Cohiba Siglo I (5s pack, possibly late 2006)

[zuma]

Lovely arvo, 21C and a slight crisp breeze... took the day off work and sat on the front porch with a nice looking Siglo I (from a 5s pack from the Czar, no box code/date provided but, since it was shipped in Jun07, I suspect late 06).

Dark tan wrapper, a tad veiny with a nice oily sheen. It felt firm to touch, with no obvious soft or hard knots. At cold the smell was very subdued with marginal cedar and hay scents. Clipping its head, it revealed a spot-on draw with pleasant leathery tobacco and a sweet hay hint on the lips.

After torching the foot, from the opening draws to about the 1 cm mark, it exhibited hay with just a hint of honey and what I would describe as a velvety texture on the palate. No trace of the opening punch that these delivered nearly a year ago. Beyond about the 1 cm mark, the hay developed into a rather weak black coffee with a pinch of black pepper on the tongue, and more pronounced white pepper through the nose (not overwhelming).

Near the midpoint it mellowed, losing the black coffee core yet retaining the slight honey sweetness, and acquired a character that I can only compare to freshly-baked plain brioche with some flowery scents, that I cannot fully identify, that kept swinging in and out.

Towards the last third, the black coffee built-up with a tad of spice on the lips. The texture on the palate was somewhat a kin to slightly unripe bananas. Though the first 2/3 can only be qualified as mild, it finished with a medium body that was dominated by coffee, cedar and hints of burnt citrus rind. The cedary finish was long and a bit alkaline (alkaline in the sense of a really strong black tea).

Throughout, the burn was slightly ragged with dark/light gray flaky ash.

Overall, a nice ~35 min cigar with abundant smoke volume, quite tasty (relatively complex for a short-smoke) but milder than what I was after... it would have been a fantastic morning cigar. I'll give it 89/100

[smokum]

Great review of a great cigar. I see the Sig 1 had some of the same notes as the Coronas Especial.

[SmokinAl]

Excellent Job, both on the review and skipping work for the day. :clap:

[bassman]

Hmm... my 05s are quite strong. Wonderful quick smokes.

[zuma]

» Hmm... my 05s are quite strong. Wonderful quick smokes.

I was actually disappointed that it had such an unexpectedly mild body... I was expecting a much fuller body based on prior experience with Siglo I's. Nevertheless, it was sufficiently flavourful to warrant nubbing it...

I hope someone else posts a review of a 06 Siglo I, perhaps I got a batch of milder smokes...

[El Presidente]

Zuma I had a powerhouse Sig 1 last week TEB JUN 07. Will do a review later today.