BACKGROUND: The C&C Corojo was crafted as a tribute to classic Cuban cigars in an effort to capture the essence of old Havana. These cigars, which are handcrafted in the Dominican Republic, are designed to be affordably priced and reminiscent of pre-Revolution Cuban cigars.

The C&C Corojo features a reddish brown Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper. Corojo is the leaf that made Cuban cigars famous and although much of today’s Corojo is a hybrid of the original it nonetheless is one of my favorite wrapper leaves.

The cigar sports a Dominican binder and a filler blend comprised of Dominican long-fillers. The Corojo is finished with a triple cap at the head, which also caps the attempt to model these cigars after the old Cuban style.

C&C co-founder Joe Chiusano said "the Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper used for this edition is some of the most flavorful tobacco [he has] ever tasted." Chiusano was the former president of Cusano Cigars, a brand that ended up getting purchased by Davidoff in 2009. He and his team of former Cusano/Davidoff employees including, Jeff Aronson, Maurice Tisseur, and Shane Hays, have come up with two other premium lines that are also handmade in the Dominican Republic. Joining the Corojo are the Maduro and the Connecticut.

And at right around $4.00 per stick, these are definitely worth a second look. And that’s exactly what I have planned for you today as I feature the 5-inch by 50 ring gauge C&C Corojo Robusto.

TASTING NOTES: The wrapper leaf on this stick is beautiful. Naturally oily, with some medium sized veins coursing their way through the leaf. The flavors start with a light spicy sweetness and the retrohale bring a floral sweetness. The smoke is definitely mild to medium in body and strength, with the flavor weighing in at around medium to medium-full. There are some drying characters on the finish that leave my palate a little dry and puckered, but that seems to be limited to the first third of the smoke.

This is a pleasing smoke and an easy cigar to smoke. You could light this up pretty much any time of the day or evening and enjoy it. If you are going to smoke this cigar in a rotation along with other cigars, I would recommend putting this one first in your lineup. The flavors are light, delicate and nuanced and might be difficult to pick up if you have smoked some other cigars first.

FINAL THOUGHTS: During the second half the cigar increases in spice and its body rises to a solid medium. The cigar is still very pleasant and easy to smoke and enjoy. The cigar is not really complex, though the flavors are delicate and nuanced. The flavor profile maintains itself pretty much the same all the way through, with a tendency to become slightly more intense.

At a suggested retail price of around $4 per stick, this cigar should be on your list to try. This is a solid smoke at a great price and may very well be one of your next every day cigars.

~Doc