Cohiba Siglo V

Description

The Long Shadow of Havana: An Evening with the Cohiba Siglo V

I remember the moisture more than anything. It wasn’t quite that sticky, oppressive heat you often get in the States in August. It was different. It was as if the Mediterranean had wrapped itself around me — a warm, wet blanket that smelled of salt spray, diesel exhaust and ancient limestone.

Product Specifications

I sat on the balcony of Havana’s Hotel Nacional and gazed at waves in the Atlantic as they rolled over a stone jetty into the Malecón. It was our tenth anniversary. My wife had given up and gone inside out of the wind, but I was still outside. I needed a moment.

I needed to be with my thoughts and a glass of seven-year-old Havana Club that was going down very well, thank you. I dug in to my travel humidor and pulled a stick I had been saving for just this sort of quiet. It was not a short, stocky trend-chaser. It was long and thin, and looked like it belonged in a black-and-white movie.

I have always found that some cigars are for parties, and some are best enjoyed in conversation, but a few—very few—are for contemplation. I snipped the tip, felt the spongy tobacco yield underneath my fingers and realised that I was not just holding a handful of leaves. I had 30 years’ worth of history, and a hell of a lot to live up to. That smoke?

The

Cohiba Siglo V. And I have to say, it’s not a bad way to celebrate 10 years of marriage. The Specs

But before I go any further with how this thing actually treated me on that balcony, let’s take a look at what we’re working with.

This isn’t an everyday smoke like your Robustos or Coronas; it’s a Dalias, and as such, should be given some measure of respect even before you strike a match. Attribute
Details
Product Name
Cohiba Siglo V (Linea 1492)
First Impressions: Look and feel

I’ve reviewed a lot of cigars for Nada Worry, but there’s just something right about a 170mm stick with a 43 ring gauge. It’s elegant. It doesn’t feel like a club in your hand; it feels like a conductor’s baton.

The wrapper on this particular Siglo V was a gorgeous Colorado leaf—a reddish brown that appeared oily enough to leave fingerprints. I ran my thumb the length of it and it was smooth except for a few thin veins that told me this was a natural product, hand rolled at El Laguito. You ever feel how some cigars are “crunchy”? This wasn’t that.

It had a supple, firm give. I drew the air through it before lighting, and I could swear it tasted of barnyard. Not in a bad way, but that classic Cuban hay and sweet raisin. It was clean.

The draw was exactly where I wanted it – not too loose like a straw but with enough resistance that I knew I was going to have to work for it just a little bit. And I spent a solid five minutes smelling the foot of this before even broaching fire. It’s the ritual, right? Twenty minutes, and flipped on the cedar spill.

The first third blazed incredibly burning, signaling the age of the leaf in a swirl of citrus and honey.

I’ve heard people around town talking about our old el perfecto sweet grass, but the Siglo V’s version of it? It’s refined stuff, barely above a whisper. Despite the sweet citrus sunshine and the honey’s bear hug, the retrohale saw notes of macadamia nuts and an infinitely delicate kiss of white pepper on the tail end. It was the perfect reminder of the reason they created this line in the first place.

As you must know, the Linea 1 was born in ‘92, created around the time this damned cigar washed up on these shores. With Davidoff halting production of their chateau series in Cuba, it left a gaping hole in the market as a notch above their standard fare – they weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but you could halfway tell they were shooting for more sophistication than brutishness. I sipped my coffee in the delicate morning breeze, watching the smoke trails wisp into the ocean, and I felt like I knew something none of the hundreds of people babbling in my skull did. There was this intriguing ginger tone that arrived right about the midway point.

It added a little “zing” that kept my palate from getting bored. It held together well, with a nice light grey ash that lasted an inch and a half before finally dropping off in to the thick glass ashtray. I realized that the potency was sitting directly at medium. It didn’t make my head swim, I know that, but it certainly let me know I was smoking a high-quality Cuban.

And the balance was what struck me so much. Nothing was fighting for attention. They were just chilling, hanging out together — the cedar and earth, that last bit of vanilla sweetness — perfectly happy. I’ve heard guys liken this to the Partagás 8-9-8, and I understand why – but there’s some small difference, something softer or I dunno, “cleaner” about the Siglo V.

It has a deeper, richer quality that is more intentional. It’s the “special of the special” tobacco, as they say, and you can taste that added fermentation which El Laguito makes is worth more than just bragging about in a brochure. The Last Third: The Epic Showdown

When I was down to the last two inches, the sun had set and the lights of Havana twinkled in the distance.

This is where most cigars fall apart—they get hot, they grow bitter or they simply lose their sense of self. Not this one. The Siglo V wanted to go out in a bang. The flavors deepened significantly.

That creamy mocha morphed into a black, roasted coffee bean. I began to get this kind of savory richness that I can only describe as decadent red meat — salty, savory and deep. There was a bit of cinnamon and more of that cedar, but the sweetness from the tobacco itself is what shined. It never got harsh.

I smoked it down to my fingers feeling like they were on fire and I still didn’t want to put it down. It’s a 90 to 100-minute investment, and I loved it every second of it. Pairing: What to Drink?

Before long, I was drinking Havana Club 7-Year, which is the local favorite for a reason. The molasses sweetness from the rum and the honey and cedar of the Siglo V just go together famously, but if I were sitting at home in my library? I’d likely grab a Highland Scotch — something with some heather and honey, perhaps a Dalwhinnie 15. You don’t want anything too peaty; you’ll smother out the faint citrus in that first third.

If you’re a coffee drinker, a good old café con leche is never a bad choice. The milk is creamy like the smoke. Alexis Simply don’t go acidic with anything. This cigar is about balance, and you don’t want your drink drowning out the conversation.

The Verdict

So, is hunting down the Cohiba Siglo V worth it?

Because let’s face it: It’s not easy finding these things anymore, and the price tag is sure to make your wallet flinch. Here’s how I feel about it: If you’re in the market for a “powerhouse” cigar to smoke on the golf course or when you’re out someplace loud and you have other things going through your head, don’t waste your time. You’ll miss everything that is special about this stick. But if you’re in the mood to party, or even just to sit still for an hour and a half, it’s a master class in blending.

It is elegant, complicated without being confusing and has a way of slowing time. I’ve smoked quite a lot of the Siglo line, and while the Siglo VI is hailed because it’s got heavy rams (hardly), I’d say that the real connoisseur’s choice in size would be the Siglo V. That Dalias vitola allows the flavor just that much more bang for its buck. It’s a gentleman’s smoke.

It’s refined. It’s the sort of cigar that makes you happy to have endured 10 years of marriage — or whatever else, for that matter. I finally went back inside that evening, the smell of cedar and honey on my shirt, feeling a whole lot better about the world than when I sat down. That’s what good cigars do.

And the Siglo V? It’s a very, very good cigar. Solid.