Gift Review – Cohiba Siglo I

Another in our ongoing series of occasional reviews of cigars given to us as gifts. Featured this time is the Cohiba Siglo I, given to me by club member John on June 18th.

Vitola: Demi Corona

Origin: Cuba

Length: 4”

Ring Gauge: 40

Filler: Cuba

Binder: Cuba

Wrapper: Cuba

Strength: Medium

MSRP: $11.00

Produced in Cuba by Habanos, S.A., it’s small and beautiful, but also a little bit rustic. There’s just something special about looking down at that Cohiba wrapper that makes it feel extra special. The current Cigar Aficionado rating for it is 88.

Following Cigar Aficionado's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) I sat down to rate this cigar while enjoying a glass of cognac.

Despite its slightly rustic exterior, it did appear rather well-constructed. I gave it perfect scores for texture, appearance, and roll quality; which was evident in its perfect burn. The draw was a tad tight, but perhaps appropriate for this small size to prevent me from going too fast with it. This cigar could have produced a little more smoke for my liking and I also found the ash a little on the darker side of grey, but it was quite stable.

The flavor was not particularly complex, for me, but I did detect some of the classic ‘grassy’ taste that I’ve had with previous Cubans. I found it to be of mild strength through the first third, with it eventually ramping up to a nice enjoyable medium body. The nub got pretty short on this little guy, while sitting with John out on his back deck enjoying a pleasant June evening.

My rating for the Cohiba Siglo I is 90.

Here's the points breakdown:

I. Appearance & Construction: 15 pts (100% of the points possible)

II. Flavor: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)

IV. Overall Impression: 31 pts (89% of the points possible)

Gift Review - Padron 6000 Torpedo (Nat.)

Another in our ongoing series of occasional reviews of cigars given to us as gifts. Featured this time is the Padron 6000, given to me by club member Pat back in August of '07.

Vitola: Torpedo
Origin: Nicaragua
Length: 5 1/2"
Ring Gauge: 52
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium to Full
MSRP: $7.40

Produced by Orlando and Jorge Padron, it features a dark, rich looking Nicaraguan wrapper and a skilfully executed torpedo shape. The current Cigar Aficionado rating for it is 92.

Following Cigar Aficionado's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) I sat down to rate this cigar, in of all places: Las Vegas - while enjoying a margarita that I picked up at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, on the strip.

With a severe conical-shaped head, it appeared very well-constructed. To my great satisfaction, it drew and burned perfectly, so clearly roll quality was right on. This cigar could have produced a little more smoke for my liking and I also found the ash a little on the darker side of grey, but it was quite stable.

The flavor was of a dark, roasted sort of character, with a good amount of spice up front. Once that mellowed, I found it to be of medium strength through the first third, but would occasionally get these bursts of power that eluded to some serious flavors to look forward to. Through the second third, the flavor really ramped up, as expected, and I'll admit that the strength in the final third was just about too much for me. All in all, a great cigar smoking experience (need to get more of this brand).

My rating for the Padron 6000 is 87.
Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 15 pts (100% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 21 pts (84% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 28 pts (80% of the points possible)

--Update-- (11/5/08)
Just discovered that I errored when typing this review. The 6000 I smoked (above) was not a 'natural', but in fact a 'maduro'. My bad!
--FR

Herf #13 - Meat Lover's Paradise

June 1st, 2008 - Woodway, WA

In attendance were Fernand, Robert, Eric, Pat, Joe, and Tom. As usual, we gathered to enjoy a good cigar and give our opinion on it by holding a 'group tasting' following dinner.

The Six of us feasted on Tom's famous smoked meats, on his back deck. The slow-smoked beef and pork roasts were amazing and combined with his artful grilled romaine heads and washed down with Joe's home brewed winter ale. Once everyone had their fill, it was time for the tasting session.

Our selection for this Herf was the Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo. A beautiful figurado measuring 6 and 1/2 inches long with a ring guage of 52. This Decade was Cigar of the Week back on May 12th which received a 95 from Cigar Aficionado's expert tasting panel.

Following CA's 4-part rating system (Appearance & Construction, Flavor, Smoking Characteristics, and Overall Impression) we began the tasting. This proved to be a very well-liked cigar among our group of tasters.

After averaging our scores, The Cohiba Club's official rating for the Rocky Patel Decade Torpedo is 91. An outstanding cigar.

Here's the points breakdown:
I. Appearance & Construction: 14 pts (93% of the points possible)
II. Flavor: 23 pts (92% of the points possible)
III. Smoking Characteristics: 22 pts (88% of the points possible)
IV. Overall Impression: 32 pts (91% of the points possible)

With an appearance of high quality construction, we couldn’t find much wrong with these torpedoes (though there were a couple previous Patel horror stories recounted which did have us a bit cautious going forward).

As for the draw, several of us remarked that this was exactly the degree of draw that we like to find in a cigar. Perhaps a bit thicker smoke would have really made it, but this did not inhibit the experience much.

The flavor was powerful up front, very rich, pretty spicy. It was strong, but smooth in that there was little or no harshness or bitterness. We kept noticing throughout that the strong flavors would smooth out and then return again repeatedly.

All in all, a very enjoyable cigar which we highly recommend.

See you at the next herf, July 6th.