Review: Cohiba Siglo III

Having gifted one of my close friends with a cigar for his birthday, It seemed only fitting for us to enjoy a smoke together. As a non smoker my friend had yet to sample the delights of a good Cuban, or any cigar for that matter. To commemorate his first smoke, I felt it appropriate to burn one of my Cohiba's (and maybe because I was hanging out to smoke one).

Once everything was cut and lit, it was time to sit back with a glass of whiskey (Ardbeg Uigeadail) and revel in the merits of good company and fine smokes.

The Cohiba Siglo III is an elegant cigar with a complex yet smooth taste. Initially quite spicy, the flavor tapers off into an almost leathery nuttiness, giving off a lightly colored smoke and a coffee esq aroma. The draw here was nigh on perfect, and I had absolutely no problems with an uneven burn. The ash was very light in colour,and tight enough that at least an inch and a half could burn before It started to flake.

All up, the cigar took about an hour and ten minutes before it was low enough that I put it down. A thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing smoke, complex and rich in flavor with a smooth finish. Cigar Aficionado rates this cigar with a score of 95, and quite simply put, I couldn't agree more!

A highly recommendable cigar!

The Waiting Game

My seasoning troubles seem to be continuing...

Even after leaving the humidifier out overnight to bleed off any excess PG/distilled water solution, I am still unable to add it to the humidor without the humidity levels spiking sharply. At this stage I am itching to add my cigars, the waiting game is killing me! I have decided to leave the humidor open for a few hours, and continue bleeding moisture from the humidifier. Hopefully I can get the levels to have settled by tomorrow.

Before owning a humidor, I was unable to store any amount of cigars for longer than a few weeks without them losing their flavor. I would generally buy one or two cigars at a time, promptly smoking them. So, to start my cigar collection off I have purchased  three Cohiba Siglo III cigars. With the condition of my humidor being uncertain for the time being, I bought the Tubos packaged cigars in an attempt to ensure that they would last until the seasoning process has been completed. The few Cohiba cigars that I have smoked have been exceptional! I can hardly claim to be much more than a novice when it coming to enjoying a cigar, never the less, Cohiba cigars have been my most enjoyable smokes to date. In particular, the Cohiba Robusto was a phenomenal smoke.

Longer and thicker than a Corona, sitting at just over 150mm long with a 42mm ring gauge, the Siglo III is a beautiful cigar to behold. The wrapper is supple, yet firm, with a slightly oily feel and the cigar gives off a potent and calming scent of tobacco. It has taken substantial willpower to have refrained from smoking these cigars, but at over $50 each, I think I will be saving them for special occasions... Perhaps I will light one to celebrate once my humidor has been properly seasoned.

On a side note, today I was able to pick up a few books which I had ordered.

John Howard, Lazarus Rising (2010)

Michael Kirby, A Private Life (2011)

With both authors being highly respected role models of mine, these autobiographies should prove to be very interesting, and hopefully provide some distraction from my humidor woes.

The Frustrations of Seasoning a Cigar Humidor

In the week leading up to the creation of this blog I have finally begun to season my first cigar humidor. A lavish gift from my girlfriend, this beautiful Classic Series 50 stick desktop humidor by Siglo will serve as a long overdue home for my budding cigar collection.

 

Having a humidor provides a safe environment for cigars to be stored at the appropriate temperature and humidity, ~70FH / 65-70%RH. When simply left to the elements a cigar can lose a good portion of it's flavor and 'smoke-ability'. Until my humidor setup is complete, buying any serious quantity of cigars would be frivolous for this very reason.

Before any cigars can be added to the humidor, it must first have undergone a process of 'seasoning'. This process aims at providing the untreated Spanish Cedar (used in the construction of the humidor) with enough moisture so as to prevent it from drawing any from the cigars. I chose the 'wipe down' method to season my humidor, and had very little trouble doing so... until now.

After performing the wipe down a number of times over a few days, I introduced the humidification element. However, before I can safely add my cigars, the humidity level must settle to somewhere within the appropriate range. This has proven to be quite troublesome as the humidity level skyrockets with the humidifier inside. The lowest RH it has been able to hold has been 73%. My guess, operating with limited knowledge and experience, is that the Cedar may have been moistened a little too much, or perhaps I have overfilled the humidifier.

My only guess is to leave the humidifier out overnight and see how it holds tomorrow morning.

Introduction to Blog

Welcome to Perth Aficionado.

Over the coming entries I will be documenting my experiences in exploring my favorite hobbies, most notably the art of aging and smoking cigars and enjoyment of scotch whiskey. I will also be providing personal reviews of these products and their associated accessories, alongside commentary on dining experiences which I have found to be particularly noteworthy.

I hope you find this blog both an informative and enjoyable read.

Sincerely,

D Johnson.