cohiba

I was thinking i should do something special with this cigar, being a Behike, despite my usual ritual of toasting with my trusted Dupont torch lighter. So I opened up a box of cedar matches and one by one toasted the cigar. With the Behike in one hand and a glass of Pinot Noir in the other, let the tasting begin…

This cigar is nothing like its younger brother. It’s light bodied and milky, with a citrus finish. There is milk on the draw, citrus on the tongue, coffee in the aftertaste and a delightful light sweet toasted scent. I rate it 92 based on a single stick dated 2010.

I would compare the taste to the Bolivar family.

Opens up with a series of wood notes and a bit of grass, but evolves into a wonderful strong smoke with notes of pepper and licorice on the spicy side and faint notes of dried fruit and tang on the sweet side. The scent of roasted tobacco and caramelized fruit is truly amazing and will blow your mind. Licorice on the draw, pepper on the tongue and oak in the aftertaste. In short, a strong spicy smoke with a full body. I rate it 94 from a single stick dated 2010.

The taste reminds me very much of the Trinidad Robusto Extra and is closely related to the Montecristo family. My advise – Save your money and buy the Trinidad.

The Cohiba brand has always been known as something special, but the quality of the cigar doesn’t always match the “quality” of the price. Bought a pack of 3 dated 02/2009 and the construction of these cigars are just beautiful.

There is cedar on the draw, bitter oak on the tongue, leather in the aftertaste and sweet cedar in the scent. A dry woody smoke with a full body. I rate it 90.

A bit of a meaty start, a bit bland, but turns into a strong espresso, cocoa, chocolate smoke with the most amazing smell from the wrapper. How can this small cigar have so much power, really a full bodied maduro.

Cocoa on the draw, espresso on the tongue/aftertaste and a chocolate scent. It’s not a complex demi-corona but full on earthy flavors. I rate it 94 from a box dated 02/2008. A must for any humidor. A true apéritif!

This cigar is referred to as the king of kings. The best of the best. But I must admit that the entire Siglo line from Cohiba has never been a favorite of mine. I think that the price is to high, relative to the quality of the smoke. And in the case of this Cañonazo it is about to get interesting…

As with most Cohiba cigars, it starts out with a kick of pepper and toast. The first third is a vegetal symfony of floral almost fruity notes and wet grass. A lovely mix of citrus and pepper on the spicy side. There is milk on the draw, fruit on the tongue, a floral/green-pepper aftertaste and a sweet chocolate scent.

The second third brought on some wood, cedar and toasted notes. A medium bodied cigar. I rate it 90 from a box dated 07/2008.

A lovely roasted start in both taste and scent. Alot of coffee/espresso notes with a blend of vanilla and pepper in this Petit Palma vitola.

Vanilla on the draw, coffee/pepper on the tongue, espresso/fruit in the aftertaste and espresso in the scent. An overall full bodied espresso smoke with a lovely sweet roasted nuance. Perfect in the company of friends after an outdoor barbecue grilling. I rate it 91 from a box dated 10/2007.

This is my last stick from a box of 10. It has been resting in my humidor for over a year at 75% humidity, just the way I like it. The wrapper is flawless, oily and gorges dark, almost black, and acording to Habanos SA, over five years old (hence the name Maduro 5), which makes this a seven year old smoke.

I truely love this cigar. This is an explosion of sweet flavors. A masterpeice in construction and chocolate flavor. This cigar peaks with a nice bottle of Demi-sec champagne, Veuve Clicquot. On the draw is a bounch of sweet chocolate, a bit pepper on the tongue and licorice/espresso in the aftertaste. There is a lovely salty/licorice taste on the lips. The room is filling op with a sweet nutty dark aroma, pleasuring the nose. There is no sour notes like coffee or citrus. The burn is a bit unstable and uneven, which I in this rare case find charming. A real desert, just amazing. I rate this 95 from a box dated 10/2007.

I am allways excited about a Cohiba cigar. I find the siglo line to be a bit grassy and boring. But Cohiba’s EL’s and the “Maduro 5″ line is simply some of the best cigars in the world.

This is an old friend which has been resting in my humidor for a speciel event. Today I just signed a new exciting contract, starting a new job. It is time to take the pyramidas under the torch…

Salty maduro wrapper on the lips. Light cocoa and caramel on the first puff. The first inch gives me green pepper, more caramel and cocoa. A bit of sweetness and lots of oils. The spicy salty taste has a light licorice nuance but keeps coming at you in a heavy warm bitter cocoa and spicy caramel flavour as the smoke progress.

The second inch is heavy on sour espresso and more bitter cocoa. This is really a full body cigar with lots of nuances. Be careful not to burn your tongue. It took about an hour to finish the smoke down to the nob and there is a long aftertaste of sweet chocolate. I rate it 92 from a box dated 12/2006.