Cohiba Panetela pre 2000

[SmokinAl]

It’s been a long few days. There are numerous projects that I’m involved in and milestones and due dates loom large. In the spirit of the Cohiba review week, coupled with a serious need for a drink and a cigar I thought I might put forward my opinion on the most neglected of Cohiba, the Panetela.

Now, I’m not generally a fan of any cigar smaller than a robusto, that’s the reason I’ve had this one since NYE 2000 sitting in the Coolerdor. It’s maybe the oldest cigar I’ve ever owned as my enthusiasm generally gets the better of my desire to lay a stick down.

This one lacks the familiar Cohiba aroma of hay and rather has a more rounded smell, perhaps from sharing its bed with so many other cigars over the past few years. I don’t miss that aroma at all. It looks great, dark and oily with a light bloom (although, that could be sawdust, it’s hard to tell the difference around here).

Right from first light, I’m surprised. I seem to recall these being very flavourful, but this one is more subdued. There’s a distinct coffee bean taste and a little honey. Into the second third and the flavours intensify with a nice dark chocolate working into the mix.

I’d originally planned to smoke this quick, crank out a review and get onto a “real” cigar, but this is too good to hurry. Lean back, feet up, blow smoke rings and sip slowly at the cigar. Who’d have thought a Panetela could be this damn good?

The cigar continues with the same distinct coffee/chocolate and a diminished honey into the last third. By the time I’m finished the stubble on my top lip is smouldering because I just don’t want to put this out!

Maybe it’s time I started listening to voices of reason and I stock up enough to not smoke a cigar until it’s had five years to develop. All I have to do now is get my money back from the fiancée and I’m set!

I don’t know how this cigar could improve. I expect a lot from a cigar and am pretty hard when it comes to scoring one. This girly little Panatela though got my undivided attention. 95/100.

[Leftridge]

Wow, great review on a cigar I would probably never consider buying unless I first had the experience you just described. Really intrigued now.

[smokum]

Great review Al...I have gone thru a box of these this past winter and they are a great quick smoke. Full of Cohiba.

[zuma]

Nice review Alain, thanx... I have sampled it a few times, but I tend to enjoy more the format in the Monte marca... However, I have never smoked any with more than two years on them.

[El Presidente]

Fantastic review Alain. I will be reviewing one oday and was not really looking forward to it until now.

[SmokinAl]

» Fantastic review Alain. I will be reviewing one oday and was not really

» looking forward to it until now.

I'm not sure if I'd rush off to smoke another just now as I think it may tarnish the experience of the smoke from last night. I have a nasty feeling that this one great one was a statistical blip.

That's not going to stop me from grabbing a 3 y.o. box I know of and putting it on ice for a while in case I'm wrong.