Cohiba Behike BHK52

COHIBA BEHIKE BHK 52
4.7 x 52

The Cohiba Behike... Ahh... the name rings true with prestige, scarcity, quality. Originally the Behike name was used for the Cohiba 40th anniversary cigar, a 7.6x52 mammoth, rolled entirely by one roller, packaged in gorgeous custom humidors of 40 cigars, with only 100 humidors total being made. These cigars fetch well over $1,000 US EACH today. Starting in 2010 however, Habanos released an entirely new line of regular (albeit annually limited) production cigars under the Cohiba marca, the Behike BHK series. Available in three sizes, the BHK line makes use of the Medio Tiempo leaf, a small pair of leaves that sometimes (and not always) appear at the very top of a tobacco plant, apparently imbuing the BHK with a unique flavor element. The Medio Tiempo is a component that had fallen out of use in Cuban cigar production, often sorted in with the rest of the ligero, or discarded entirely, because it is small, and only occasionally appears on a plant. The folks responsible for the BHK came upon the medio tiempo in old blend books, and decided to reinstate it, and thus the Behike BHK was born. The BHK 52, the smallest size, was named Cigar Aficionado's cigar of the year for 2010, and has received great praise (or hype?) since coming to market in early 2010. Having just celebrated a birthday, I figured it was as good an excuse as any to light one, and give it a really close, in depth look.

This particular example of the BHK 52 features a caramel brown wrapper, with a dusting of tooth, and almost no visible veins. The flag tailed cap is beautifully, evenly applied, and the general construction, as Cohiba should be, is pretty much flawless to look at. In the hand it is fully packed, but light, firm to squeeze, but not hard. The aroma from the foot is a gentle toasty tobacco, with just a slight hay and dirt to it. The draw offers just a slight snug resistance, and tastes of hay, cream, almonds, and a very slight honey. A quick bit about the band, which is absolutely gorgeous, in its intense contrasting black and white, with beautiful gold accents and lettering, as well as the holograms which not only serve as aesthetic embellishment, but also as a counterfeiting deterrent.

Lit at 2:40pm

Right away the flavors explode on the palate, though it is not an overly strong cigar, or full in body, the tastebuds are greeted with a dark caramel and sweet hay, followed by leather, and finally a little cinnamon spice, that lingers through a long, cedar and almond finish. This particular stick may be just a TOUCH under humidified, as the wrapper seems a little delicate. The burn ran a touch for the first few draws but within about 10 minutes everything has sorted itself out to an even line. The draw is great, and smoke production is... voluminous. The finish seems to have actually gotten spicier, more heat involved, just over the course of the first third. The ash is dark, mostly black, and dense. It has held already for over an inch, and not yet fallen.

Getting near the halfway mark the mouthfeel has gotten thicker, like a fresh, whipped cream. The flavor profile has also taken on a woodier, nuttier character than was present at the beginning. There is still a sweet cream and honey on the draw, but they quickly move into a slightly tangy cedar, and roasted almond, with a cinnamon and pepper on the finish that is maybe just a little rougher around the edges than I expected. That said, these are still not very old cigars (September 2010), and Cohiba as a rule seems to benefit from at least two or three years, so I would say this is actually performing wonderfully.

Moving to the final third, things sort of ramp up a bit. The flavor profile gets darker, with caramel getting a touch burnt, the cream and honey fading, a bit of leather becoming more apparent, and the almonds getting roasted a little darker. A little dark chocolate also joins the mix for good measure seemingly, which is a nice addition, and adds some certain complexity to things. The draw remains open but firm, and smoke production continues to be outstanding. The burn line throughout the cigar has wavered at times, getting crazy for a few draws before eventually evening back out. The ash continues to hold for pretty much an entire third of the cigar at a time. The finish has gotten significantly spicier, a little bit of hot pepper, balanced by cinnamon and/or nutmeg at times, really bringing everything together.

In the end the only thing I can think is that I wish I had more of these on hand, to really be able to see where they go in a year, or three, or five. The BHK 52 is smoking beautifully right now, with a touch of youth popping up here and there, but ultimately, it already has achieved a phenomenal balance of flavor, body, and feel, and in my opinion has the potential to only get better from here. I only pray that they continue to maintain this level of quality in the future. Ended at 4pm on the dot, for a total smoke time of one hour twenty minutes. I wish that maybe it had burned slower, but it is also a little cold out today, so my finger tips are glad it is a shorter vitola.

La Gloria Cubana Medaille D'or No. 1

La Gloria Cubana Medaille D'or No. 1
7.3x36 Delicados Extra
Code: OSU JUL 02

Alright, I'll be the first to admit that any cigar with this kind of age on it is a treat, regardless of origin, blend, brand, etc. For a cigar to survive, properly stored, and cared for, without being smoked, for almost a decade is awesome. When that cigar is one of my favorite sizes (or close to it at least), from one of my favorite Marcas, it becomes something exciting every time I light one. This cigar is one of those cigars. La Gloria Cubana is a brand established in Cuba in the 1880's, and sadly, is one of the many smaller Marcas in the Habanos S.A. portfolio which seems to be suffering more and more cuts every year. In fact, La Gloria Cubana consists of only two cigars as of 2011, The M.D.O. no. 2 and the M.D.O. no. 4. (The churchill sized Tainos was recently announced as a deletion for this year, tragically, and the other Medaille D'or sizes were cut in 2010). To me, the removal of these cigars represents two negative trends in Habanos marketing strategy... the cutting of classic sizes from classic marcas, and the cutting of long or thin cigars from any marca, in favor of a move towards the Americanized, short and fat is better, who cares if you can taste the wrapper, and who cares if it burns well, as long as it is an 85 ring gauge behemoth attitude.

Anyway, enough about the politics of cigars, and on to this excellent example of an aged Cuban long and skinny... The first thing I notice is obviously the size. At 7.3 by 36 ring, this is a little shorter, and a little thinner than a classic lancero, a size that has fortunately gotten a fair amount of attention among connoisseurs lately. It features a lightly toothed, butterscotch colored wrapper, with no large veins, but what I would consider a fairly visible vein structure. The construction is great, though when squeezed, it is a touch spongy (a common occurrence among cigars of this size). The seams are tight, the wrapper does not appear to have been stretched at all, and the triple cap is well applied. The aroma from the body of the cigar is just a mild earthy note, while the foot gives a strong nutty character, with a touch of a floral scent, like rose blossoms. The cold draw reveals just a slight resistance, which is a relief, since this cigar was rolled coming right beyond the time period when Cuban cigars were notoriously poorly constructed, with some smokers anecdotally referring to boxes in which half of the cigars contained within would be plugged too tight to draw from at all. The flavors present on the cold draw are more robust than I would have first expected, given the mild reputation that the LGC marca has, presenting a combination of citrus peel, cedar, wet earth, roasted almonds, and again that rose blossom/wet garden note.

Lit at 9:30pm.

Right away the flavor profile is a smooth, heavily creamed coffee core, with roasted nuts and a tart citrus peel on the outside, and a sweet cedar that runs through the finish. I will admit that the burn is wild. It is wavy as can be. I'd say choppy waves even. That said, from draw to draw, each area that is behind catches up, so with each draw it kind of keeps pace with itself. The smoke production is great, not overwhelming, and between draws it doesn't continue like a chimney, which is a good thing (I hate nothing more than setting my cigar down, only to choke on an inadvertently inhaled gulp of smoke coming from a cigar sitting two feet away on the table!). There is a sweetness that sort of coats the mouth, and lingers. The ash holds on for about 3/4 of an inch, which is fine for so small a ring gauge, you just have to be attentive. With flavor like this though, it is hard NOT to pay attention.

Around the two inch mark, maybe a little past, the profile starts to transition, with the creamy coffee lessening, and a burnt wood taking over as the core flavor on the draw. Citrus, sweet cedar, and roasted nuts continue to make themselves known here and there, but they are notes on the edges. On the finish a long, syrupy caramel (and I mean the kind you get from actually burning raw sugar in a pan at home) lingers long after each draw. This is a solid, medium bodied smoke. No strength, but the robust flavors and heavy mouth feel serve to bolster it.

Even at this point, maybe 3 inches in, I am impressed by the legs I think this cigar has left to age into. Often, by this point in the aging process, a cigar has gone beyond its peak, or is close to it, but frankly, for a brand generally billed as mild, this cigar still has years left in it before I think it will have really mellowed out beyond its prime, and I am not even half way through smoking it. The flavor profile continues much the same, burnt, wet, smokey wood on the draw, followed by a dazzling array of floral, citrus, and nutty notes, with a thick, caramel sweet finish, and maybe a touch of twang and spice in the back of the throat now. The wild burn line has also sorted itself out after an inch or two, now staying relatively even all the way around.

On to about the band point nothing further changes, but the complex intermingling of various flavors just continues to keep this a very interesting smoke. I typically watch a film, or read a book while smoking, even when reviewing cigars like this, stopping now and then to take note of further developments, but in the hour and a half I have been smoking this cigar, I have only watched 37 minutes of the film I have on (Kurosawa's late masterpiece, KAGEMUSHA), which serves as a testament to how engaging this blend is. Perhaps the only downside is that when cigars of this size get hot, they do so quickly, and are hard to save. A short way past the band, it becomes hard to keep this one from getting hot, and alas, it is time to set her down and let her die with dignity.

One thing is for sure, this stick still has potential to age for years to come, and what I hope will happen is that the floral, nutty, and citrus type notes will continue to develop, while the dark burnt earth and wood mellows out, and the caramel syrup sweetness maybe becomes more delicate and refined, but sweeter. This is just what I hope, and I am glad I was fortunate enough to get a full box of these when I did, because I very much look forward to seeing where they are in another 3, 5, 9, or more years. Also, haters be damned, Rob Ayala is on to something when he says that cigars of this size just make him "feel smarter". Maybe he feels smarter for having learned just what phenomenal complexity and richness of flavor these tiny ring gauge cigars can offer! If you come across these, grab as many as you can, send me some, smoke a few for yourself, and lay the remainder down for a few more years. They are something special!

Fonseca KDT Cadetes

FONSECA KDT CADETES
4.5x36 Short Panetela

The KDT Cadetes (which is a name that I don't really understand... if anyone knows what the KDT means, please tell me!) is a tiny little cigar, packaged wrapped in white tissue paper, with the band holding it in place. It is a handmade, longfiller cigar (the other cigar in the Fonseca line of a similar size, the Delicias, is a shortfiller cigar), billed as being mild, as is the rest of the line. Fonseca is not a cigar I have any experience with, so this will be a report of my first experience with the brand.

This particular cigar, after removing the tissue paper, which frankly feels more like the material dryer sheets are made of, reveals a caramel brown wrapper that has a slightly ugly, somewhat veiny wrapper. The seams look good though, and the triple cap is actually great looking. The foot reveals a great looking construction, and the pack feels even, if a bit firm. In fact, the entire cigar feels just a touch hard. The cold draw is firm and reveals just a light, toasty tobacco, with a touch of barnyard hay. The aroma from the foot is just a very faint, sweet tobacco.

Lit at 7:30pm.

Flavors present at the beginning are a straight forward oily old leather core, with a dry toasty tobacco. It is definitely smooth, and subtle, and I say this in a good way. The burn line, only a short bit in is acting up a little, running in one spot in particular.

Settling into the first third a little ways, the flavor profile is starting to remind me of a few specific, high priced Dominican made mild cigars, with a musty, toasted tobacco and hay flavor dominating, with oily leather continuing to present itself through the finish, which produces just a touch of spice. The burn line continues to act wild, but keeps up with itself every few draws, not requiring a touch up or anything. Just a delicate, mild to medium little smoke so far. Nothing to go wild over, but certainly pleasant and enjoyable. The draw has improved since lighting, dramatically. It was not problematic initially, but definitely tighter than I prefer. It now features just the right amount of thickness to it. The smoke production is great, putting out great billows of white smoke with little effort.

Given the size of this cigar breaking it down into thirds (which is afterall the only way to review cigars, obviously) isn't really worth bothering with. Passing the halfway mark, not much of anything has changed. On one draw I got a touch of tar on my lips, kind of gross, but it has only happened once, so I call fluke. The ash holds for about 3/4 of an inch before needing to be rolled, or falling on its own.

Finally put this one down for the last time at 8:40pm, meaning that it lasted a hair over an hour, and about 30 minutes longer than I ever expected it to last. Not complex. Not bold. Not exciting. No. However, the Fonseca KDT Cadetes IS a cigar I very much look forward to enjoying again in the future, because it tastes good, performs great, and has that smooth, oily, delicious, subtle combination where everything works together to make an enjoyable smoking experience without having to be earth shatteringly complex, bold, powerful, whatever. Recommended smoking, indeed.

Trinidad Reyes

TRINIDAD REYES
4.3x40
OSU SEP 09



The Trinidad marca is one that has a particularly interesting history, tied directly as it is, to the communist government in Cuba, produced first as a cigar produced at El Laguito (the famous Cohiba factory), exclusively as diplomatic gifts from Castro (according to some sources, more exclusive than the Diplomatic Cohiba, and according to other sources, a less exclusive cigar... regardless). First released publically in 1998, they were available only in a single size, the Fundadores, a Laguito Especial (the original Trinidads, the diplomatic cigars, were an Laguito No. 1, a lancero, the public release was the slightly thicker 40 ring gauge, Laguito Especial). Since then, several other sizes have been added to the line, as well as a few Limited Editions, special humidors, etc.

The Reyes is the smallest cigar in the Trinidad portfolio, a tres petite corona, with a pigtail cap. This particular example has a very oily wrapper, somewhat darker in color than other Trinidad cigars I have had. The wrapper also has almost no visible veins, and a rather impressive amount of tooth to it, more than any other Cuban wrapper I can remember seeing. The seams are tight, the packing feels even, and just a little firm, and the cap is flawlessly applied. The wrapper has a subtle aroma, just a slight, sweet tobacco, while the foot offers the same sweet tobacco with a mix of tea and cinnamon. The cold draw is just a touch snug, and tastes of the same tea, plus creamy coffee, and a touch of spice. There is, in this example, an uncharacteristic barnyard element present as well. Not a bad thing though.

Lit at 2:10pm

At the beginning, flavor profile consists of toasty tobacco, bitter coffee, some floral tea, and a touch of spice on the finish. Draw is great, and it lit easily enough.

The burn line about an inch in is a little wavy, with some runs here and there. The ash is tight, and dark gray in color. Flavor profile has settled into a creamy sweet tobacco, a bitter coffee, and the same herbal, floral tea character. It is a delicious combination, just perfectly balanced. There is also a musty note through the nose, reminds me of Hendrik Kelner's blends actually.

At the halfway point, a sweet, milk chocolate flavor develops, and complements the tea and coffee flavors present already quite well. The mouthfeel is downright creamy, and smooth. In fact, the whole cigar has been creamy and smooth. The touch of spice on the finish, which has been pretty consistent the whole way through, is a good mix of tingle across the palate, and a cinnamon flavor through the nose, which is interesting with the musty tobacco also present through the nose.

Ended at 3:00pm for a total time of 50 minutes. Not many transitions, but the complexity, and subtle notes that are present through out the cigar make this one of the most interesting blends I have had, especially out of Cuba. It burns well, draws well, and tastes great. It also isn't overly expensive (I paid around 85$ for a box of 12) when compared to other cigars in the marca.

Cohiba Siglo I

COHIBA SIGLO I
4x40 Half Corona

It is a fantastic day outside, and I have decided to smoke something sort of special to enjoy it, the Cohiba Siglo I. In all fairness, this will be my first experience with the Cuban Cohiba brand. Needless to say, I'm excited to see if this little minuto lives up to the brand name hype. The Cohiba brand is certainly one of, if not the most, well known cigar marcas to come out of Cuba. The Siglo line is a series of 6 sizes, ranging from this half corona up to the massive canonazo Siglo VI, with pretty much everything in between filling out the other 4 sizes.

This cigar features a golden caramel colored wrapper, with a fine hairy tooth all over it, and a slick oil sheen to it. The wrapper features only a fine network of veins, and no blemishes or sunspots. The construction is fantastic, featuring a well lined triple cap, and tight, straight seams. The foot offers a fine, bready toast aroma, with just a slight floral nuance, as well as a hearty tobacco scent. The cold draw is just slightly snug, and offers a wide range of subtlety, from acidic citrus and grass flavors, to smooth cream and chocolate.

Lit at 1:40pm

The Siglo I lights very easily, toasting in mere seconds, and immediately offers a big blast of smoke, and flavors of sweet cream, dark chocolate, and a touch of citrus and grass, with a dash of a spice bite on the finish. This cigar is impressively well balanced even right here at the start.

The first third brings cocoa and black coffee core flavors, with citrus and floral dashes here and there (especially through the nose), and a delicate cream undertone to everything ties it all together. The burn is fantastic, never wavering. The draw is just a hair tighter than medium, and produces massive amounts of smoke. The ash holds well for just about the entire first third, and falls, leaving a clean, straight line, in a big chunk into the ash tray.

Getting a few draws into the second third, the basic flavor profile remains the same coffee and cocoa core, with floral and citrus notes, but with the addition of a dark, woody element. The creamy texture, flavor, and overall feel to this cigar still serves to just accentuate the subtle nuances, and really set this one a bit beyond other cigars it's size, which in many cases just do not have time to achieve this sort of complexity. The spicy finish initially present sort of comes and goes, never lingering for long, but popping in just to make sure you are still paying attention every once in a few draws.

In the final third, the only real change is that the stick starts to get a little hot which is likely just due to the size, ring gauge specifically. The burn and draw have remained consistently great throughout, and the flavor profile, while not changing a whole lot, has retained a level of complexity that I have never gotten, and never expected to get, from a cigar of this vitola.

Ended at 2:40, for a total smoke time of an hour. This, admittedly, was smoking pretty slowly, likely slower than many people would smoke a cigar of this size.

Perhaps the only real downside to this cigar is the cost. At 7 or 8 dollars each, they are a bit steep for the size, and resulting smoke time. For me personally, however, the vitola is actually one of my favorites, and the cost is worth it to have some of these on hand for when I want something special, but small.

Partagas Serie D. No. 4

PARTAGAS SERIE D. No. 4.
4 7/8x50 Robusto

This is my first CC/ISOM/Habano/whatever other name you want to use for them. I am excited, but have also decided to try to keep my expectations reasonable. This is more a special cigar because of certain well known issues. It is actually a fairly reasonably priced, and actually even inexpensive cigar for it's country of origin. I have no idea of the box code or date for this particular stick, so I have decided to just go ahead and burn one, and save the rest for later, so I have a starting point for future comparison on this batch.

The PSDN4 features a caramel brown wrapper with slight stretching marks, and minimal veins. The foot gives an aroma of grass and hay, with a slight sweet tobacco, and a faint barnyard quality. The cold draw is full of cedar, earth, and a slight grass. Draw is medium, not too loose, but certainly not full, which is a relief, given the horror stories I have heard about Habanos having draw issues.

Lit at 11:01pm.

Right away there is a great mix of cedar, very rich in character, and earthy as well, with a spicy finish. The cedar isn't exactly like any I have previously tasted, as it has a fuller, less sweet, more earthy character to it.

Things are progressing nicely in the first third. The burn line is even. Not razor sharp, but slightly wavy, with no major dips or peaks. Ash is a cool looking grey and black... lots of black. More than on any cigar I've smoked before. Apparently, based on my research, Cuban tobacco tends to burn blacker than most. Interesting. There is a slight "young" character to this cigar. The flavors, aside from the earthy cedar, are a little grassy, and I'm not sure if that is a result of not having enough box age, or if the PSDN4 is just a little grassy in general. The spice on the finish is great, and full, but right there in the middle, between the draw, and the onset of the spicy finish is a slight grassiness that I can't quite place. Not a bad thing though, just interesting.

Ash rolled for the first time before getting to the second third. Held on for over an inch, and held well when rolled off. Mouthfeel is creamy and the smoke itself is somewhat sultry. Smoke production is great. A light "sip" of a draw results in a pretty sizable plume. The creamy mouth feel is starting to translate into a slight vanilla bean flavor. I say vanilla bean, because there is a slight nuttiness to the vanilla flavor. Spicy heat on the finish has sort of disappeared.

Around the half way mark there is a small crack in the wrapper that is causing a little bit of a weird burn as a result in that spot. Just before the final third starts there is a flavor that reminds me of roasted almonds that is really heavy on the back of the palette coming in. It is downright awesome.

In the final third, the burn line requires a couple of touch ups to keep the wrapper going properly for some reason. The spice on the finish has ramped up a little as well. Getting into the last inch and a half, everything has sort of come full circle. Cedar, spice, and nuts dominate at the end, all very rich and creamy.

Ended at 12:36am for a total burn time of exactly one hour thirty-five minutes. For a Habano that I have no idea of the age on, I was impressed with how this guy performed. Great flavors, no real issues with construction or burn, and all in all, a fantastic, well rounded cigar. Very excited to see where these go with a year, two years, etc. on them.