From dishwashers and concert tickets, to snowboard gear, chewing gum, garlic presses, and stogies, cost performance matters now more than ever.

But value should never just be registered in monetary units. Instead, it must encompass the quality of the product being procured, and the practicality, purpose, and/or pleasure it provides the consumer. This pertains to every imaginable purchasable product or experience. Which leads us back to the collectible, yet equally consumable topic of stogies.

Like most cigar review-oriented websites, we here at Klaro do not factor the cost of the cigars we sample into our overall assessment or scoring. You can't put a price on smoking pleasure. No matter what the cost might be.

However, while there are no bonus points associated with a single cigar review you see on the Klaro website, a modest to reasonable price point certainly warrants mentioning. This is especially true when recommending a quality Yard Cigar. For while many may consider a $3 "Cuban Sandwich" to be an acceptable smoke for gnawing on while doing strenuous outdoor activities, there are those of us who prefer to cough-up the additional coin for a $7 smoke instead.

As a brand, Gran Habano effortlessly falls into this value-oriented category, at least when it comes to much of its core line. Furthermore, we have found that this Honduran company's line of 54 ring-gauge "Gran Robusto" vitolas tend to provide an exceptional burn, an outstanding draw, solid cigar flavor profiles in every category, and rarely go out when left unattended. This gives us further cause to recommend Gran Habano blends not only to those looking for a ton of tobacco for the money, but for anyone on the hunt for a tasty blend that burns brilliantly. Take the Corojo #5 from Gran Habano for instance...

[Buy 5-Pack]

Unlit Impressions 

Gran Habano's old-school banding is surely recognizable to many of you by now, easily conveying the brand and blend being marketed. But that doesn't do diddley squat to help a cigar stand out. It's not enough to cause me to discredit the clearly labeled blend on the secondary band, or the ornate imprints on the primary label, but neither does it give me cause to stop and say, "By Zues' beard! That cigar looks badass! I'm gonna buy it." 

I have also noticed that the wrapper on the Corojo #5 blend isn't the most bewitching specimen. It definitely isn't the oiliest, nor the prettiest pick on the shelf, but it's not haggard-looking by any means either. This is the girl next door with the fat ass and an undeniable interest in jumping your bones at the first chance she gets when your parents are away on holiday. Brag about it if you want to your homies, but that's on you stud. 

Now, as for aromatics along the wrapper, which are somewhat citrusy and tea-like at first, they strike me more as earthy and habano-bred than corojo the more I sniff. Nothing tremendous one way or the other, but clean enough to be labeled as good. 

The foot is a much more memorable mixture, with mixed teas and lemon peel blended with peppery corojo spice and habano earth evening it all out. Farmhouse funk, fermented hay, and black tea tastes take the taste buds to the soil side of the tobacco plantation operation, and are not the most pleasant when experienced as a cold pull.

Initial Smoke

White and black pepper power, along with all of their heat and flavor, tow the line up front. Strong sweet tea shields the palate from much of this peppery pummeling by pulling a bitter herbal power move that is fortified by a sugary sweetness and a squeeze of lemon. Overall, the body of the smoke is light and refreshing, turning this robust beginning into a ballsy first engagement.

1st Half   

Palm bark tannins bordering on being labeled as tercio-grade shift the subject matter in a completely different direction after the first ten minutes. Coconut creaminess and the toasted taste of the actual coconut meat itself make me think that the Costa Rican leaf in that filler has more than one card to play. All I can tell is that it's guarding its hand and putting more chips on the table with every exhale.

Light soil and that corojo leaf staple of spice, citrus, sweetened black tea, and tannins take over much of the retrohale. Aftertastes are top-notch, increasingly cedar focused, and linger longer and longer, making for a medium-bodied cigar flavor profile that doesn't build too much, but also refuses to back down. 

2nd Half 

Frosted lemon cake, complete with a touch of tangy icing is the only variation in the cigar flavor profile I could find between the first and second third. Cedar shines a bit brighter in its own unique way, but it gets buried beneath all that black tea and lemon lollygagging about. 

Dry hay makes things taste a bit farm-like and wildly fermented just moments before things go dark on you in the final third. Generic tree nuts that have been slightly salted and roasted ride on a playful little wave of vanilla and stray tropical fruit flavors. The smoke is creamy but still within medium range, and remains so even when the palm bark and cedar tastes attempt to make a reunion tour happen one last time.

Parting Puffs

This section of the cigar really was not for me. Despite starting off on a spicy corojo note that finished fairly sweet, and holding tight to those tasty cedar shaving notes from prior, this last portion floundered and then flopped both times. On my review cigar, charry off-flavors, funky composted soil, and an astringent hint of ammonia made me wince and set the cigar down sooner than I would have liked, but not at first. It was when it all returned five minutes later that I said enough was enough and called it quits. 

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

A relatively flaky ash in parting puffs, followed by the need for a tiny touch-up with my torch lighter on the review cigar was the only burn hiccup I had with this blend. The burn line felt cool to the touch and was quite clean, the draw resistance was marvelous, and the ash deserved a standing ovation. Smoke formation was fluid and effortless, and the billowy stuff had a creamy texture to it that was bordering on full, but never went further. When it comes to construction, Gran Habano continues to roll stunner stogies, and the Corojo #5 is no exception.

Final Thoughts  

Slow to change, yet doggedly determined to deliver a good time, the majority of the points subtracted from the overall score for this blend were based upon how the first and second third retained such a strong similarity. Despite being quite tasty, this is a blend that does not evolve much once lit, and it definitely did not impress during parting puffs.

Dated branding and homely wrapper notwithstanding, this did not distract me from the overall allure of the cigar itself. It's a big, bold, spicy corojo, filled with signature mixed baking spices and citrus at first, that eventually slips into a tropical tiki party of flavors and aromatics. As with every other Gran Habano cigar we stock, construction and burn hover near textbook in appearance and heat, and the cone that hides underneath is always near-perfect.

Final thoughts, therefore, are far more favorable than damning, especially if you like a tropical-tasting blend that brings more citrus, cedar, and vanilla than corojo spice at times. Additionally, there is the fact that a 5-pack will run you less than $7 a stick, which considering the amount of tasty tobacco bunched inside, is extremely good value.

Flavor, Aroma & Transitions

Depth & Complexity

Construction, Burn & Physical Appeal

Backstory & Branding

Overall Balance & Repeatability

Stogie Specs

Cigar	Gran Habano "Corojo #5"
Wrapper	Corojo (Nicaragua)
Binder	Habano (Nicaragua)
Filler	Costa Rica & Nicaragua
Factory	Honduras
Size	54 x 6" (Gran Robusto)
Strength	Medium+
Pairing Drink	Cassis & Lime Homemade Soda
Rating	4.2/5