EAR: Talisman 2017 and 2019/20

[El Presidente]

EAR= Email Assistance Requested. 

I have replied but would love him to get a broader spectrum of answers. Please assist with your opinion if you can. 

Hi Rob, I hope all is well the family and  the FOH team!. I have a quick question that I am having a hard time answering.  Is there any difference in taste between the 2017 Talisman and the 2019/20 Talisman?  I have a chance to buy both at a reasonable price point but will only outlay for one. It appears that on the secondary market they appear to perform lineball which maybe means there is no difference. Any input would be really helpful. 

 

[BeerPimp]

Many times I almost pulled the trigger on a box these.   Now I definitely regret not doing that.   I always wondered if there was a shift in the flavor profile from the originals to the 2019/20 releases.

[Wookie]

I’ve had both and not a discernible difference to me. But I’m also a believer (reminiscer) that Cohiba were best in the 1990s.  FWIW, I’m not a CPE fan and I’ve smoked a lot of them in the 2015-2020 vintages.  So maybe I’m not a good data point. 

[NSXCIGAR]

I had heard the 19/20 batch had been considered superior, however I didn't understand that to mean the 17/18s were to be avoided. I distinctly recall the more positive opinion of the 19/20s though.

Personally I've only had one and it was a 17/18 so I can't compare. 

[HarveyBoulevard]

Having actually smoked a few boxes from both time periods, I’d say there is no discernible difference. 

[Hoepssa]

 

I heard some good things about 19-20 so I bought a box, they are younger of course, some sharp edge when smoke, I like 17" more.

 

[JohnS]

If I recall correctly, @SigmundChurchill has had a number of both and I think he said they were similar too (in another thread). May need to get him to confirm his view here...

[SigmundChurchill]

6 hours ago, JohnS said:

If I recall correctly, @SigmundChurchill has had a number of both and I think he said they were similar too (in another thread). May need to get him to confirm his view here...

Yes.  That is correct.  All else being equal, the one '19 box I smoked was indistinguishable from the 7 or 8 '17 boxes I have smoked.

When I say, "all else being equal", I mean that the '19 box was indistinguishable from the average '17 box.  I had a '17 box that blew me away, and another that was really outstanding, and then I had a couple of '17 boxes that did nothing for me.  The '19 box was like any of the ones in the middle between those two extremes.