was a guest on Stogie Geeks, and he discussed how Peruvian tobacco is the “X” factor across his brand.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo Oscuro
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Ecuadorian, Peruvian, & Dominican
Country of Origin: Costa Rica
Vitolas Available
The MBombay Corojo Oscuro is available in five sizes. Each of the five sizes are available in twenty count boxes.
Robusto: 4 1/2 x 50
Perfecto: 5 1/2 x 50
Gordo: 6 x 60
Churchill: 7 x 48
Double Corona: 7 x 52
Appearance
Consistent to when I smoked the Corojo Oscuro Perfecto, the Corojo Oscuro Double Corona has a rich dark mahogany colored wrapper. The wrapper has a decent amount of oil on the surface. There are some visible veins and visible wrapper seams.
Like many of the other MBombay offerings, the Corojo Oscuro has a large band covering the middle section. It has an Indian-mosaic design consisting of a red, rose, and olive color scheme. There is a red stripe toward the lower part of the band with the text “MBOMBAY” in gold font.
When the large band is removed, it reveals a smaller band that can stay on the cigar for a longer period of time. This band also features the brand’s signature rose, red, and gold Indian-inspired mosaic design. There is red and gold trim across the top and bottom of the band. Prominently displayed on the band is the text “MBOMBAY” in large red font.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
Prior to lighting the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona, I went with my usual choice of straight cut to remove the cap. Once the cap was removed, I moved on to to the pre-light draw. The dry draw provided a mix of black cherry, cream, and cedar notes. Overall I considered this to be an excellent pre-light draw experience. At this point I was ready to light up the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona and see what the smoking phase would have in store.
Flavor Profile
The start to the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona delivered a mix of black cherry, cream, oak, and cedar notes. The black cherry and cream notes became primary early on while the cedar and oak became secondary. Meanwhile on the retro-hale I picked up some additional cedar spice layered with black pepper.
During the first third, the black cherry and cream notes remained primary while the cedar notes remained grounded in the background. I also found the oak notes made their way into the forefront from time to time.
By the midway point of the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona, the oak notes became the primary flavor. There was now some black pepper present in the background with the cedar, black cherry, and cream notes. The pepper displaced the cedar on the retro-hale.
By the last third, I found the cedar and pepper spices closed in on the forefront joining the oak notes. The black cherry notes remained in the background and added enough balance to keep things interesting. By this time the cream notes had dissipated. This is the way the cigar experience of the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona came to a close. The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.
Burn and Draw
The burn of the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona performed nicely. The burn path remained start from start to finish. There was a slight curvature to the burn line, but this didn’t precipitate the need for additional touch-ups. The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color. I also found the ash to be on the firm side and not prone to any significant flaking. Both the burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.
I found the draw of the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona to be open, but not loose. This was a low maintenance cigar to derive flavors from.
Strength and Body
From both a strength and body perspective, I found the Double Corona size of the MBombay Corojo Oscuro to be somewhat dialed back from the Perfecto size. I found this cigar to be a medium strength, medium-bodied cigar from start to finish (as opposed to perfecto which was medium to full strength, full-bodied). In terms of strength versus body, I found both of these attributes on the perfecto to balance each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to a cigar line, I firmly now subscribe to the “size matters” philosophy. I believe you owe it to yourself to find the vitola that you enjoy best. I was very impressed by the MBombay Corojo Oscuro Perfecto – and I am equally impressed by the Double Corona. I found both provide a different experience, yet there still was a nice common denominator with the two vitolas assessed. This is a cigar I would recommend to either a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again and one that is box worthy.
Summary
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Excellent
Assessment: 4.0-Box Worthy
Score: 92
References
News: n/a
Price: $13.50
Source: Cigars Provided by Manufactuer *
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 185, Episode 187
Stogie Feed: MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona (Paul), MBombay Corojo Oscuro Double Corona (Will)
Brand Reference: MBombay
* Bombay Tobak, makers of the MBombay brand are a sponsor of Cigar Coop and Stogie Geeks.
