2020 Cigar of the Year Countdown: #14: Cohiba Spectre CS19

“…the Cohiba Spectre CS19 is an excellent cigar. It’s a cigar that definitely feels the influence of the aged tobacco in the sherry cask barrels, but it doesn’t overpower the blend. This allows the natural tobacco notes to shine. “

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Jalapa
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina, Nicaraguan (Estelí, Jalapa)
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: General Cigar Dominicana
Toro: 6 x 49
Price: $90.00

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: No
Review: Cohiba Spectre CS19 (3/19/20)
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Brand): 8 (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

Coming in at #14 is the Cohiba Spectre CS19. Cohiba Spectre was introduced in 2018 and with a $90.00 SRP, it is one of the most premium brands released by General Cigar to date. In 2019, the second installment of the series, the Cohiba Spectre 2019 would be released. The original Cohiba Spectre and the Cohiba Spectre CS19 are two different cigars in terms of blend and vitola. There are three common denominators with both releases. First is the $90 price point; second is the fact that both feature high end (but different) packaging); and third, the blends contain Nicaraguan tobaccos aged in sherry cask barrels.

The Cohiba Spectre 2019 features a deeply fermented high priming Nicaragua Jalapa wrapper that underwent an additional fermentation process for six months. A total of eight barrels of wrapper tobacco were set aside for the Cohiba Spectre. The remainder of the blend consists of a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and fillers consisting of Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Nicaraguan tobaccos originate from the Estelí and Jalapa regions . The Nicaraguan tobaccos underwent a special finishing process in Spanish Sherry Cask barrels. According to General each leaf in the Cohiba Spectre CS-19 has been aged four to sixteen years.

Packaging-wise, each Cohiba Spectre CS19 comes packaged in a lucite tubo.

In terms of flavor, the Cohiba Spectre CS19 delivered a mix of natural tobacco, orange sweetness, orange rind, mixed pepper, and baker’s spice. This is a cigar that started out mild to medium in strength and medium in body before progressing to medium to full for both attributes in the second half.

With the Cohiba Spectre CS19, General Cigar becomes the first company this year to land two cigars on the 2020 Countdown. Meanwhile General Cigar Dominicana becomes the first factory to land two cigars on the 2020 Countdown. This is the eighth time in the history of the Countdown a General Cigar has landed on it – and it’s the first time since 2014 the Cohiba brand has secured a spot on Countdown.

Independent of price, the Cohiba Spectre CS19 is an excellent cigar. Merit alone that lands you on the Countdown – and that’s the case with the CS19.