Cohiba Siglo II – Petit Corona Cuban Cigar

Description

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Cohiba Siglo II Review

I recollect most of all the salt air. It wasn’t the cleansing, postcard-bright breeze you see advertised in travel brochures; it felt heavy, thickened with the odor of diesel fuel and old bait. I was lashed to the cramped cabin of a beat-up 22-footer off the coast, staring up at a sky that bruised purple. Then, the sky just opened up.

Product Specifications

Not that pat-a-tap drizzle, but a real tropical hammer-down that made the brown world run gray and splotched out even the horizon. I was stuck. The engine was good, but visibility was zero, and there’s no use trying to buck the Atlantic when she’s in a temper. I lay, curled up under a worn and torn canvas tarp that reeked of twenty years of mildew and mold, as the rhythmic
thwack-thwack
of the rain striking the fibreglass body.

It’s interesting how when you’re in that place like that, it forces you to just … be. You’re cut off from your phone — no signal. You’ll get soaked to the bone if you keep on fishing. All you can do is sit there with your thoughts.

I reached into my travel humidor and brushed aside some larger Churchills and wide-ring sticks that would take two hours to finish. I didn’t have two hours of patience, but I had a lot to think about. I took out a yellow-banded beauty, long and slim. It felt right.

In that dark, dank space I wanted something that felt thoughtful. Anything that tasted like history while I tried to wait out the weather. That smoke? The
Cohiba Siglo II.

It was what the moment called for. The First Third: The Awakening

The 1st few puffs on the Siglo II are always a bit of an eye opener.

It’s not pushy, but it’s there. I had a mouthful of thick plume of white smoke from the get go, surprising for a 42 ring gauge. The flavor was immediately “bright.” I mean white pepper and that Cuban earthiness. It’s clean.

There’s no bitterness, only an invigorating beginning that cleanses your palate. About 10 minutes in, with the rain still banging a panicky rhythm on the tarp, the pepper began to calm down. There was a little creaminess creeping in at the edges. It’s not a sweetness of sugar; it’s like honey on toasted cedar.

The burn was dead-on straight, which I liked because the last thing I wanted to do in the cramped cabin of a boat was screw around with a lighter for a crooked edge. The ash was gray and light, dropping gradually for a good inch before being knocked into a plastic bait cup. Solid start. The 2nd 3rd: Getting Your Groove On

And this is where the Siglo II becomes worth its weight in gold.

As I made my way into the center of the stick, its profile changed from “bright and zesty” to “rich and rounded.” The grassiness was put into the backseat, the cocoa/vanillas came in. I have to say, the consistency of the smoke also changed. It seemed thicker, like it was almost oily to the tongue. And I sat there with my back rubbing against the cold fiberglass and could taste a little bit of ginger, maybe even a hint of floral perfume.

It’s a complex little thing. These flavors don’t actually take any hunting for; they just kind of appear as the cigar warms up. The woodiness — cedar, in particular — would now be the backbone of my experience here. It’s a very balanced smoke.

Nothing is fighting for dominance. It’s like a well-practiced band and everyone knows their part. I caught myself pacing, taking little puffs just to keep that creamy caramel finish in my mouth. You’re smoking a Siglo II too fast if that’s the case.

It’s a 35- to 45-minute experience, and each moment is meant to be chewed over. The Final Third: The Build

The strength increased to the next level as the burn line moved closer to the band.

It never quite gets to “full,” but it certainly goes into a firm medium-plus. The flavors got darker. The cocoa became more of roast coffee bean note, and the spice came back, although again it was black pepper rather than white. It had more “oomph.”

The heat was bearable all the way through to thhhe very h end.

Now and then these freakishly short vitolas can get hot and ‘squishy’ in the last inch, although the Siglo II held together nicely. I picked up some toasted nut flavors — walnuts, roasted almonds — combined with that lingering cedar. There was zero harshness. Even after I was down to the nub it continued smooth.

I’m pretty sure that’s the triple fermentation speaking. It removes some of the softer edges that you will find in younger, less-pedigreed tobacco. I did finally release it when it began to burn my fingertips, dropping the nub into the water where it sizzled once and was gone. By that point, the rain had let up to a fine mist and the sun was threatening to break through.

The Pairing

I wasn’t getting a bar on the boat, but I did have a thermos of black coffe.

Honestly? It was a match from heaven. The sharpness of the coffee was balanced by the creaminess and sweetness of the cigar. If I were at home in my library, I’d likely grab a glass of Havana Club 7-Year or perhaps a light, floral Highland scotch.

You don’t want something too peaty or smoky that’s going to overpower the delicate floral and honey characteristics of the Cohiba. Keep it simple. Let that job be for the cigar to do. The Verdict

But, you know, there is lots of talk about the “Cohiba tax” — that you are paying a premium because of that yellow and black band.

And yeah, you are. But with the Siglo II, you’re also paying for consistency and a particular flavor profile that is simply hard to get anywhere else.

It’s the Goldilocks of the Siglo lineup to me. The Siglo I is a shade short and the Siglo VI is long-term proposition (with an equally hefty price tag). The Siglo II is the rock steady one. It’s an accessible Cuban.

This is a great starting point for those new to the world of Habanos. It’s not going to floor you with nicotine, but it will give you a goddamn masterclass in what the word “complexity” actually means when applied to cigars. It’s a reliable classic for veterans. It’s the cigar I reach for when I don’t want to risk gambling with a new brand, and just want a “solid” win.

Is it a daily smoke? You most likely won’t — not unless you own a much larger boat than I do. But in those times when you’re hunkered down from the rain, thinking about where you’ve been and where you’re going? It’s worth every cent.

Just be sure to let them sit for a couple years in the humidor. I’ve found that at 4-5 years of aging, that vanilla and cream really starts to shine. They’re also a bit green straight out of a new box, but show patience and they become magical. Final Thought:
If you find a box, buy it.

If you stumble across one, treasure it. But you shouldn’t smoke it while distracted. Make sure to give it the time it deserves; even if you are trapped on a boat in a torrential rainstorm.