Cohiba the best cigar brand?

[s1911]

I like Cohiba as a brand and have smoked both old and new cigars from boxes going back 25 years. Currently I've been buying a lot more boxes of Cohiba's in anticipation of the U.S. embargo ending and everyone and their mother (in the U.S.) going after one brand.. aka Cohiba. Price aside I'm wondering what my fellow forum members think about Cohiba in general as being regarded as the "top" Cuban cigar marca. I personally like the Lanceros, Esplendidos and Genios quite a bit, but overall prefer Partagas as a brand.

[Firebender]

I am leaning towards Montes these days, but I would always want to have some Cohiba in my humidor.  Cohiba is different, and I like it.

[Puros Y Vino]

Cohiba is the "Best" brand in terms of recognition and desirability.  IMO it is not the best brand in terms of product performance. There are some sticks that have done me no wrong.  The Esplendido, Lancero,  Siglo II and BHK54/56.  Pretty much everything else in the lineup is a toss up. I can pull a brilliant Siglo VI from my 2010 Cab one day and then pull a mediocre one the next time around.  Same goes for most of the Siglo line AFIAC.  People's experiences will vary of course.  The marcas that don't let me down as much are Partagas and H Upmann. 

[David88]

In my humble opinion cohiba is not the best, it is just the most expensive marca. While some cohiba can be very good, some leave me wanting particularly considering the premium price tag attached to them.

There is plenty of choice between brands so what is 'the best' is really a personal preference. I have found punch and SCdlH to be personal favourites. I can see why people would be attracted to cohiba though and paying a premium price does make me feel like I am smoking something special. 

[Philc2001]

The best cigar brand is the one you enjoy smoking the most, it's very personal. My taste buds were very biased towards Punch in the last 15 years, with Montecristo a close second. But HSA decimated the Punch brand, so it's forced me to expand and try several other brands. I'm finding some great cigars now from Partagas, Bolivar, Upmann, Hoyo and RA, but few Cohiba, which is mostly because of cost and partly because there are so many other good cigars to choose from. I can't really see why Cohiba are much more expensive than other brands, besides marketing. They seem to be made with basically the same tobacco, by the same rollers, in the same factories as everything else, so I can't justify the extra cost. But be assured that if I find a cigar I really like, the label on it won't make much difference to me, I'm going to smoke what I like most, life is too short to waste on bad cigars.

[BrightonCorgi]

My Favorite lines are LGC MdO's, Punch RS's, and original Cohiba line up.  As brand, I guess Cohiba is the best; that is how it is promoted...  so why wouldn't it be?  Price and quality are never linear, so is that bump worth the extra money?

[alloy]

Bolivar and skinny MC 2 Especiales and LGC #1 for me.

[Smallclub]

In my experience, when you take the time to discuss with people who say that "Cohiba is the best", you realize that these guys have a VERY limited experience of habanos, they generally know the PSD4, the Hoyo Epi No.2, the RyJ churchill… never tried a Punch, a SLR, a Bolivar, a Trinidad, and they've never heard of Sancho Panza or Rafael Gonzales or San Cristobal…

 

[joeypots]

My  short answer is to say that when Cohiba is on it's on. Good boxes with a few years, like 5, well kept can be outrageously good. But who's to say  other markas similarly aged and stored aren't as good. I know I like them but they are too expensive to be my go to cigars.

[Bohn007]

1 hour ago, Philc2001 said:

The best cigar brand is the one you enjoy smoking the most, it's very personal. My taste buds were very biased towards Punch in the last 15 years, with Montecristo a close second. But HSA decimated the Punch brand, so it's forced me to expand and try several other brands. I'm finding some great cigars now from Partagas, Bolivar, Upmann, Hoyo and RA, but few Cohiba, which is mostly because of cost and partly because there are so many other good cigars to choose from. I can't really see why Cohiba are much more expensive than other brands, besides marketing. They seem to be made with basically the same tobacco, by the same rollers, in the same factories as everything else, so I can't justify the extra cost. But be assured that if I find a cigar I really like, the label on it won't make much difference to me, I'm going to smoke what I like most, life is too short to waste on bad cigars.

I completely agree with this and have always told people that cigars are like wine. The best is the one you like. That being said, Cohiba is probably the most recognized of the brands along with Montecristo right behind it. Unless you are intending on being a "Flipper", buy what you like. I don't really worry about the "surge" of US consumers coming. I have plenty to smoke for now.

[PigFish]

I don't believe in Cuban 'brands.' When one cigar is built by one factory with proprietary blends and tobaccos not commingled with others of other 'brand names' perhaps I will change my mind. Cohiba used be more distinguishing to me, but lesser so now.

Like others I will stray and even go further. I prefer shopping for vitola as brand means little in the form of taste. However, I do believe that as we explore brands, we can see that the most overproduced, produce the most varied smoking experiences, a much higher percentage being the less than average ones.

For me there are no 'best' Cuban cigars, not really. I mean I have my favorites; the Partagas Seleccion Privada (the real ones) and the RAPC, the Partagas PC and the Upmann Lonsdale... As those cigars have disappeared, so has much of my distinction between really fine cigars identified by brand and vitola.

Cheers! -Piggy

[Fugu]

2 hours ago, s1911 said:

Currently I've been buying a lot more boxes of Cohiba's in anticipation of the U.S. embargo ending and everyone and their mother (in the U.S.) going after one brand.. aka Cohiba.

Guess you've pretty much answered the question for yourself already: While you "like" them, your recent buying decisions seem to be much driven by extrinsic factors (politics and what others think and do), rather than by your own assessment of quality. Don't run with the masses. Plenty of choice. There are lesser and better sticks within almost every marca (and year). Not much avail in generalising on marcas quality-wise.

Some friends here even go so far and state it's more in the format than which band is put on a stick, otherwise all the same... (which certainly is a vast exaggeration ). But I see where they are coming from.

[Fugu]

11 minutes ago, PigFish said:

I prefer shopping for vitola as brand means little in the form of taste.

Damn Piggy you just slipped in before me.... haha!

[Orion21]

They certainly are the most expensive . . .

[PapaDisco]

2 hours ago, PigFish said:

I don't believe in Cuban 'brands.' When one cigar is built by one factory with proprietary blends and tobaccos not commingled with others of other 'brand names' perhaps I will change my mind. Cohiba used be more distinguishing to me, but lesser so now.

Like others I will stray and even go further. I prefer shopping for vitola as brand means little in the form of taste. However, I do believe that as we explore brands, we can see that the most overproduced, produce the most varied smoking experiences, a much higher percentage being the less than average ones.

For me there are no 'best' Cuban cigars, not really. I mean I have my favorites; the Partagas Seleccion Privada (the real ones) and the RAPC, the Partagas PC and the Upmann Lonsdale... As those cigars have disappeared, so has much of my distinction between really fine cigars identified by brand and vitola.

Cheers! -Piggy

I concur with El Grande Magnificat Cornichon on this one.  I really wish they would privatize and separate the factories and farms, more akin to winery estate production.

That said, I'm also one of those that does not find uniform excellence in Cohiba.  I do tend to like the Siglo VI and the IV, but am not a regular aficionado of the Robusto like many of the members here.  I also have a hit/miss relationship with the Esplendido.

Like PhilC, I love Punch, but it has the widest variability in taste/construction of any of the marcas I indulge in, so very love/hate but when you find the 'loves' it's grand.  For now that seems to come in older Punch Punch, Punch DC, Sabrosos and EL's.

Por Larranaga is also one I prefer over Cohiba, and like some others here I also am more likely to reach for a Partagas or Upmann before thinking about Cohiba.

 . . . Unless of course it's one of those super rare, highly sought after, barber pole Cohibas . . . then all bets are off!  

[clutch5150]

3 hours ago, Philc2001 said:

The best cigar brand is the one you enjoy smoking the most, it's very personal. My taste buds were very biased towards Punch in the last 15 years, with Montecristo a close second. But HSA decimated the Punch brand, so it's forced me to expand and try several other brands. I'm finding some great cigars now from Partagas, Bolivar, Upmann, Hoyo and RA, but few Cohiba, which is mostly because of cost and partly because there are so many other good cigars to choose from. I can't really see why Cohiba are much more expensive than other brands, besides marketing. They seem to be made with basically the same tobacco, by the same rollers, in the same factories as everything else, so I can't justify the extra cost. But be assured that if I find a cigar I really like, the label on it won't make much difference to me, I'm going to smoke what I like most, life is too short to waste on bad cigars.

Good post and must agree on the Punch, just pulled a Swiss Regional out from sleeping in this coffin yesterday and oh what a difference a short 6 months has made! The cream never stopped and ended the same!

As for Cohiba, my Siglo VI Grand Reserva, Siglo VI Turbos 2008, Piramides Turbos 2011 and 2013 are smoking fabulous!  Honorable mention of course to my boxes of Behike 52 and 54 from  2010.

 

[s1911]

19 minutes ago, clutch5150 said:

Good post and must agree on the Punch, just pulled a Swiss Regional out from sleeping in this coffin yesterday and oh what a difference a short 6 months has made! The cream never stopped and ended the same!

As for Cohiba, my Siglo VI Grand Reserva, Siglo VI Turbos 2008, Piramides Turbos 2011 and 2013 are smoking fabulous!  Honorable mention of course to my boxes of Behike 52 and 54 from  2010.

 

 

Those look great!  

Reminds me of another of my favorite regionals which happens to be the Punch Robustos from 2005.

[Philc2001]

You guys are killing me with those regionals!

 I AM ENVIOUS! 

[clutch5150]

5 minutes ago, s1911 said:

 

Those look great!  

Reminds me of another of my favorite regionals which happens to be the Punch Robustos from 2005.

Splendid right there!!  How they smoking?

[s1911]

Just now, clutch5150 said:

Splendid right there!!  How they smoking?

Let me get back on topic in my own post.... better than most of my Cohiba collection!

Seriously though, they are very good and quite powerful, I wish I had more boxes.

[Mattb82]

For the guys more knowledgeable on this does the Cohiba line get preferential treatment with the best leaves? I've read a few books that say this but wasn't sure of the validity 

[BrightonCorgi]

Cohiba and Sir Winston are suppose to have a 3rd fermentation with the leaves, so that alone makes them different.

[BrightonCorgi]

Punch Regionals have been top notch.

Is it true that Regionals are using the older filler strain than the regular production cigars use?  That is what has been as marketed years ago.

[Smallclub]

2 hours ago, mosesbotbol said:

Cohiba and Sir Winston are suppose to have a 3rd fermentation with the leaves, so that alone makes them different.

? I've never heard about a "3rd fermentation" for the Sir Winston…

[BrightonCorgi]

2 minutes ago, Smallclub said:

? I've never heard about a "3rd fermentation" for the Sir Winston…

I'd like to know for sure.  I thought that was something unique to them.  Will check MRN  book if I can find where I packed it.