Cohiba Esplendidos Weekend Review Competition

[MrGlass]

The Cohiba Esplendidos has been at the top of my "to try" list for quite some time.  But as it's an extremely expensive cigar, it's also something that I have never been able to justify purchasing (not that they have even been around of late regardless).  Knowing this, my fiancée tracked me down two singles for Christmas in 2016 so that I would at least have the opportunity to try one.  And I have been waiting since then for the right situation to break one out.  Tonight is my belated celebration.

Back in March, I started taking flying trapeze lessons, because at 32 this seemed like a perfectly sensible thing to do.  And I fell in love with it, heading out every weekend and lamenting whenever it was cancelled due to the weather.  Despite the fear it instils in most who try it, it's actually a remarkably safe activity for the most part as in addition to the safety net, you are also attached to safety lines so that someone on the ground can control your fall.  But unsurprisingly, those safety lines are considered training wheels, and the real fun starts when they come off.  

In October, I was invited to Byron Bay to attend a flying trapeze intensive weekend, with the goal of the weekend being to perform a trick with no safety lines.  This is a pretty big deal, as the trapeze safety net is actually the origin of the trampoline, and just like a trampoline, bad things can happen when you don't land right.  My preparation for this started three months earlier when I began training exercises to prepare me for this with things like learning how to swing and how to drop safely to the net on my back.  Upon arriving in Byron Bay, I immediately launched into three straight days of training under the instruction of someone who used to perform with The Great Moscow Circus.  I first needed to learn how to miss my trick - if there was any problem, I needed to be able to land in the net safely.  The issue with this is that my chosen trick, the whip planche, involves releasing the bar while I'm parallel with the ground, facing down.  I needed to learn how to twist in the air like a cat to land on my back - a daunting task when you're about nine metres in the air, looking straight down at that awfully solid ground.  Next, I needed to learn how to catch it, something I had done countless times already, but always with those safety lines helping me more than I (now) ever realised.  And finally, to make it count, I needed to learn how to return from the catcher to the other bar, and back to the platform where I had started.  The highlights of this weekend are below:

This is one of my proudest accomplishments, and felt that this achievement warranted breaking out my Esplendidos.  It took me longer to get to this than I expected, but tonight I have finally had the opportunity to do this.  Now that I've smoked it, I'm glad I waited until the time was right.

First Third:  The cold draw brought forward a sweetness that I have never quite experienced before.  The draw is fantastic, with just the right amount of resistance.  The cigar immediately opened with honey, producing copious amounts of smoke.  Throughout this first third, honey remains the predominant flavour, with hints of lemongrass appearing in the background.  

Second Third:  Throughout the second third, that sweet honey is still the predominant flavour coming through.  Halfway through it changed, and now I have honey on slightly burnt toast.  I'm still getting lemongrass coming through, but it's something that you have to look for.  

Final Third:  For the final third, the burnt toast is coming through stronger.  There is still a sweetness there, but it lingers on the palate now.  I got as much out of this as I could, with a smoking time of just over three hours.

I really, really enjoyed this cigar.  I was concerned going into it that my expectations would overcome it, despite my best efforts to keep them in check.  But this cigar proved to be above all that, and is up there with the best I have ever had.  Moving forward, I know that I'll always have a soft spot for this cigar, not only from the joy it bestowed upon me tonight, but also for the memories it brought back as I put together that highlight video.  I can't wait to visit it again.

Nick.
 

[rcarlson]

Very cool.  CE was my first cc and most memorable smoke.  They have been a mixed bag since then (circa 1995), I've a had a few that were nirvana since.  I think every humi should have a few waiting for "an occasion."

[PrairieSmoke]

Wow. Good review of the Esplendido but for me it was overcome by amazement at you on the flying trapeze! Very cool!


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[Monterey]

3 hours to smoke a Churchill?

[Mattb82]

Three hours well done, I smoke way to fast and need to slow down 

[Ken Gargett]

have to love the moscow circus. when i was a very little kid, my grandfather would take me every year when they toured.

then when i was in moscow in 86, went. extraordinary - i remember that the circus ring was a little odd but this was explained in the 2nd half when the entire thing became a giant pool and everything was done in or on the water. with a seal that was the size of a large car.

and have to love the esplendido. eternally grateful to jose who so kindly gave me a box many years ago (rob naturally smoked far more than his fair share). brilliant cigars.

[MrGlass]

22 hours ago, Monterey said:

3 hours to smoke a Churchill?

What can I say - I was making the most of it and never felt any need to go faster.  But I must admit that the time did surprise me a little.

[Philc2001]

Great review, thank you. I've had a few Esplendidos, mostly 10+ year old specimens, and I am quite convinced they are the best of all Cohibas and unlike any other Cohibas in existence. I find them citrusy and they have an intoxicating twang. But I can't smoke any of the Siglos or most other Cohibas I've tried, they just have an overtone of hay that turns me off. But Esplendidos I would smoke regularly if I could afford them.

[TheMonk]

Very good job!

[Fugu]

Lovely review - and

Thanks for sharing!