Review COHIBA LE 2021 55 Aniversario - A masterpiece
Review COHIBA LE 2021 55 Aniversario in the 3er test. First things first: in my opinion, this cigar is a masterpiece. When I tested three examples in 2022, I was unaware of the box date and the cigars were excellent. Fortunately, I bought a box back then before the price increase. 98 points! And today, on 01.08.25, I tasted one of them again: 99 points!
Table of contents
The insane clip on Insta: Click on the cover below 🥳
Quality of the COHIBA 55 Aniversario Edición Limitada 2021
Fantastic format: ring 57 / length 150mm. The quality of the rolling: Very good / The wrapper: Very good / The draw resistance cold: Optimal / And the draw resistance when smoking: Optimal.
The anilla on the base of the cigar is neatly printed and embossed.
The two anillas are also perfectly printed and embossed at the top.
The cigar makes an impressive impression. The cold aroma: difficult to describe. It reminds me of warm chocolate, maybe some liquorice and something „warm“; but I don't know what it reminds me of. This cold scent fascinated me.
Just like the legendary „Lancero“ format of the Cohiba Línea Clásica or the three formats of the super-premium Behike line, it has the characteristic pigtail on the mouthpiece. The Cohiba Talismán, the extremely successful format of the Edición Limitada 2017, also had it.
The flavour of the COHIBA LE 2021 55 Aniversario review
Let's move on to the first puff: Full-bodied / very rich in flavour / warm nuts / dark wood.
The first five minutes: Aroma of the wrapper is still „warm chocolate“ / Tongue: very rich in flavours / lots of nut / some earth / dark wood /// Retronasal: Full load of roasted aromas of cocoa beans and coffee beans as well as burning wood /// ZiZo R+Technique: Enormous amount of warm cocoa and roasted nuts.
Strength after about 20 minutes: 3/5. The cigar increases permanently and the flavour nuances described above become partly more intense and partly less intense. A little more leather and earth are added.
The room note (aroma = scent of the smoke) is rich (difficult to describe) and elegant, complex.
Here I am at about 45 minutes. The ash is stable and firm. The wrapper leaf has some white dots (deposits of oil from the tobacco), and is a very good sign, because this is a high-quality wrapper leaf.
After about 60 minutes: Cocoa, chocolate, nut, wood and leather. I am extremely enthusiastic. The cigar now has a slight bite; this is not a fault of the cigar, as it still has to mature. The tobacco has been stored for at least two years, but that is (as you know) too little for a cigar. Recommended minimum ageing period: 5 years.
Conclusion of my COHIBA 55 LE 21 55 Aniversario review
This cigar is clearly a masterpiece for me. I was fascinated by the complexity of the flavour and aroma. I would like to share a few thoughts about the price. The cigar costs EUR / CHF 300.00 each (now on 01.08.25 it costs CHF 450 each). It's tiresome when I read spiteful or exaggerated comments on social media about the price. And I can't understand it either, it's illogical to me.
If Ferrari presents a car that costs EUR 600,000.00, why should I get upset about it and shout: ’They've got a bit of a problem, I'm not paying that much money for it;„ of course I'm not paying it because I can't afford the price. So: I keep my mouth shut.
I am really flashed by this cigar. My box: Purchased at La Casa Del Habano St. Gallen by Urs Portmann.
Resources on the topic
Download Cigars.Zone PDF Tasting Tool
Helpful cigar tips: From „retronasal“, „R+ technique“ and „umami“ to the difference in cigar storage between Non Cuba and Cuba
World Of Habanos: All articles at Zigarren.Zone
Presentation of the COHIBA 55 Aniversario Edición Limitada 2021
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Well done lion!
Hello Vasilij,
the Cubans did not want this price increase, as you write. I find it
sad when they think about this product that grows on their land.
and processed by them can no longer determine this themselves.
Why are they getting involved with a Chinese stake of 50 % ?
Happy smoke!
Wolfgang
Hello Wolfgang, the previous shareholder was the Spanish tobacco group Altadis. The group wanted to monetise its stake. There were a few contenders for the purchase. A group of investors led by Hans Hoejsgaard was also in the running. The Chinese offered the most money and won the bid. I don't know how long the Cubans have had a stake in Habanos S.A.. But I do know why: it's about money that they urgently need. ? HAPPY SMOKE ?
One should ask oneself, why has the tobacco world allowed this to happen ...?
Why is the world allowing Cuba to be forced into these measures ...? Why is the world allowing a dreamlike corner of the world to face an exodus ...?
In response to your comment „... their land ...“, is it really still their land ...?
Nevertheless, I wish you all and your families a really good New Year with lots of enjoyment.
Simple answer to your questions: Because nobody cares. Unfortunately, that's the case. It's dramatic.
Hello Vasilij, thank you very much for the review. By the way, compliments on your great homepage and the cool magazine!
However, I do have one objection to the comparison with Ferrari: well, I'm not quite sure whether Cohiba has earned this title... I expect a little more perfection in return. For me, this means that I never have to wait 5 years before I can enjoy it without an unpleasant spiciness. It can of course mature and improve (part of the hobby), but it still has to perform from the start. I also expect the cigar to be of the right quality in most cases (burn, draw...). As we all know, the quality of Habanos does not currently resemble luxury. With such an expensive product, I also expect older tobaccos. For me, 2 years is far too little for the prices charged.
There are other manufacturers such as Davidoff, Arturo Fuente, Padron etc. that fulfil all these points. In my opinion, the requirements for a genuine luxury product are better fulfilled.
Please don't get me wrong, I like Habanos, but there has to be more to come for the comparison with Ferrari...
LG
Martin
Hi Martin, thanks for your comment and praise. Yes, I would also like to have „finished“ cigars from Cuba (auto-correct just wrote „greasy“ ? . The Cubans have a resource problem and therefore too little tobacco. For this reason, cigars have to be produced that can be sold quickly. I have very few quality problems with Cuban cigars. I vaporise about 40 Cuban cigars a year. There's the odd one that draws badly. And of this one, it was even my fault (stored too moist). I always find this topic super interesting, because I often hear about these quality problems (and I hardly ever have them). Maybe it's like this: Cuba cigars love me and don't bitch ? And maybe they like you less ? ...fun...
As for the comparison with Ferrari: of course I know that the comparison is flawed. It just bothers me that many cigar smokers scream about the price (and most of them can't afford the cigars anyway). I am one of those who can no longer afford Cohibas. I treated myself to this box for Christmas and now I can only eat the skin of the sausages for 14 months ? (.... but I'm not shouting, that would be illogical).
Thank you for using ZiZo and I wish you continued enjoyment here. ? HAPPY SMOKE ? ~ Vasilij
Thank you very much for your answer :-) Well, maybe they really don't like me :-P. I'm well aware of the problem. I hope it will stabilise in the next few years.
You don't treat yourself to anything else, enjoy the cigars:-P
Happy Smoke!
Moin Martin, there are some Habanos Anejados cigars on offer. These are cured in Cuba. I have not yet experienced the fine, deep flavour of even matured cigars. I have bought/smoked various other Habanos, some of which have been cured elsewhere for a very long time. My conclusion is: I have the best flavour results when aging cigars that I have bought fresh and cured myself. With boxes that have been stored elsewhere for years, the result is often questionable and the risk of acquiring an unattractive box (flavour) is considerable. Many people argue like you... “Well, at that price I want to be able to smoke it straight away, with non-Cubans that's possible too.“ From my personal experience, I would not readily agree with this, as I have just explained. I also enjoy following the development of Habanos as they age over the years. Nose tiii deep into the box.....aaaaaaah and aha! Best regards, Heino
Hello Heino, I understand your arguments. But as you just wrote, it works for the non-Cubans too. I don't think Cuba is an exception. With the aforementioned añejados, all the cigars are stored in a mature state. I prefer to do that myself at home. I also do this with non-cubans, as they also benefit from ageing. I also enjoy the process and trying things out :-). But it's quite different when the tobaccos are stored unrolled for a long time and then rolled. And they don't do that enough in Cuba. Of course, you can argue about the scarce resources again.
But hey, the cigars are sold anyway. As long as the word „Habanos“ is in them, they sell like hot cakes^^. But I don't want to moan any more. Fortunately, the ones I enjoy are still reasonably affordable.
Best regards and Happy Smoke!
Cuban cigars are very good and always remind me of my trip to Cuba. But I find it ethically difficult that the casa de habanos is fifty per cent in Chinese hands. I can't keep up financially with cohiba ... at the moment.
Hello Jorge, so that there are no misunderstandings: The partnership has nothing to do with Casa del Habanos. The Chinese partnership concerns Habanos S.A., which is the Cuban company responsible for marketing Cuban cigars worldwide. The „Casa del Habanos“ is a franchise system of Habanos S.A.. As an alternative to Cuban cigars, I recommend all other brands from Cuba that have not experienced the price increase. Most of them are still around.
Thanks for the insight 🙂 that sounds very tempting. I could have got a box but unfortunately the €3000 was a bit much. In retrospect I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't take it, but I'm also one of those people who don't approve of the factor 3 increase. In my opinion, some cigars that I like to smoke are now unfortunately too expensive for what they offer. However, I can also understand the Cubans who seem to get the price for their product, that's just the way it is with ‚supply and demand‘
Greetings Christoph
Hello Christoph, the new Chinese shareholders have increased the prices; the Cubans didn't want that. In our western understanding, we would have first developed a super-premium cigar with a nice box and then sold it on the market at a high price. The socialist system in China is on a par with the capitalist system.
Thank you Vasi for keeping us happy with articles like this. You're doing a great job, please keep it up! As you always say: HAPPY SMOKE!
I'll sign that, Philipus.
With his heart with the Cubans, thus in the right place, and with both feet on the ground of reality!