Questions for HSA.

[El Presidente]

This question was raised by Bart:

I am wondering if the Cohiba Behikes @ the festival will be similar to the CGR of last years festival, meaning will they be hyped up and the next greatest thing per Suckling and others?

I had a long late night discussion on this question with HSA and factory people (rollers/manager) at my apartment. We were smoking the new Behike's at the time which was four days before the official release at the gala dinner. I have not followed any other reviews of the new Behike's but I found them to be the stand out cigar of the festival. Magnificent, not full bodied as I expected but full flavoured with a chewy viscous mouthfeel, dense smoke, laden with roasted nuts and toasted tobacco.

So, well into a couple of bottles of Santiago 11 and Chilean red I asked Bart's question. They were astonished that such a question was even asked.

It dawned on me again (I am a slow learner) that Cubans (within the industry) have never been brought up to assess a cigar the way we assess cigars here on FOH or James does on CA. There is no such thing as chocolate, vanilla notes, honey etc in their assessment. They predominantly focus on wrapper, construction, draw, burn, body, aroma. When a third of the way through a particular Behike I brought up the comment that it had lashings of peanut....they looked at me as if I had two heads Still, these guys and girls have all seen our FOH reviews (on CD) and while they laugh hysterically it is really a foreign concept.

And so they explained. in terms of what they assess, the Cohiba Gran Reserva was remarkably consistent. They worked hard to achieve that consistency and they believe they got it right both with the festival release and general production release.

It was a particular question to me which made me wince. They were right.

Paraphrasing " How can one review a cigar in terms of unique flavours when not everyone can assess those unique flavours due to the physiological individual differences of the people tasting?"

Score one for the Cubans

Q2

"Rob, cigars here in Havana at the festival are often 75%-85% humidity when given out dependent on conditions. For better or worse how can you compare a cigar 10 months later stored at your preferred humidity and then make judgement calls of blend tinkering?"

Score two for the Cubans

Q3

"Rob, as an example, I remember the finest rum I have ever tasted was the original Edmundo Dante. I danced for days on the memory. I have enjoyed it many times since but never like the first time. Could it be that the first Cohiba Gran Reserva from the festival was the same?

Strike three and I am out

The discussions and laughter went on long and loud but I came to realise that they had never "Hyped" the Cohiba Gran Reserva. James, I and others may have and I will stand by my original review. One of the great cigars I have ever had. now I have had a half dozen since from differing boxes and while excellent none of them has given me the utility (sheer enjoyment) as the first. Is that the Cubans fault? Not at all. They have done their job in terms of consistency (wrapper, construction, draw, body, burn, aroma).

So I woke up the next day having had one of those special nights and more importantly having learned a lesson. No cigar should be reviewed in isolation (you need to smoke several) but if done so it must come with a stated caveat that it is the first and hence will always have the senses heightened.

I hope I have answered the question. It was certainly a hoot exploring it with good friends.

[samb]

Thanks for the reply!

[Bartolomeo]

So will the FOH video reviews having an opening clause stating this is the first cigar from box such and such?

I meant the question from a Marketing/Hype point of view and not necessairly from a performance point of view but I do appreciate you asking the question. I remember seeing pictures of the Gala from last year all decorated with the GR logo every where and many people that attended the Festival saying how the GR was the best thing since sliced bread, etc. My question was merely asking if the Behikes were going to be the same thing as the what the GR was last year.

From what I have read and seen, I do think this is the case and thats a good thing since the cigar has gotten nothing but praise from every review I have read. Now some people may prefer certain ring gauges of the Behikes but overall the Behikes have had very positive reviews.

Last time I checked, people that do reviews here and other sites also mention the wrapper, construction, burn, draw, etc as well. The flavors we report on are our own flavors that we come across and the reading audience knows this and to take it with a grain of salt especially my reviews

I am curious about the 75-85% RH comment,what is Cuba's thoughts on the ideal RH for their cigars? Do they feel a higher RH does them good or are they just use to smoking ROTB and are use to the higher RH%

I feel honored you thought of my silly question while in Cuba

Bart

[El Presidente]

So will the FOH video reviews having an opening clause stating this is the first cigar from box such and such?

I meant the question from a Marketing/Hype point of view and not necessairly from a performance point of view but I do appreciate you asking the question. I remember seeing pictures of the Gala from last year all decorated with the GR logo every where and many people that attended the Festival saying how the GR was the best thing since sliced bread, etc. My question was merely asking if the Behikes were going to be the same thing as the what the GR was last year.

From what I have read and seen, I do think this is the case and thats a good thing since the cigar has gotten nothing but praise from every review I have read. Now some people may prefer certain ring gauges of the Behikes but overall the Behikes have had very positive reviews.

Last time I checked, people that do reviews here and other sites also mention the wrapper, construction, burn, draw, etc as well. The flavors we report on are our own flavors that we come across and the reading audience knows this and to take it with a grain of salt especially my reviews

I am curious about the 75-85% RH comment,what is Cuba's thoughts on the ideal RH for their cigars? Do they feel a higher RH does them good or are they just use to smoking ROTB and are use to the higher RH%

I feel honored you thought of my silly question while in Cuba

Bart™

Bart, The same banners and gala celebration was also there last year for the Montecristo Open !LOL! I think HSA does what it has to do (promote the new cigar) regardless if they are real believers in it or not.

In relation to wrapper, construction, burn, draw, aroma, body etc, the point I was trying to make is that is where the Cubans normally stop in their assessment. We (in general) take it much further.

Cuba is its own humidor but it is primarily a wet humidor. Most cigars smoked there are too humid for my taste but if that is what you are smoking day in and day out then it is of little consequence for them. Even in the Divans the humidors run at or around 80%. It was a wet week in Havana this year, the aircon in the divans is turned off at night and so everything was on the wet side. I still had some amazing cigars which somehow bucked the trend.

And yes...when I am reviewing a cigar for the first time, from now on I will preface the review

[Bartolomeo]

Bart, The same banners and gala celebration was also there last year for the Montecristo Open !LOL! I think HSA does what it has to do (promote the new cigar) regardless if they are real believers in it or not.

In relation to wrapper, construction, burn, draw, aroma, body etc, the point I was trying to make is that is where the Cubans normally stop in their assessment. We (in general) take it much further.

Cuba is its own humidor but it is primarily a wet humidor. Most cigars smoked there are too humid for my taste but if that is what you are smoking day in and day out then it is of little consequence for them. Even in the Divans the humidors run at or around 80%. It was a wet week in Havana this year, the aircon in the divans is turned off at night and so everything was on the wet side. I still had some amazing cigars which somehow bucked the trend.

And yes...when I am reviewing a cigar for the first time, from now on I will preface the review

Makes sense and thanks for sharing!

Reason #104 why the is the best Cuban Cigar website

Bart

[Yoruba Hacker]

Great response.

[cigaraholic]

I've heard about "chasing the bag" and now I'll have to add "chasing the cigar box".

I think the first time you try a cigar can be special because you have no preconceived thoughts about what it should taste like. When you fire up something you've smoked before you know what you want the cigar to taste like. Every cigar is unique, but when you smoke a Monte #2, or anything else, you want it to taste like the best one you've ever had and your brain remembers that experience. If your brain has no reference point you start with a clean sheet of paper and maybe your tasting experience is heightened.

The very first SLR Serie A I smoked tasted like the best peanut butter cookie I'd ever had. None of the other 24 cigars in the box were as good as that one.I've smoked 100's from many boxes over the years since then and can't believe that the first Serie A was so special but because I'd never tasted that flavor it made a life long experience. So I guess I'm chasing a box too.

[Van55]

So I woke up the next day having had one of those special nights and more importantly having learned a lesson. No cigar should be reviewed in isolation (you need to smoke several) but if done so it must come with a stated caveat that it is the first and hence will always have the senses heightened.

I hadn't considered this at all, but now that you mention it, I think back on my first experiences smoking a BGM from the Cologne LCDH release, my first Trinidad Robusto T, and my first La Gloria Glorioso. All were exquisite smoking experiences.

But then, I also remember my first Boli Colossale and a couple of other first time experiences and they were not so good.

[cigaraholic]

I think it works both ways, you'll remember a bad first cigar too.

I know some don't like Cuaba but I really love the brand, everything I'd tried had been dynamite until I opened my first box of Distinguidos. All ten were bland nobody home cigars and I'd smoked every size but them. If this had been my introduction to the brand I might not have ever bought them again.

Love at first smoke otherwise ask if she has a sister!