Cohiba Riviera Robusto

Today, we take a look at the Cohiba Riviera Robusto. The Cohiba Riviera debuted in 2023. While Cohiba has certainly been an active brand under the General Cigar portfolio, the Riviera was the first full-time regular production release since Cohiba Royale. It would mark a couple of firsts for the Cohiba brand. First, the Cohiba Riviera became the first box-pressed offering under the Cohiba brand. Second, the Riviera became the first Cohiba Cigar to feature a San Andres wrapper.

Cohiba has been a brand featuring plenty of innovation regarding tobaccos. The past five years have seen the following releases:

Cohiba Serie M – A Cohiba made in the United States
Cohiba Riviera – featuring a San Andres wrapper in a box-pressed format
Cohiba Royale – featuring a Nicaraguan Broadleaf wrapper and produced in Honduras
Cohiba Spectre 2021 – aged Nicaraguan tobaccos in sherry barrels
Weller by Cohiba – featuring a binder leave aged in Weller Bourbon barrels

For now, let’s turn our attention back to the Cohiba Riviera and break down the Robusto size.

Cohiba Riviera Robusto – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the San Andres wrapper, the Cohiba Riviera utilizes a Honduran Connecticut binder. The filler has Honduran tobacco from two regions and Nicaraguan tobacco from two regions. Production for the Cohiba Riviera comes from the STG Estelí factory in Nicaragua.

Wrapper: San Andres Tuxtla
Binder: Honduran Connecticut
Filler: Honduran (Jamastran, La Entrada), Nicaraguan (Condega, Estelí)
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: STG Estelí

Vitolas Offered

The Cohiba Riviera was launched in three sizes. At the 2024 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show, a fourth size was added in the form of a lancero. The lancero marks another first for Cohiba Riviera – namely it’s the first lancero to be produced by General Cigar Company under the Cohiba line.

Each box count varies for Cohiba Riviera and is listed in the sizes below.

Robusto: 5 x 52 (20-count boxes)
Toro: 6 1/2 x 52 (20-count boxes)
Perfecto: 6 x 60 (10-count boxes)
Lancero: 7 x 38 (15-count boxes)

Appearance

The San Andres wrapper of the Cohiba Riviera Robusto wasn’t the darkest shade. Its color resembled medium-roasted coffee beans. Upon closer examination, there was a slight amount of mottling on the wrapper. There wasn’t much in the way of oil on the surface of the wrapper. The surface of the wrapper had a few visible veins and was nearly void of any visible wrapper seams. The box press had a slight Cuban press style to it.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before lighting up the Riviera Robusto, a straight cut removed the cap. Once the cap was detached it was on to the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered a mix of earth and dried fruit. This was a simple yet satisfying pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast up the footer of the Riviera Robusto and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Riviera Robusto opened up with notes of coffee bean, earth, dried fruit, cedar, and red pepper. Early on, the coffee bean and earth notes moved to the forefront. The dried fruit, cedar, and red pepper notes settled in the background. The dried fruit was the most prominent of the secondary notes. Meanwhile, the retro-hale delivered a combination of black pepper and wood.

As the Riveria Robusto moved through the second third, the coffee bean and earth combination remained primary. The dried fruit also remained the most prominent of the secondary notes. The only real change was the red pepper notes gradually increased.

The final third continued to see the coffee bean and earth notes as the primary notes. The pepper notes continued to increase gradually. By the final third, the pepper notes were the most prominent of the secondary notes. The dried fruit and cedar notes remained in the more distant background. This is how the Riveria Robusto came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The burn of the Riviera Robusto was a bit high maintenance. The burn meandered from time to time, and the burn line was on the jagged side. The ash had a silver-gray color to it. This was an ash that was not the firmer side. However, the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal.

Burn of the Cohiba Riviera Robusto

Draw

The draw to the Riviera Robusto was on the open side. I usually prefer a draw that has a touch of resistance to it. At the same time, this draw had no adverse effects, and it was low maintenance to derive flavor from this cigar.

Strength and Body

The Riviera Robusto opened up with medium-strength, medium-bodied flavors. Along the way, there was a gradual increase in strength and body. In the end, there was a bit more intensity for both attributes when the cigar experience came to a close, but both attributes remained in the medium range of the spectrum.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

General Cigar has always done a good job with the packaging of its Cohiba brand. The Riviera uses the Cohiba red-dot logo on a plum-colored background. This is present on the boxes and the bands. Overall, I think this scheme works great on the Cohiba, and it contrasts nicely with the actual cigar.

Cohiba Riviera Packaging

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

To sum up, the Riviera Robusto is linear, meaning the profile doesn’t change much. At the same time, there still are enough nuances to keep you interested. In the end, if you like how this cigar starts out, it will be how it smokes throughout the smoking experience. If you don’t like it, you will be in for a big disappointment. At nearly $20.00, I recommend trying a sample first, but it’s also a cigar I would personally come back to and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee Bean, Earth, Dried Fruit, Cedar, Wood, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good