Cohiba Churchill

Description

The Long Way Home: A Night With theCohiba Espléndido

I remember how heady it was to be on that midtown rooftop bar, the kind where hot air buffets your tie and city-lights twinkle like toppled diamonds. I was so proud of myself in a way that’s rare. not the puffed-up, braggy pride, but the quiet peace and sense of having done something after 10 years where I perspirated like a fish for it. But there wasalsosomething else. It was my first night back.

Product Specifications

You see, I had walked awayfromthe leaf for five years. Five unbearable years of shuffling past humidors and pretending I didn’t catch the scent of that delicious, fermenting perfume from the coats of men in hotel lobbies. I’d quit for good: for health, the family, to turn to another passion — whatever seemed square to me at the time. But each time I ’ m saying to myself: the day is coming, when we deserved it and someone will pay me a bit slack – I ’ m going back to the basics.

I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out the cedar sleeve, weighted it. I was not going to ease back in with a quick robusto, or a ramrod straight cigarillo. No, I wanted the marathon. I’m talking about the twour-hour conversation.

I wanted the Cohiba Espléndido. The Transition: That Smoke? The Cohiba Espléndido. It has acertain heft, cradling a Churchill-size Cohiba.

It’smore a scepter than it is a cigar. Is it named the “Churchill?” Sure, they can call it the Churchill when they place their order at your local tobacconist. But quiz one of the men on Floor 1 and he’ll be able to rattle off in a flick of an ash that’s a Julieta No. 2. It’s the flagship.

It’s the cigar that carried history for the brand — from Castro’s own stash to every diplomat who ever passed through Havana. And there Isat, staring down at those golden-yellow wingswith the whtite squares and dew this was on then. This was more than just secondhand smoke; it was my life returningthe one thing I ached for, missed with every cell in my body. Product Specifications
Feature
Details
Name
Cohiba Espléndidos (Línea Clásica)
Vitola de Galera
Julieta No. 2 (Churchill)
Size
1 mm (7″)
Binder
Seco, Ligero, M. T. (Vuelta Abajo)
Build: El LaguitoTouch, of course.

I did not even light a match I stomped thatshit; I locked the shit into my mind whichsomebody made me say Fruit Cake now. s hit them head-on ASAP when they get to you and anything that createsnoise/and/or light will help diminish the nerves. It was that you were carrying something so wellmade, the stuff you normally had on you felt like things a junk heap would discard? That’s the Espléndido. The wrapper itself is a really sweet looking medium tan, that was nearly the color of a well oiled base ball glove and had just enough shimmer to it that let me know those oils could be draped any more evenly.

My thumbwent down the middle.

No soft spots. No lumps. It was stiff (but, you know, a bit soft) just to write on. That’s what you get from that El Laguito pedigree.

They’re not hiring anyone to roll these; this iskind of elite of theelite. The pre-light draw got me thinking about the cigar in a couple of ways. And I lopped the cap — neat, no corer bits falling off — and toasted a cold puff. I get that Cuban “funk” thing, did with your boy.

A crucible of wet earth, justmown hay and something sweet — honey spilled in a cedardrawer. Ijust had to close my eyes. WhichI hadn’teven been hitand I was in the fold again. Flavor Profile: Three Acts
The Initial Third: The Eye-opener

There’s something that is sort of rituallike abouthating to do a seven-inch cigar outandlighting it.

I decided on a cedar spill instead, because come on I didn’t want to take any chances setting anything alight after five years. It glowed at the foot and the first few puffs were surprisingly easygoing. I have to say I was expecting a gut-punch, but this is at least more or less shaking hands. The first inchwas very textural.

The smoke here was rich and dense, almost chewy. The flavors were “bright” — notes of cedar, toasted breadand one very specific floral note I alwaysassociate with high-end Cuban tobacco. Itwasn’t hot yet, just powerful. It tasted like nothing so much as the earth of Vuelta Abajo, clean, mineral rich and polished.

The Second Third: Sweet Spot

Midway through the second third, it was a no roof wind that I was happy see dissipated

.

That’s wherethe “triple fermentation” bit comes in. Cohiba, say, triples thefermentation of theirSeco, Ligero and the evenrarer Medio Tiempo leaves inside wooden barrels—it’s at least two ferments for any cigar. What does that do? It rounds off the edges.

The strenghtstarted going up from medium to this full bodied area, still very rounded. I started to taste undertones of salted caramel and toasted nuts. A honey sweetness that kept flirting with another damncedar. It’s a complicated profile; each time I thought I had it based off of the last pull white pepper or cocoa would rear its head in the mix.

It’s balanced. Nothing is shouting, it’s achorus. The Final Third: Coming Into Another’s Own
Here is where the Espléndidobecomes splendido.

Those last few inchesthe heat kicked into high gear. In 2, “Medio Tiempo” leaves (that being that rare leaf taken from just about the very tip-top of the tobacco plant) started to actually speak for themselves. The flavor turned darker. I saw shadowy, inky flavors of espresso and leather andards of spice coiled around the back roof my throat.

But here’s the thing: ithnever turned bitter. I’ve hadplenty of other Churchills that go hot and icky by the end, but not this one: It stayed cool. I Americansmoked itallthe waytomy fingertips hurting. I didn’t want it to end.

I was satisfied with the deal I’d made late that afternoon with Mr. Folk but even more pleased with the stick I used to mark the conclusion of it.

Pairing: What to Sip

Power See, you’re standing on a rooftop; you’ve got akind offortress Cuban in one hand; it doesn’t taste the same with diet soda.

I chose a
Havana Club 7 Year

Rum. It’s the natural choice. The molasses sweetness of the rum complements with the cedar andhoney flavors of the cigar. If rum isn’t your thing a good strong cup of coffee with cream or even a sippable Highland scotch (a Scotch that is heavy on the honey and heather) will work as well.

You want something tobalance the creaminess ofthe smoke but not bebland enough that it’sgoing to wash out some light floral noteson the first half oftheexperience. The Verdict: Is the Wait Worth It?

3: I am sitting with Espléndido for almost two hours then.

Two hours of silence and meditation, justsitting and observing the city pulse beneath me while I remainedperfectly still. Is it a pricey smoke? It is among the priciest regular runs on the market, for sure. Is it hard to find?

Absolutely. However, for a guy like me, on the roof after5 years of no sex, it was great! This is a cigar that wants to be all up in your face. You can’t smoke this lazily; it’s a concentration-killer.

It’s solid. It’s refined. It’s the gold standard for a reason. If you have an unconscious choice in your life somewhere, even if it’s just to a promotion or marriage or that first drag after staying off the wagon for 10 years, this is what you’re starting to choose instead.

Stepping down that roof I felt like Inever leftthe hobby. Not only did the Cohiba Espléndido give me asmoke, it gave me my groove back. Final Thought:
Ifyou buy one, seeda second.

Smoke one now and see what all this hurricane hubbub is about, then throw another deep in your humidor for five years. Trust me on that.