United Shades of Talisman

[SigmundChurchill]

I am down to 4 boxes, trying to decide which to smoke next.  From top left to bottom right, they are UAO DIC 17, LRG DIC 17, UAO AGO 17, UAO SEP 17 (*H&F).

     I dont know that I can really get the contrast of colors in a picture the way they look in real life.  I have smoked through all the really light colored ones because they taste the most like Cohibas to me.  I have smoked through 2 of the very dark wrapper boxes, with the sun burned, toothy, EL-type wrappers, that taste nothing like Cohibas to me.  So I am left with 3 medium, Colorado shade boxes and one dark, maduro/oscuro shade box.  

     If the picture doesn't do it justice, the maduro/oscuro box is in the bottom left (#3).  In real life, they are fairly black, and look just like the wrappers I am not fond of.  And with a bit of irony, being UAO AGO17, they are as close to original release, El Laguito, as you can get, so they are probably worth the most on the secondary market, so these are out of the running for smoking.  This with the caveat that any box I ever planned on selling on the secondary market, I ended up smoking myself.

     Typically, I would choose the first box, because they are the lightest shade of the 4, but the 4th box is interesting to me.  In my experience, H&F lives up to it's reputation of being the most discerning of importers in choosing which cigars will have their label on them.  Also, in my experience, this is based solely on presentation, and as much as we love beautiful looking cigars, the flavor is as much of a crap shoot with the beautiful cigars as they are with their not-so-beautiful counterparts.  I have smoked some beautiful looking flavorless cigars, and I have smoked some fugly looking cigars that are out of this world, and, obviously, nothing is more important than flavor.  

   But getting back to the H&F box, the wrapper shade is interesting to me because of it's rosado shade, which is something I don't typically associate with 2017 Talismans.  At least not with the other 9 out of 10 boxes I have owned.  As usual, H&F lives up to it's reputation for having the most beautiful presentation. 

This puts box number 2 out of the running, and I am left with the choice of smoking the lightest, and possibly most Cohiba-like, of the bunch (box #1), or the most unique of the bunch (Box #4).

Again, I wish the pictures were more reflective of reality, so you guys could see the differences that I am seeing in real life, but I think you can get an idea of what I am talking about from them.  Unfortunately, I dont think I will get the bold Cohiba flavors out of any of them to any degree near what I got out of the ones with the very light Cohiba-like wrappers, but I think they will be very enjoyable in their own right.

[rcarlson]

Who does daddy and mommy love the most?  

Yeah, it was Alice.  They barely tolerated the rest.  

Hope this helps.  

[SigmundChurchill]

2 minutes ago, rcarlson said:

Who does daddy and mommy love the most?  

Yeah, it was Alice.  They barely tolerated the rest.  

Hope this helps.  

Rob, I always thought it was Marsha.

 

...or, come to think of it, maybe that was just me.

[rcarlson]

4 minutes ago, SigmundChurchill said:

Rob, I always thought it was Marsha.

 

...or, come to think of it, maybe that was just me.

No that's what Marsha thought.  It was alice.

You?  Better check the age of consent in your jurisdiction, Sicko.  

[SigmundChurchill]

3 minutes ago, rcarlson said:

No that's what Marsha thought.  It was alice.

You?  Better check the age of consent in your jurisdiction, Sicko.  

LOL.  I was like 10 years old.  She should be the one checking the age of consent.

[StogieSteve23]

Eliota, go with the UAO-DIC-17 box first. Then the LGR box. Save the H&F for last.  Would be interested to hear some tasting notes between a UAO and LGR stick.  

[DeskSmkr]

Hmmm, interesting decision and pros/cons.
I'm wondering if the #4 rosado will have any cherry and an adventure factor, and conversely if #1 would be more to your current preference/tastes for enjoyment, with the possibility of falling short when compared to the past..

[Nino]

Agree on your H&F comments, Elliott ...

I'd go for UAO DIC 17 - Enjoy, you sure deserve it !

[mprach024]

3 hours ago, SigmundChurchill said:

I am down to 4 boxes, trying to decide which to smoke next.  From top left to bottom right, they are UAO DIC 17, LRG DIC 17, UAO AGO 17, UAO SEP 17 (*H&F).

     I dont know that I can really get the contrast of colors in a picture the way they look in real life.  I have smoked through all the really light colored ones because they taste the most like Cohibas to me.  I have smoked through 2 of the very dark wrapper boxes, with the sun burned, toothy, EL-type wrappers, that taste nothing like Cohibas to me.  So I am left with 3 medium, Colorado shade boxes and one dark, maduro/oscuro shade box.  

     If the picture doesn't do it justice, the maduro/oscuro box is in the bottom left (#3).  In real life, they are fairly black, and look just like the wrappers I am not fond of.  And with a bit of irony, being UAO AGO17, they are as close to original release, El Laguito, as you can get, so they are probably worth the most on the secondary market, so these are out of the running for smoking.  This with the caveat that any box I ever planned on selling on the secondary market, I ended up smoking myself.

     Typically, I would choose the first box, because they are the lightest shade of the 4, but the 4th box is interesting to me.  In my experience, H&F lives up to it's reputation of being the most discerning of importers in choosing which cigars will have their label on them.  Also, in my experience, this is based solely on presentation, and as much as we love beautiful looking cigars, the flavor is as much of a crap shoot with the beautiful cigars as they are with their not-so-beautiful counterparts.  I have smoked some beautiful looking flavorless cigars, and I have smoked some fugly looking cigars that are out of this world, and, obviously, nothing is more important than flavor.  

   But getting back to the H&F box, the wrapper shade is interesting to me because of it's rosado shade, which is something I don't typically associate with 2017 Talismans.  At least not with the other 9 out of 10 boxes I have owned.  As usual, H&F lives up to it's reputation for having the most beautiful presentation. 

This puts box number 2 out of the running, and I am left with the choice of smoking the lightest, and possibly most Cohiba-like, of the bunch (box #1), or the most unique of the bunch (Box #4).

Again, I wish the pictures were more reflective of reality, so you guys could see the differences that I am seeing in real life, but I think you can get an idea of what I am talking about from them.  Unfortunately, I dont think I will get the bold Cohiba flavors out of any of them to any degree near what I got out of the ones with the very light Cohiba-like wrappers, but I think they will be very enjoyable in their own right.

First world problems

[vhampl03]

Do you think the darker, less typical Cohiba ones will improve with age - mellow, smooth out, become more like the ones that are more typical.? If so, that would an argument to smoke the lightest box first....

But honestly, I’m a little in awe.....this is a nice problem to have :j

[Habana Mike]

I'd smoke one from each box in the near term and continue to sample one from each box over the years.

[SigmundChurchill]

2 hours ago, mprach024 said:

First world problems

Well, seeing as how we are on a website devoted to small boxes of rolled up leaves that we pay hundreds of dollars for, which world problems were you expecting?

???

[SigmundChurchill]

57 minutes ago, vhampl03 said:

Do you think the darker, less typical Cohiba ones will improve with age - mellow, smooth out, become more like the ones that are more typical.? If so, that would an argument to smoke the lightest box first....

But honestly, I’m a little in awe.....this is a nice problem to have :j

They do mellow and smooth out, but they never become something different than what they are.  Some people love these dark EL wrappers.  Even more so when they are aged, and that is great for them, but to me, they all taste the same, no matter what marca label they slap on them.

[SigmundChurchill]

I ended up smoking one from the H&F box.  It was nice.  Not particularly Cohiba-ish but not at all EL-ish either.

I think I like @Habana Mikes idea, of one from each box.  Except the dark, UAO AGO 17 box.  I'll keep that one intact.  Maybe when they are old enough, someone will trade me them for a box of Siglo VI or something.?