Video Review - Cohiba Siglo VI EOS SEP 18

[MoeFOH]

 

 

[99call]

love the addition of the cows...........how do those poor buggers wade through all the snakes, and other such death dealing critters?

[99call]

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[benfica_77]

Appreciate the candid review, landing a box of siglo VI's has been very high on my list. I might hold off and see what the 2019 review holds. Maybe the blend was tweaked? or All those millions of talisman are diluting the quality cohiba tobacco. 

[Gamehawker]

I would like to see the next review of a 2019 Siglo VI come from the "UAO" El Laguito Factory.

[PhilB]

My birthday was on Halloween. The next day, I went to the local B&M, thinking I may treat myself to my first Siglo VI (they are $73 CAD a piece here!)

The clerk, who has served me for years and always gave me good advice actually stirred me *away* from it, saying they have had tons of complains with all Cohiba lately. Lots of build issues, etc.

He actually recommended a much cheaper Trini Vigías instead, which was indeed excellent.

Is this a worldwide phenomenon with the current Cohiba offerings?

[SigmundChurchill]

Nice review. Thank you!  

As someone who smokes around 4 or 5 Siglo VI’s every week, I have to say that they often start opening up at about a year to 1.5 years.  But it is certainly not a hard and fast rule.  It sometimes takes a little longer, and sometimes it is quicker.  The flavor is always muted when smoked too early, which sounds like the case here.

I usually keep 7 or 8 boxes in the humidor, so when I open a box and smoke one, if it tastes muted, I put away that box for a while, and try one from another box.  For example, about a month ago, I tried one from a UOA MAR 18 box.  It was clearly not ready, so I put the box back in the humidor with the top off the box.  Then I tried one from an even younger box MOL JUN 18, and it was perfect.  So I have been smoking from that box, and they have all been good to excellent.

The other day, I decided to try another from the UAO MAR 18 box that I left open, and it was much better.  Not nearly as muted.  Still not excellent, but very good.  So I figure by the time I am done with this MOL JUN 18 box, they may be ready.  If not, I will try one from a different box and give them some more time.  

Now, I dont know if there is any sound scientific answer to this, but I do find that leaving the box open, or even just putting some loose in the singles drawer, seems to speed up the process.  Maybe it has to do with more oxygen coming in contact with the leaf.  I don’t know, but it seems as plausible an explanation as any.

[Cayman17]

12 hours ago, SigmundChurchill said:

Nice review. Thank you!  

As someone who smokes around 4 or 5 Siglo VI’s every week, I have to say that they often start opening up at about a year to 1.5 years.  But it is certainly not a hard and fast rule.  It sometimes takes a little longer, and sometimes it is quicker.  The flavor is always muted when smoked too early, which sounds like the case here.

I usually keep 7 or 8 boxes in the humidor, so when I open a box and smoke one, if it tastes muted, I put away that box for a while, and try one from another box.  For example, about a month ago, I tried one from a UOA MAR 18 box.  It was clearly not ready, so I put the box back in the humidor with the top off the box.  Then I tried one from an even younger box MOL JUN 18, and it was perfect.  So I have been smoking from that box, and they have all been good to excellent.

The other day, I decided to try another from the UAO MAR 18 box that I left open, and it was much better.  Not nearly as muted.  Still not excellent, but very good.  So I figure by the time I am done with this MOL JUN 18 box, they may be ready.  If not, I will try one from a different box and give them some more time.  

Now, I dont know if there is any sound scientific answer to this, but I do find that leaving the box open, or even just putting some loose in the singles drawer, seems to speed up the process.  Maybe it has to do with more oxygen coming in contact with the leaf.  I don’t know, but it seems as plausible an explanation as any.

How do you find they smoke with a few years on them?  I’ve got a 2015 box I have not cracked but started wondering about when I saw this video review. Thanks! 

[Vito]

10 hours ago, juri said:

I still remember the first box I had from 2003 and it’s just sad they can’t come close to that level anymore

I’ve always heard this from those lucky enough to have bee into cigars, Cuban cigars, back in ‘03. That was way before my introduction to cubans. Wish I had boy. 

[Gamehawker]

10 hours ago, juri said:

I still remember the first box I had from 2003 and it’s just sad they can’t come close to that level anymore

Yup, I think there is no comparison. ?

[SigmundChurchill]

11 hours ago, Cayman17 said:

How do you find they smoke with a few years on them?  I’ve got a 2015 box I have not cracked but started wondering about when I saw this video review. Thanks! 

Personally, I find once they open up, they are pretty consistent for years before any further changes happen, and 2015s have most likely opened up.  If they haven’t opened up since 2015, I would have my doubts that they ever will.  But I may not have the most refined palate on this board.  I most likely wouldn’t taste much of a difference between 2015 and, say, 2017.  I have even been smoking 2013s where don’t taste much of a difference.  On the other hand, I smoked a 2009 about a year ago that blew me away.  But who is to say that wasn’t a phenomenal cigar right from the start?  The progression they go through over time, is muted to bold to smooth.  And with bold, can come a certain level of, for lack of a better word, harshness.  But unlike some other marcas, with Cohibas, the “harshness” is not so harsh as to be unpleasant.

To me, aging definitely smooths out the cigar, and marries the flavors of the different leafs within the cigar, but to appreciate it, I have to smoke it in a different fashion than I normally do.  With the increased smoothness, I find that i lose some of the boldness, so I have to sip the cigar and really concentrate on what I am tasting during each puff.  If I was a true connoisseur, I would probably do that every time, in which case the age would have much more impact.  And while I do that sometimes, especially with the more rare and exotics, more often than not, I am just smoking with the guys, watching football or golf, or by myself, watching a movie or reading stuff on the internet, rather than appreciating the subtleties of a cigar with significant age.

[SigmundChurchill]

11 hours ago, juri said:

I still remember the first box I had from 2003 and it’s just sad they can’t come close to that level anymore

I tend to agree, but I sometimes wonder if the “wow factor” of the newness of the cigar and it’s flavors brings back those fond memories that is hard for current stock to compete with.

[Ken Gargett]

2 hours ago, Vito said:

I’ve always heard this from those lucky enough to have bee into cigars, Cuban cigars, back in ‘03. That was way before my introduction to cubans. Wish I had boy. 

i had a couple of boxes of the 2003. never saw the 2002s. the 03s were spectacular. i know i smoked a box. i am hoping i still have another box. not game to check. it would be far too depressing to discover i do not. 

[lovethehaze]

Great honest review. I have only smoked VI’s from BRE DIC 18 and they have been really good only issue is they did get slightly hot at the end which dropped the ratings but agreed maybe youth is the culprit. Overall they have been a solid 93 and above though. 
I also have some TPO ABR 19 which definitely are down for a nap further strengthened by this review, thanks. 
Lastly i couldn’t agree more with @Ken Gargett that when I purchase a cigar for $35-$39 US it’s bottom should be a 95 and agree with both of you that there are many other cigars smoking better or equal now that are young and much cheaper. I.e party D4, BBF, Connie A & B, Siglo IV, Medio Siglo and QDO 50 (which tastes similar to a CORO to me) and just smoking the house down for me and not older than 2 years. The true test i guess comes in some time when they age ... then their potential hopefully will outshine where the others are and maybe can’t get to. 
cheers