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This Petit Corona is one of the bestselling Cuban cigars in the world according to the Habanos S.A. It is also one of the Che Guevara's go to cigars who was known for involving Cuban Revolution with Fidel Castro. As soon as I cut the cap of the cigar, I can already see the noticeable pleasant flavour from the pre-draw which is not usually present on young cigars other than aged sticks. The flavours are consisted of strong coffee, cocoa, nut, tobacco followed by cream, leather, spice and bitter chocolate with some earthy note. Then, the complexity and cedar scent are added from the middle of cigar and goes smoothly without harshness till the end. I am really impressed with the greatness of aged cigars and can see why it is strongly recommended for beginners. -Mr. Knight Brand: Montecristo Size: 42 x 129 (Petit Corona) Country: Cuba Box Code: AEM MAY 14 Price: Received as a gift from our member, Raskol (ndchow) Score: 94

I think the Don would approve of this stick. An aged legend no doubt. It is a rather ugly wrapper to be honest. There is some bunching on the wrapper. This could be a sign of aging. The cold aroma is heaven. Honey is mingling with some nice Graham and a pleasant floral aroma. I am indeed quite excited for this one. Let's put the flame to it and retire this old boy for the FOH heads. 1/3 Light bodied in the initial draws. The smoke has a sweetness to it. Absolutely zero edges to the smoke. Super smooth and floral in taste. Light honey is definitely in the mix. So far it is tasting like the wrapper smelled. Retrohale is absolutely silk. The floral aspect is building as we move through the first 3rd. There is an underlying wood note. I wish I could pinpoint the floral characters. Each draw has me contemplating hard. Wonderful smooth smoke so far. It is holding a really nice ash. 2/3. Things are picking up. Cedar and the honey sweetness are mixing well with the floral character. A slight vanilla coffee note enters and the smoke seems to be getting rather complex. I need to sit and think about it. Okay it is hard to believe but a spiciness has come in to play. Slight pickup in body. Halfway: The smoke has transitioned like a champ. Just flavors all over the place. Super smooth smoke still. The flavor has moved more into the robust coffee/vanilla zone. Still underneath it all lies some lemon herbal floral depth. The retro continues to be smooth. I would rather this cigar never ended. The vanilla note is more apparent now. The spiciness seems to have gone away for a bit. Final 3rd This is a cigar where it can take you a little time to pick out the flavors. That spiciness I was getting is back and it is not peppery. It is not baking spice either. It is a citrus zesty spice. Just wonderful. The flavor has been so complex that I haven't mentioned the draws are spot on. Plenty of white smoke. Just a touch of resistance. The burn line has not been razor sharp but has not required a touchup. Flavors are staying consistent. Nothing new as it approaches nub status. No shame as the flavor progressed they all seem to stay in a very harmonious smorgasbord. Vanilla, honey, coffee, wood, zesty citrus, and the underlying herbal floral character. I smoke this one down to the nub. I did have to touch it up a few times at the end. No worries just a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon in Michigan. Score : 99 I marked it down 1 point for the burn issue at the end. The smoke was flawless. A fine example of proper aging.

This stickied thread is being established to provide a clearinghouse for information, links, resources, and discussion about cigar surface phenomena this includes topics such as: mold versus bloom does plume actually exist can bloom be induced, and if so, under what conditions does plume affect the smoking experience etc. Please feel free to post your info and I will bring the best into this opening post. Cheers, Wilkey

Montecristo Especial (2003) Review Vitola: Laguito No.1 38 ring gauge x 192 mm or 7.6 inches It's not often that one gets the chance to enjoy these 'long and skinnies'. Furthermore, it's regrettable to mention that there are less of these around nowadays. Then again, do you reach for them, or are they a special occasion smoke due to their length? I recently caught up some dear friends for an 'end-of-week de-stress' cigar get together when @jay8354 offered myself and @Fuzz these Laguito No.1s from 2003 to smoke. Like the similar Cohiba vitola, the Lanceros, these are truly a special cigar (as the name suggests), and more so when aged! Just as the Cohiba Lanceros tends to be smoother than the Cohiba Coronas Especiales (38 ring gauge x 152 mm), likewise the Montecristo Especial is a little under medium, more refined than a Montecristo Especial No.2 (which is the same vitola as the Cohiba Coronas Especiales). These are best smoked very slowly, but knowing my tendency to smoke through a fine cigar such as this one, I finished it before Jase and Fuzz. I think too that, in my defense, I simply was drawing too much per puff to get maximum flavour, it was that enjoyable. What flavours can you expect from a Montecristo Especial? They are known for their creaminess, which this one definitely was. Coffee, milk chocolate, tea, spice, nut, leather and bean flavours are also consistent with this cigar. What flavours were evident in this cigar tonight? I think Fuzz mentioned bean flavours and a sweet baking spice, which I would concur as the main flavours, along with a cocoa 'nuttiness'. The sweet baking spice flavour is mentioned in @polarbear's review of this cigar below... I must thank @jay8354 for the sublime opportunity to enjoy this cigar. I consider this cigar the 'king of Montecristo' and I lament that I don't smoke it more often. But don't just take my word for it. Understand that 24:24 sales that have this cigar listed tend to be high demand, and the references below attest to the fine quality that is evident in the regular production Montecristo Especial cigar.

Montecristo No.4 (1970s - Aged) Review Vitola: Marevas 42 ring gauge x 129 mm or 5.1 inches It's a special thing, to devote yourself, at times, to smoking a cigar, even if it's your weekly 'timeout' routine, it's another thing when the cigar you smoke is 40 years old. I must thank and acknowledge @Luca for gifting me this Montecristo No.4 to smoke recently. I've never had the opportunity to smoke a cigar even 20 years old. The question to consider, in regards to its age, is whether it had peaked. There were clues, during the cold draw...firstly, the wrapper was brittle and had frayed at the foot of the cigar a little, secondly, the aroma was muted. Upon lighting, it was easy to tell, that this had peaked. There was still faint elements of your standard Montecristo cocoa and nut, but no cream. The best way to compare it is to take your morning espresso coffee and add a litre of water to it. There'd still be a coffee taste there, just nowhere near as strong. In the middle third, the faint elements of Monte cocoa and nut had dissipated. There was no cream texture, no coffee elements and no toasted tobacco flavour either. It wasn't terrible enough to pitch, but it was smooth, overly smooth. The last third of a cigar is usually when it's at its strongest, was that the case here? The answer is no. The most flavoursome part of this cigar was the first third, the last third was merely an extension of the middle third in regards to flavour/s. Still, I'm grateful to @Luca for having this opportunity to smoke this cigar. Aging cigars is truly a subjective experience. A little while after having this Montecristo No.4 from the 1970s, I sampled a Romeo y Julieta 130 Aniversario cigar from 2005 that was so strong, I swear I could easily leave it another 5 to 8 years until I'd sample another if I had a box. I couldn't recall the last time I had so much water to clear my palate!

Cohiba Siglo VI Format: Canonazo Dimensions: 52 ring gauge x 150 mm Date: Monday 11th of April, 2016 Cold Draw: Barnyard , milk chocolate and cloves. Again, the draw is more tighter than I'd like. Lit: 12:21 p.m. Initial Draw: Cohiba grass with excellent smoke, mild-medium from the onset. Flavours aplenty! First Third: The first few draws sees some mocha/milk chocolate, a real kaleidoscope of flavours. I haven't had to correct the burn once in this series of aged Siglo reviews, so I apply a little moisture to the underside of my cigar to see if the burn will even out. After four applications it works and I'm pleased, as one can't avoid the charred taste you get with the first few draws after a re-light! At the middle of the first third the cigar is buttery, and very mild, with a hint of spice on the aftertaste. I find the spice is coming out now at the end of the first third. Second Third: The middle third is fantastically buttery, with spice. The burn is now even. Halfway through the middle third, a little mocha, with butter is still dominating my palate. The strength is mild-medium throughout, so far. At the end of the middle third construction, smoke output and flavour has been very consistent. Final Third: The beginning of the final third is exactly like the middle third, butter (with a little cream) and smooth, with no heat build-up at all! Halfway into the final third, the quintessential Cohiba grass returns. Different to the other cigars in the Linea 1492 series, nevertheless, this Siglo VI is a quality smoke. At the 90 minute mark, I take a leaf out of Cigsid's (Bill) book and apply my trusty nub-stick...so,so good!!! Nubbed at 105 minutes. For this review, I am indebted to Bill's review on his 2004 Aged Cohiba Siglo VI cigar and concur in regards to how buttery this 2006 Siglo VI was.

Cohiba Siglo II Format: Mareva Dimensions: 42 ring gauge x 129 mm Date: Friday 25th of March, 2016 Cold Draw: Sweet hay/stronger 'fresh barnyard' taste, draw is excellent Lit: 3:26 p.m. Initial Draw: Again, Cohiba grass/honey but smoother and milder than the Siglo I First Third: The next few draws had hints of vanilla. The smoke levels were outstanding per draw. Towards the end of the first third cream is coming through, the intensity is mild. Second Third: Cohiba grass/hay and tobacco at a shade over medium. Cohiba grass flavours a little more stronger now. This continues through the second third. Towards the end of the second third we see, again, that the cigar is settling into a touch under medium-strength with consistent Cohiba grass/hay and honey-tobacco flavour. Final Third: At a little over the 60-minute mark, again, the strength has fallen off a little, albeit with the same flavours. The smoke output continues to be outstanding. Halfway through the final third and I'm getting some really nice cream notes on the retrohale, which makes me want to continue to smoke this as long as possible! The final draws are excellent, leaving a wondrous cream-coating on the palate, which sadly comes to an end at the 80-minute mark.

In 1963 Cohiba started out as a Fuma (a cigar rolled by a torcedor for his own use) that was offered to Fidel Castro. It immediately became Fidel’s favourite. In 1964, a small factory was set up to make these cigars. Production was later moved to the present El Laguito Factory. This original cigar was an unnamed Laguito No.1, and in 1967, two additional sizes were added....a Laguito No.2 and a Laguito No.3. The cigar brand remained unnamed until 1966, when it was officially named Cohiba. In 1969 the three cigars were given commercial names and the packaging and band designs finalised. Three cigars were commercially released in 1984. The Classic range was introduced in 1989, incorporating the original three cigars. The Siglo range was developed in 1992 and became commercially available in early 1994. The Maduro range was released in 2007. The Behike range was released in 2010. The tobacco is the best available from the premium Vuelta Abajo region. The Seco & Ligero filler leaf is given an exclusive third fermentation. The Classic & Behike range comprise medium to full strength cigars and the Siglo & Maduro range comprise medium strength cigars. Source: Cuban Cigar Website/Cohiba Cohiba, the premium global flagship brand, is well-known for being a good, reliable and more expensive than Habanos S.A's other brands. The Línea 1492, consisting of five cigars, the Siglo I, II, III, IV and V was launched in 1992 to commemorate the 500th Anniversary of Columbus' arrival in Cuba before one further size, the iconic Siglo VI, was added in 2002. These are medium-bodied in flavour. (Interestingly, the Línea 1492 came out in 1992 to replace the discontinued Davidoff Cuban cigar brand) According to Habanos S.A., the leaves for Cohiba are the selection of the selection from the 5 finest Vegas de Primera in San Juan y Martínez and San Luis districts of the Vuelta Abajo zone. It's this extra care for detail, both in the production of the tobacco and the finished cigar, that lends a certain mystique, perhaps, to Cohiba. The purpose of these reviews is to directly compare the similarities and differences in these aged Siglo cigars to provide a reference for our members. I am indebted to the founder of Cuban Cigar Website, Trevor Leask, for providing these Siglo I-VI cigars for me to review. They are all from 2006, given to me a year ago, they sat in my humidor until the time came to directly compare them.

Cohiba Siglo V Format: Dalia Dimensions: 43 ring gauge x 170 mm Date: Saturday 9th of April, 2016 Cold Draw: Barnyard (again) but more honey/oak profile. The draw is more tighter than I'd prefer Lit: 12:00 p.m. Initial Draw: Cohiba grass/honey but minimal smoke. Plenty of flavour. The next few draws I pick up spice. First Third: The cigar settles quickly into a Cohiba grass/honey and spice with oak profile. Smoke output is now okay. Halfway through the first third and this is starting to become a wonderfully pleasant cigar. There's some nice spice coming through. Second Third: At the beginning of the middle third I get more of the cold-draw flavours, grass/honey and oak with the strength now mild-medium. Halfway through the middle third, there's some stronger coffee/tobacco flavours with a creamy aftertaste after each draw. At the end of the middle third, the cigar is now milder, with more creamy notes on the aftertaste. The creaminess is now really coming through every time I puff on the cigar, and I have to tell myself to slow down on the draws! Final Third: The final third continues to be creamy, with spice again coming through. Cohiba grass/honey and cream with coffee, while still being mild-medium, what we have here is a classic aged cigar! I take the band off, as I know from experience that shifting it off will possibly tear the wrapper. The final third is a complex mix of flavours, mild-medium with spice and not hot at all! What a brilliant change-of-pace cigar! Nubbed at 2 hours and I immediately think to myself, "I could easily do that again!".

Cohiba Siglo III Format: Corona Grande Dimensions: 42 ring gauge x 155 mm Date: Saturday 26th of March, 2016 Cold Draw: Barnyard with some honey and spice. The draw is good Lit: 1:01 p.m. Initial Draw: Cohiba grass/honey again but this time there's a little spice. A touch over mild-medium to begin with, the next few draws bring out some sweeter flavours. There are elements of cream and the smoke levels are outstanding. Another few draws and I'm thinking, "this is a class smoke in the making!" First Third: At this early stage we have a beautiful sweet mild-medium cigar with elements of sweet cream, spice, Cohiba grass and coffee/tobacco. This is what you aim for when smoking a Cohiba Siglo, and I mean any Cohiba Siglo, young or aged! I'm pairing this with a black espresso coffee (my standard paired beverage), which compliments perfectly as this Siglo III provides the sweetness for my beverage, for I never take coffee with sugar! The end of the first third continues to be mild-medium. Second Third: There's a slight change in flavour now as the coffee/tobacco is coming more to the fore. I had to re-light where the wrapper was cracked, it didn't affect how well the cigar was smoking, with smoke output and flavour continuing to be exceptional. In the middle of the second third white pepper is coming through, both in the draw and the nose. Towards the end of the second third the aftertaste is creamy, yet subtle on the palate. The body is mild-medium. Final Third: The final third sees the intensity change to medium, which is normal. The band was on a bit tight and the wrapper tore slightly when I removed it, nevertheless, I was able to nub this delightful Corona Grande at the 95-minute mark.

Cohiba Siglo IV Format: Corona Gorda Dimensions: 46 ring gauge x 143 mm Date: Saturday 2nd of April, 2016 Cold Draw: Barnyard and oak/wood with a hint of spice. The draw is a little tight Lit: 12:52 p.m. Initial Draw: I have to draw a little harder than I would normally like and the first few draws have minimal smoke, but then the cigar gets going. First Third: Mild-medium in strength, the grass is more subdued in flavour than the cream and honey I'm getting. The smoke continues to be a tad underwhelming, but grass is becoming more dominant. Halfway through the first third, the construction is outstanding, it's now smoking well. The intensity builds towards medium strength. Second Third: A little coffee/oak-woodiness comes through now. Body is medium halfway through the second third. Towards the end of the second third, I'm getting coffee and spice now. The cigar continues to be medium with very pleasant spice notes. Final Third: Grass/tobacco, a little over medium with good smoke output. There's great construction until the end, smoking well with no harshness or bitterness. Nubbed at 85 minutes.

Cohiba Siglo I Format: Perla Dimensions: 40 ring gauge x 102 mm Date: Friday 25th of March, 2016 Cold Draw: Sweet hay/barnyard, draw is a little tight Lit: 2:33 p.m. Initial Draw: Cohiba grass/honey immediately - a touch under mild-medium First Third: For the first few draws the smoke output is average, but full of Cohiba grass/honey/vanilla bean flavour. Halfway through the first third and the cigar becomes more creamy, extremely pleasant to smoke. At the end of the first third the ash falls and the cigar increases in strength. At this point I'm picking up some nut, but more toasted tobacco flavour. Second Third: The Cohiba grass flavour comes to the fore. In the middle of the second third the Cohiba grass continues to be dominant, with perhaps a little cream/honey. The cigar is now medium in intensity. Towards the end of the second third the smoke output is excellent. This cigar has really hit its stride, settling in its Cohiba grass/honey/tobacco flavour - with a little vanilla bean. Final Third: The intensity mellows, back to below medium, this genuinely surprises me as it's quite uncommon for this occur at the end of a cigar. The honey/cream flavours are very pleasant. There is no heat build-up until halfway through the final third, at the 40 minute mark. I nubbed this around the 45 minute mark.