Mombacho Cosecha 2012

Shortly before the annual IPCPR trade show (held in mid-July, 2017), Mombacho Cigars announced they would be introducing their most ambitious project to date—which would be on display for IPCPR attendees. The cigars are dubbed “Cosecha 2012,” with the operative word translating to mean “harvest” in English. This alludes to the heart of the project, where Mombacho President and Master Blender Claudio Sgroi began selectively assembling the most premium Nicaraguan tobaccos—all from the 2012 harvest season.

When the final blend was selected (in 2013), the finished cigars were left to age for four years, finally being introduced in 2017. This is a concept Claudio has fully embraced, performing the same process in each successive year to showcase (in theory) the best smoking experience from 2012 through 2015 (2015 is the last year Mombacho has announced thus far). Indeed, each limited edition cigar will be released in successive years, with Cosecha 2015 debuting in 2020, etc.

Cosecha 2012 Breakdown

Blend specifics have not been released, with Mombacho revealing only that the cigars are Nicaraguan puros (as are all Mombacho blends) from the 2012 vintage. Each year’s Cosecha release numbers will depend on the given year’s harvest—for Cosecha 2012, 5,000 cigars were rolled for release. Additionally, all future releases will reportedly utilize the same Toro size and pigtail cap.

Appearance

Cosecha 2012 features the familiar Mombacho band, showcasing the famous Mombacho volcano that the company is named for. But while the traditional band uses a dark cola-brown and gold color scheme, Cosecha 2012 has traded this for a vibrant orange and gold. This look is matched on a foot band that denotes the cigar as “Cosecha 2012.”

The cigar has a rust-hued wrapper that is boosted by the similarly colored bands. It is lightly fuzzy to the touch, showing visible, slightly loose seams from head to toe. The centerpiece is a well-placed pigtail cap, helping to subliminally affirm the cigar’s status as “ultra-premium.” Construction is very solid, having no soft spots and a sturdy papier-mâché density to the exterior.

On the wrapper there are aromas of tangy tomato soup and a touch of manure. There are added notes of cedar, cabinet spices, and mineral on the foot. A pre-light draw reveals a medium/firm resistance and flavors of white pepper, mineral, and a subtle sweetness in the background.

Smoking Experience

Cosecha 2012 lights up with dark mineral flavors, joined by fiery notes of red pepper in the retrohale and black peppercorn on the tongue. While many cigars begin with a spicy blast through the nostrils, Cosecha seems to be equally balanced between the nostrils and tongue. The majority of the profile is built around mineral flavors (similar to the smell of rain), with a distinct and cheek-puckering salt/mineral on the finish. Vegetal flavors are also present—not a far departure from the mineral quality—as notes of cilantro weave in and out of the profile.

A touch of sweetness is the first noticeable variation, with sugarcane creeping in around the quarter-inch mark. This is only barely noticeable until the half-inch range, where the profile seems to rapidly evolve. Here, the sweetness is easily detected, bringing notes of caramel, rock candy, and hazelnut coffee creamer.

The only bothersome aspect of the smoking experience up until this point is the cigar’s draw—it’s medium/firm and often requires double puffs to draw a satisfying amount of smoke (otherwise producing light wisps of smoke). Thankfully, most samples seemed to open up after about an inch—it’s still on the firm side but is easily maintained and requires only single puffs most of the time. Throughout the cigar’s first third, the profile could be pegged roughly as mild/medium in strength and medium in flavor and overall body.

Any gripes about the Cosecha’s draw are balanced by its construction, which is nearly flawless. Dusty, light gray stacks of ash accumulate (up to two and a half inches) in a linear fashion—with a straight burn line progressing steadily down the length of the toro. The profile is sweet, creamy, and altogether balanced, showing an assortment of minerals, toffee candy, nut skins, and a long finish that is capped off by dry baker’s cocoa. Interestingly, the cigar is mostly void of spice, however double puffing will open up notes of nutmeg and clove in the retrohale.

Once the profile begins to evolve, it’s a snowball effect of flavors cascading for nearly the entire smoking experience. In the midsection there is a dark, rich chocolate joined by a cool menthol-like sensation across the tongue. It’s a chewy profile with plenty to sink your teeth into. The finish is cool and filled with creamy sensations of nougat and custard. The menthol nuance eventually evolves into a more direct anise flavor, which is joined by mineral and chile spice.

The cigar’s final moments return to a similar profile from the toro’s beginning. The flavors are much darker though, with notes of anise, vegetation, minerals, chile, and peanut shells.

Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?

Ab-so-lutely. Mombacho Cosecha 2012 offers a deep and purposeful, brilliantly progressive profile that was among the industry’s best for the 2017 season. This is an after-dinner cigar that dazzles the palate with complexities to fuel life’s engaging conversations, celebratory smoking sessions, or even a solitary, contemplative experience (recommended to pinpoint the wide array of refined nuances).

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