Hands Of Time: Cohiba Talisman

[El Presidente]

So what have the "Hands of Time" done with the Cohiba Talisman? 

This is a new series where we take a cigar that may have had somewhat mixed reviews upon release and see where they are now with a little water under the bridge. 

Released late 2017 these Sublimes No 1 sold like hotcakes. 

They sold so well that the pigs in the trough decided "limited edicion" could be strtched by rolling and releasing another 200,000 in 2019.  Didn't that raise a controversy!

Overall the cigar was well received but there were plenty of QC complaints at the time and that was mostly in relation to the 2017 release. 

So a couple of questions to our esteemed Cohiba loving members. 

1. How has the Talisman aged/transitioned since 2017/19 ? Is it ageing well? What do you think its ageing sweet spot will be? 

2. If you have experienced both releases (17/19), can you tell any difference between the releases? 

[NYGuido]

I have a Dec 2017 one I got in a trade and am waiting to smoke. Really hoping it doesn’t suck!

[Chibearsv]

I think they are still a work in progress. They are very good cigars but a bit muddled yet. They aren’t to the point of grabbing my attention yet. I’ve only got 5 remaining and I’m going to give them a couple more years before jumping on the next one. I’ve only had the 2019 version. 

[tbelle7]

Aside from wrapper uneven burn issues, I find them enjoyable. I have not noticed a taste difference between the 17 and 19 runs. It does seem the 19 wrappers are thin compared to the 17's, leading to a better burn.

Maybe another 3-4 years to find their peak?

[NYGuido]

3 hours ago, tbelle7 said:

Aside from wrapper uneven burn issues, I find them enjoyable. I have not noticed a taste difference between the 17 and 19 runs. It does seem the 19 wrappers are thin compared to the 17's, leading to a better burn.

Maybe another 3-4 years to find their peak?

Then maybe I’ll wait before I smoke mine. 

[Marco_011t556]

Hmm…the talisman is one of the most serious counterfeit high end cigars, especially those dated 2019. Smoked both, dated 2017, which is more intense and complex while the 2019 is quite light (maybe needs more time).

[JohnS]

I had a 2017 version a few months ago. It was still a good cigar, but more time wouldn't hurt it either.

[joeypots]

I've been thinking about this cigar. I got won one somewhere and it rests in a tube where I keep such treasures. I'll leave it be until I hear that they are good to go.

[NYGuido]

I’ve been wondering if I should trade mine away for things I know I like. I’ve got only 1, and I bet I could get a few good sticks for it. Almost better NOT to taste it if it’s that good, since I’ll never have it again. 

Then again, I’ve never regretted a one night stand with a super hottie…BUT some of them managed to suck in bed. 🤷‍♂️ 

[Glass Half Full]

It's been two years since my last one; only a pair remaining. Past experiences led me to think the Genios was a slightly better version of the mocha Cohiba experience towards which it seemed the Talisman blend was aiming.  

Now re-reading John's August review -- Thank you John!  Always appreciate your tasting notes!  -- and he convinced me to wait some more years; save it for something special.  Thankful for this little memory exercise

[Hammer Smokin']

Amazing that a cigar of this cost, magnitude, and splendor (especially the friggin' cost) and yet it needs what appears to be 10 years to be worth smoking. It's a bit of a joke, honestly. 

 

[El Presidente]

7 hours ago, Hammer Smokin' said:

Amazing that a cigar of this cost, magnitude, and splendor (especially the friggin' cost) and yet it needs what appears to be 10 years to be worth smoking. It's a bit of a joke, honestly. 

It's not the ageing aspect that peeves me. In the end I think peeps are achieving 92/93 point experiences but are waiting/believing there is a 95/96 point experience in there. That's what I am reading. 

$150 cigar should be a 95+ point experience every time in my eyes. Every time. No BS about it's a handrolled product and so you the consumer should expect some variability. No, at the super premium price point the manufacturer has taken on the responsibility for a perfect QC experience every time + the blend is spot on cigar to cigar. 

[NYGuido]

2 hours ago, El Presidente said:

It's not the ageing aspect that peeves me. In the end I think peeps are achieving 92/93 point experiences but are waiting/believing there is a 95/96 point experience in there. That's what I am reading. 

$150 cigar should be a 95+ point experience every time in my eyes. Every time. No BS about it's a handrolled product and so you the consumer should expect some variability. No, at the super premium price point the manufacturer has taken on the responsibility for a perfect QC experience every time + the blend is spot on cigar to cigar. 

The thing is, you and Hamlet have this same view about a $20 cigar. You give a shit about the customer experience because you’re smokers and are making cigars for other smokers. Cuba, unfortunately, doesn’t care about the experience when the cigar is smoked, just that they’re purchased and for ever higher prices. 

[Glass Half Full]

4 hours ago, El Presidente said:

It's not the ageing aspect that peeves me. In the end I think peeps are achieving 92/93 point experiences but are waiting/believing there is a 95/96 point experience in there. That's what I am reading. 

$150 cigar should be a 95+ point experience every time in my eyes. Every time. No BS about it's a handrolled product and so you the consumer should expect some variability. No, at the super premium price point the manufacturer has taken on the responsibility for a perfect QC experience every time + the blend is spot on cigar to cigar. 

Totally agree Rob.  (...I'd never pay anything close to that for a cigar, and don't buy Cohibas anymore.)  

The few Talismans I'd obtained were 2017s picked up in Spain in 2019 -- for $50 as I recall ...an amount I thought ridiculous at the time.  But I was just using up currency the day before flying home, if you can remember when that kind of thing was easy.  Picked up my first Genios at the same time -- for 1/2 the Talisman price.  Then, after trying both, simply wished I'd just gotten just more Genios. 

(That said, I still like the Secretos in the 5 series best.  That's the one Cohiba I can still imagine getting a couple more of ...if I won the lottery   Pretty unique ones those.)