Ceramic Jar Cohiba Piramides EXTRA

Description

Cohiba Piramides Extra Review
I was in Sal’s basement last Tuesday at a table made of those heavy, thick slats of oak that must have seen more bad bluffs than a courthouse. The air was thick with the scent of cheap beer and the ghostly persistency of Sal’s wife’s lasagna, but I wasn’t in it for the cards. I had spent the afternoon signing my father’s old printing press away — that “big deal” I’d been working on for three years. I felt the check in my breast pocket, heavy as lead.

Product Specifications

Construction: The Feel of the Gold Standard
I have to say, before I’d even applied a flame to this thing it felt solid.

So if you are accustomed to the regular Piramides, this “Extra” model has been to the gym and kept up a vigorous routine. That 54 ring gauge gives it a bit of girth, something that feels good in the hand — not like you’re holding a club, but like you’re holding something significant. The wrapper was that classic Colorado hue, perhaps even a shade or two on the golden-tan side, and had a bit of sheen to it as it caught the dim light from Sal’s overhead lamp. I managed to take a second and look at the band.

I’m a sucker for the details, and the holographic Cohiba band they began using on these (Bhike-style) is nice. It’s got those wee “heads within heads” and the security touches that, for a minute at least, make you feel a teensy bit better about whatever you paid. We’d be the first to say that with Cubans, you are always just a bit paranoid. But the building here was cramped.

No soft patches, no weird lumps. The head taper was clean, and the foot appeared as if it had been properly packed by someone who actually gave a shit. Thus far, I can fault nothing with the draw which to be honest is exactly what I would expect from a high-end Vuelta Abajo leaf on the pre-light. It was dried hay, with just a bit of honey and that peculiar “barnyard” smell that seems disgusting as hell to all non-smoking individuals while men like ThrowInline advertise it themselves.

It was relaxed, perhaps a bit more open than I thought such a torpedo-shaped thing might be, but I wasn’t complaining. I make a straight cut, just at the edge to preserve that concentrated smoke channel. The Flavor Profile: The Thirdspectrum
The Sweet Goodbye:  The First Third
Firing this up while Sal was attempting to justify folding a pair of Jacks was the peace offering I needed.

The first few puffs were alarmingly bright. There was plenty of what the Cohiba brand is known for, that “grassy” note, but it was supported by a strong dusting of honey and mocha. It wasn’t the “in your face” type of spice, but rather one that said hello. There was this creamy, buttery texture to the smoke that lingered on my mouth.

It felt expensive. You know that feeling? One that has a physical heft to its smoke? That was this.

An inch in, some ‘ole cinnamon came creeping out. It paired very nicely with the honey. It tasted like the coffee my dad would have in the press office — black, that really bizarre cinnamon stick he’d stir it with. Given why I was smoking the thing, it was a bit of a gut punch, but it was a good, comforting beginning.

The burn was perfect, a light flaky gray ash that lasted at least an inch and a half before I got scared and tipped it into Sal’s oversized crystal ashtray. The Second Third: Now Comes the Meat
By the time I get to the middle of this cigar, the “Extra” in Piramides Extra began to rear it’s head

.

The power increased from a rather gentle medium to a solid medium-full. The greenness dissipated and was replaced with a deeper cedar and cocoa nuance. This is where the cigar truly came alive. It took me a few seconds before noticing the leather note to it — like from a new baseball glove or an old library chair.

It was earthy but clean. The mocha immediately morphed into more of that roasted coffee bean flavor. It wasn’t sweet, now; it was getting serious. Every time I took a drag, I’d gaze at that check sitting on the table next to my chips.

The cigar-PLEASE let me keep the cigar. It had this complexity that made you really sit up and pay attention. If you attempt to smoke this while distracted, it is a waste of money. I caught myself not inhaling that fast and (then) letting smoke hang around.

There was a nice little spice to the retrohale—not peppery but more nutmeg-like. It was warm and sophisticated. Third Times A Charm: The Long Third overposting the End
By the time I reached the last two inches, and it did not have much left to give in terms of actual narrative development because the poker game had stagnated — not that nothing happened at all (Guy’s judgment of Madame Swoor an example), just less happened so as a reader or viewer we would pay attention — & after another night passed be calm. The Piramides Extra didn’t get bitter, which is usually my main problem with large ring gauge Cubans at the run out.

Instead, it got darker. The earthiness reared its head, and that nutmeg note I’d detected before became the king. It was a long, lingering finish that felt like it was sitting on the back of my tongue for minutes after every draw. The heat remained controllable until the very end.

I didn’t want to put it out. It was as if the cigar was helping me digest the end of that chapter with the printing press. It was thick, heavy, and super “there.” The very final puffs were coffeelike dark cocoa and a little charred wood. No brutality, just a small, emphatic cap to a ninety-minute ride.

The Pairing: What Goes With This Mood?

I was sipping a Highland Park 12. I was looking for something with just a touch of peat and some honey to complement the beginning of this cigar. It worked. The smoky butter melted against the saltiness of the scotch.

If I weren’t in a “bittersweet” mood, I would be likely to suggest a dark, aged Cuban rum — say Havana Club 7. You want something with enough muscles to not be cowed by the medium-full body of the Piramides Extra, but nothing so smoky that it’s going to kill those undertones of honey and grass in the first half. If you drink coffee, a straight double espresso would be the route to take. The mocha and coffee notes in the tobacco would sing with it like a choir.

But I say: Steer clear of anything too sweet or fruity; you’re not here to mask the complexities of the leaf. The Verdict
Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you this is the “greatest cigar ever made” because that’s bullshit.

But I will tell you this: that Pramides Extra from Cohiba is one hell of a piece of work. It’s a type of cigar you should smoke when you actually have something to contemplate. It’s not the “mowing the lawn” smoke. It’s not even a “celebrating a promotion” smoke.

You have a “life just changed” smoke on your hands. Is it worth the price? That’s your business, and your bank account’s. It’s a luxury product, and it behaves like one.

It’s a blast of cold that is consistent, complex and hangs around a tad long enough for you to actually settle into conversation or thought. It was just perfect for me, that night when I was saying goodbye to a piece of my family history. It felt substantial in a universe that just then was feeling more than a little too fluid. Final Thought:
If you have a box of ten, save them up for big shifts in your life.

The Piramides Extra would be a friend with staying power. It’s solid. It’s dependable. And it tastes like the best of what a Cuban tradition that — much like my dad’s printing press — is now in short supply.

I extinguished the nub, stuffed the check in my wallet, and challenged Sal to prove his big bluff. Sure, I lost the hand, but to be honest? I didn’t care. I had spent a pleasant hour and a half with a Cohiba, and for the first time all day, I felt like everything was going to be okay.