Today I carried out the second in a series investigative smoking sessions. The first involved an alleged bogus Bolivar Coronas. This one involved a suspect Cohiba Siglo VI. You can read more about this particular specimen here.
Zeebra sent me a few of the better looking Siglo VI's to try. Lucasbuck had the misfortune of taste testing one of the fugly specimens and his taste buds paid dearly for it. Sorry bro, someone had to do it and after hearing how it smoked, I'm glad it was you and not me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I had high hopes for this nice looking cigar especially after I took one apart and found that it had some nice leaves inside. Alas, my hopes were dashed once I put fire to the foot.
As you can see from the picture below, it was a great looking stick. The wrapper was fine and uniform with delicate veining. The bunching was nice and full and the head was topped with a well executed triple cap. But that's where the good stuff ended. There is no pre-light picture and no long ash shot. What you see below is where I had to put this stick down because it just tasted bad. The flavor was of poorly fermented tobacco with a lingering sour taste delivered by thin, harsh smoke. Based on what I have read and learned from those more knowledgeable, it's very likely that this was rolled by a professional torcedor in Cuba, probably at home and using anonymous leaf. The band is very good and likely to be authentic and stolen from the factory. In other words, rolled as a Cohiba might be rolled but using non-Cohiba quality leaf.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...xhibaSmoked.jpg)
Here's a picture of the beautifully executed "triple-cap." Obviously the guy (or gal) who rolled this knew what he was doing.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...eesFauxhiba.jpg)
To scrub my tongue and get back some appreciation for good Cuban leaf, I then turned to an unlikely and uncommon candidate, the Jose L. Piedra Cremas. The Cremas is a machine-bunched hand-finished, mixed/short filler cigar that is 5-1/4" x 39 rg. So, this is not a stick that most would think of when they think of a premium Habanos experience. However, this cigar was one of a bundle of circa-1998 vintage that was gifted to me by new CP'er MidGe. Thanks Michel, I'll spread the joy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumbs-up.gif)
As you can tell from the pictures below, it is not a pretty stick at all. In fact, it's quite rustic in appearance no doubt compounded by the fact that it spent the better part of seven years crammed in a cello-wrapped bundle. I've got a bunch of recent production Cremas and Brevas and I can say that recent production looks much like production of the late 90's.
Lighting was effortless and a few puffs later, I was huffing some seriously mellow Cuban tobacco. While the JLP brand is often described as old-school and strong, the years this cigar spent resting had apparently softened the rough edges. Smoke volume was prodigious for such a thin gauge cigar and the texture was rounded and full. No need to look here for nuances of citrus, cedar or spices. If straight-up Havana leaf is what you're after, then this stick fits the bill to a "T." The draw was a bit loose, as was expected. Surprisingly, the gnarly medium-dark gray ash held for 1.5" at a time. The size was just right for holding between my teeth as I read my papers. I managed to smoke this little trooper down to the last inch and I enjoyed every puff. Straightforward, rich, earthy tobacco was the payload and the Cremas delivered it well.
As far as a cheap smoke goes, I'd pick one of these any day over the dozens of comparable NC bundlers. At about $2 a stick, if I had the room, I'd put down a bundle every other month so that I'd have a steady supply of these for casual smoking.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...iedraCremas.jpg)
Wilkey
Zeebra sent me a few of the better looking Siglo VI's to try. Lucasbuck had the misfortune of taste testing one of the fugly specimens and his taste buds paid dearly for it. Sorry bro, someone had to do it and after hearing how it smoked, I'm glad it was you and not me (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) I had high hopes for this nice looking cigar especially after I took one apart and found that it had some nice leaves inside. Alas, my hopes were dashed once I put fire to the foot.
As you can see from the picture below, it was a great looking stick. The wrapper was fine and uniform with delicate veining. The bunching was nice and full and the head was topped with a well executed triple cap. But that's where the good stuff ended. There is no pre-light picture and no long ash shot. What you see below is where I had to put this stick down because it just tasted bad. The flavor was of poorly fermented tobacco with a lingering sour taste delivered by thin, harsh smoke. Based on what I have read and learned from those more knowledgeable, it's very likely that this was rolled by a professional torcedor in Cuba, probably at home and using anonymous leaf. The band is very good and likely to be authentic and stolen from the factory. In other words, rolled as a Cohiba might be rolled but using non-Cohiba quality leaf.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...xhibaSmoked.jpg)
Here's a picture of the beautifully executed "triple-cap." Obviously the guy (or gal) who rolled this knew what he was doing.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...eesFauxhiba.jpg)
To scrub my tongue and get back some appreciation for good Cuban leaf, I then turned to an unlikely and uncommon candidate, the Jose L. Piedra Cremas. The Cremas is a machine-bunched hand-finished, mixed/short filler cigar that is 5-1/4" x 39 rg. So, this is not a stick that most would think of when they think of a premium Habanos experience. However, this cigar was one of a bundle of circa-1998 vintage that was gifted to me by new CP'er MidGe. Thanks Michel, I'll spread the joy. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumbs-up.gif)
As you can tell from the pictures below, it is not a pretty stick at all. In fact, it's quite rustic in appearance no doubt compounded by the fact that it spent the better part of seven years crammed in a cello-wrapped bundle. I've got a bunch of recent production Cremas and Brevas and I can say that recent production looks much like production of the late 90's.
Lighting was effortless and a few puffs later, I was huffing some seriously mellow Cuban tobacco. While the JLP brand is often described as old-school and strong, the years this cigar spent resting had apparently softened the rough edges. Smoke volume was prodigious for such a thin gauge cigar and the texture was rounded and full. No need to look here for nuances of citrus, cedar or spices. If straight-up Havana leaf is what you're after, then this stick fits the bill to a "T." The draw was a bit loose, as was expected. Surprisingly, the gnarly medium-dark gray ash held for 1.5" at a time. The size was just right for holding between my teeth as I read my papers. I managed to smoke this little trooper down to the last inch and I enjoyed every puff. Straightforward, rich, earthy tobacco was the payload and the Cremas delivered it well.
As far as a cheap smoke goes, I'd pick one of these any day over the dozens of comparable NC bundlers. At about $2 a stick, if I had the room, I'd put down a bundle every other month so that I'd have a steady supply of these for casual smoking.
(IMG:http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h73/Gins...iedraCremas.jpg)
Wilkey
