Cohiba Siglo II (FreeMar24)

[begoodplz]

Diving into a recent smoking session with the Cohiba Siglo II, I was eager to recapture a past experience filled with pronounced floral notes. My previous experience ~7 years ago with this stick was the best smoking experience I have had. This particular Siglo II was purchased in a 5 pack without a discernible box date and was stored under ideal conditions at 65% RH and 65F. I had high hopes for this cigar. However, right from the start, the draw proved too tight, necessitating the use of my PerfecDraw tool. This initial hiccup set the tone for what was to be a session of mixed emotions.

This Cohiba Siglo II, purchased without a box date, hinted at its youth. This factor might have contributed to the discrepancy between my expectations and the reality of the smoking experience. Despite the anticipation of floral undertones that once charmed me, this time, they were conspicuously absent. The absence of these expected notes left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed, pondering the variability inherent in these handcrafted products. The typical Cohiba flavors were present in this light to medium body smoke, but I was unable to pick up any other notes.

Reflecting on this session, I would describe the experience with the Cohiba Siglo II as okay, rather than exceptional. It's a reminder of the complex nature of cigars and how aging, storage, and individual cigar variations can influence the smoking experience. Although this particular Siglo II didn't live up to my fond memories, I do have a box aging that I will review in the future. I will definitely give it another chance with a more aged specimen, to see if those elusive floral notes and the sought-after perfection can be rediscovered.

Rating: 8.2/10

[MrBirdman]

Petacas are very hit and miss - I had two 5 packs of Siglo III, same box code and no more than a month apart. One box was heavenly at 4-5 years, the other was consistently flat and uninteresting. So it goes.