Cohiba Lancero: 2008 Petacas : Cohiba Review Comp 2016

[CaptainQuintero]

  It's one of those incredibly muggy afternoons, I can't even work up the energy to go fetch a chair to throw myself into. I've found a patch of bare stone that has been warmed by the sun, I'm going gecko style for this review!

  I've never had a huge number of Lanceros, certainly never sprung for a whole box so this seems like a great opportunity to smoke something different from my usual rotation. This was a gifted cigar that I've constantly passed over, not today my friend!

  Slightly open draw, not a great deal of anything on the cold draw.

  Initially this starts a bit grubby, the thing is struggling to get started. I realised pretty much at this point the redonkulous humidity today is going to cause issues. After a few minutes seems to settle down but there is no sweetness, certainly none which makes cohiba stand out for me. This is straight black coffee and a hint of malt, not something I've gotten really from cohiba before.

  I'm still laid out on the floor, the phone is ringing buy I can't be bothered to go anywhere near it, this humidity is sapping.

  It's still struggling to stay lit, I start to really slow down the draw and barely take in any smoke. It's starting to work as the second third has sweetness creeping in the tip of my tongue, it's black coffee with brown sugar now. Almost similar to the German Bolivar Especial #2.

  I'm tapping the ash like crazy now, this thing needs nursing to stay lit, tap and soft flame, tap and soft flame. It's working but it's not the experience you expect from a Lanceros.

  Getting towards the end now and it's getting hot and arsey, I'm not one to nub something that is going to diminish the previous experience so it's time to let it finally die. I've never had a Cohiba like this before, I've had the totally unready stuff, the older syrup sticks but nothing like this before, I'm putting it down to the humidity. It's certainly not been unpleasant just not what I expected. I'm guessing spending the first half of its like in a partagas probably didn't help matters either. I don't think I've ever actually been blown away by a Lanceros, the record is still standing. I'd hazard a guess that with these ,even more so than with regular Cohiba, construction/blend really has to be on ball for it to hit the high notes.

88/100

 

[miurajus]

Would agree on the construction.  Sorry that the elements played a factor.  Smoking a stick as we speak that I'm having to clear and cater to, throughout (roll is off centered).  Not fun.

Thanks for the great play-by-play and review!

[Jeremy Festa]

Good read. 

Gecko style lolz

Reading reviews of poor performing cigars really tugs at my heartstrings. It's so.... depressing.

And I get upset.

 

 

[Fugu]

9 hours ago, CaptainQuintero said:

I've never had a Cohiba like this before, I've had the totally unready stuff, the older syrup sticks but nothing like this before, I'm putting it down to the humidity

Absolutely - that factor is not to be undervalued. Had almost the exact same experience yesterday with a MdO 4. My son came along for a visit and we smoked in full heat and extremely high humidity on the patio. That stick came from a '13 box that was/is consistently very good. Before actually cutting it, the stick had been outside for about 10 min. In cutting I immediately noticed how soft the head was. The cutter squeezed the head to about half the original diameter before actually cutting in (no, it's not a blunt one). No crackling from the wrapper, spongy to the touch. I briefly considered not lighting up at all. It was amazing to see how rapidly that thing-gauge stick absorbed the ambient moisture. Humidity plus heat tremendously accelerated the process.

Needless to say that the smoking enjoyment was of similar limited extent as yours. I won't attribute this to the cigar.

[TheMonk]

Nicely done! It's a shame about the construction issues, particularly on such an expensive marca.