My first review: Cohiba Siglo III (have mercy on me)

[Plato]

I am a newbie here (my first day).

I posted my first review/tasting note the other day on The cigar aficionado forums for ccs. I can already tell this forum is vastly superior

Second cigar of the day. Smoked an Ashton Puro Sol earlier in the day.  I bought a box of these three years ago in Barcelona at Gimeno's (an excellent cigar shop if your ever happen to be in Barcelona)

First third:  woody and salty in a good way. I love to lick my lips after I exhale. The flavor really sticks to your lips. Salty nuts, woody, creamy. Those three flavors integrate into one another seamlessly.  Definitely medium bodied.  I love the salty notes My palate picks up on Cuban cigars. Ive found that amongst cubans, this particular flavor seems much better integrated than amongst NCs. I dislike when salt and minerality is the dominant flavor profile of a cigar (cough cough Punch Uppercut). i think that the word I am actually looking for is Unami, not salty. 

Finish:  long and seamless. Retrohale is smooth as silk. 

On a side note:  apart from cigars, i am also an avid lover of wine and spirits. In fact, I honed my palate on fine wine prior to becoming enthralled with Cigars.  Anyways, I enjoy a good pairing. Today I paired my smoke with Vizcaya Cask No. 21 Cuban Formula Rum, served with two ice cubes.   It pairs beautifully.  The sweetness of this Cuban Style rum pairs beautifully with the creamy saltiness of the smoke. Perfect pairing. It pairs so well that in my mouth it is hard to trll where one ends and the other begins.  On a side note, I was also drinking this with a tall glass of ice water to occasionally cleanse the palate

I can see why many people overlook this cigar in favor of Cubas and Cohibas other offerings. If you are looking for a kick you in the face powerhouse cigar, this is not it.  However, this cigar, paired with fantastic rum,  is providing me with a large amount sioof pleasure. Together they are a hedonists dream. 

Second Third:

Wood became more pronounced briefly which briefly threw the smoke balance.  Then as quickly as it came it left. Traditional tobacco flavors became the focus of the smoke with hints of that creamy salty woodiness singing softly in the background.  Was that soy sauce i just tasted? I think so.

Construction: Flawless burn line and construction. Wrapper was perfect. But to be honest, the look of a wrapper is of no importance to me. I only care about the flavor and burn. Draw was good, not perfect. It prefer a draw that offers a bit of resistance (For example, I love Padrons, but I feel as if the draw is almost too easy).  This one did offer just tat, but it might have been just a small hair too resistant. Furthermore, the cigar had a great feel. Perfectly rolled except for the top 3/4 inch at the foot which was rolled a bit too bard. 

Final Third:  Same as second. However the salty/unami profile thst I love so dearly has become almost, but not quite, mute. Burn is no longer perfect, but still above average.  

The smoke now has a woody sweetness with just a faint saltiness. Very much enjoying it nonetheless.  Ive completely switched over to ice water at this point. 

Conclusion:  I greatly enjoyed this smoke. I'd be interested to hear feedback. Longtime smoker, but this is the first time that I have posted my smoking notes online for others to view. 

 

First review. Forgive the typos...i wrote this on my ipad.

Happy smoking.

Mikw

[cigarroverzulu]

Good Review,Thank You,Welcome...

[Rogers72]

Great review of one of my favorites!

[Rogers72]

And welcome to the site!

[Dbone]

Great review Mike. I recently started to dig into a box of Siglo III and it's been a great cigar. I did not pick up so much of the saltiness as your example did here, but defiantly tons of woody, creamy, smooth as silk smoke. Very little similarity to the Siglo I or II or IV. The finish is smooth and long. Not entirely complex, my box is only from 09 though, but defiantly very enjoyable. I love the size too.