BRAND: El Cobre by Oliva

NAME: Doble Fuerte

TYPE: Toro

LENGTH/RING GAUGE: 6 x 48

WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro (Nicaragua)

DATE OF PURCHASE: 8/3/2006

DATE OF RATING: 9/8/2007

TIME IN HUMIDOR (MONTHS): 13.4

LOOK AND FEEL: 89

FLAVOR AND AROMA: 90

BURN: 89

OVERALL SCORE: 89.4

URL: http://www.discountcigars.org/

STORAGE CONDITIONS: Though the box of El Cobre’s that was originally given to me came in a wooden cabinet type box, the cigars are now sold exclusively through Cigar Factory Outlet and come in bundles of 25.

They come in cellophane wrappers, which I promptly removed and replaced them in their original box for aging.

The box has spent a total of 13 months in my Aristocrat Mini Cabinet at 69%RH. The past few months have been summer, with a temperature range of about 72-78 degrees F. This is the third in a series of reviews of this batch of cigars.

TASTING NOTES: This cigar was provided to Brian Shapiro by cigar maker Jose Oliva. One day, Oliva challenged one of Shapiro’s die hard, full-bodied cigar smokers with a cigar that was sent in a bundle to Shapiro’s office. The cigar was an instant hit amongst the members of "Club Perfecto," which is made up of Shapiro’s group of regulars at the Cigar Factory Outlet. After smoking a few, the club members nicknamed the cigar "The Lobotomizer" or "Muerte Fuerte," because of its strength.

El Cobre, which means “copper” in Spanish, is now sold exclusively by Brian Shapiro at Cigar Factory Outlet and has achieved cult status. The cigar was actually a blend first developed and smoked by Gilberto Oliva Sr. and was one of his personal favorites.

The cigars from this batch have been resting in my humidor for over 13 months, and I am eager to see how this smoke will compare with those of my first two reviews.

After a quick clip and and a slow light, I sit back and am treated to rich tobacco and herbal flavors with some black pepper spice on the back of my tongue. This cigar starts quickly and is medium-full flavored within the first inch.

The draw and burn are smooth and even, respectively and the nearly white ash cuts a stark contrast to the chocolate brown wrapper. There are some salt and pepper flecks right at the burn line, which is a bit blistered yet even.

At around the two-inch mark, this cigar developed a tunnel that caused the draw to become hollow and the burn line to waver. The tunnel lasted about an inch and then disappeared.

By the second half the flavors changed to coffee and chocolate with a bit of sweetness. The burn became dead even again and the cigar burned perfectly throughout the rest of the smoke. By the end, this stogie was exhibiting some intense tobacco sweetness that made me want to smack my lips. So I did.

These are some of my favorite cigars at this price point. At 99 bucks per bundle of 25, they are just under $4.00 per stick. These are cigars that I always have in my humidor. They are well made and flavorful smokes. I would recommend them highly for those with an experienced palate. Medium-full in body and flavor, they age gracefully and a fine smoke.

~Doc