Lasy night, I sparked up a fresh Siglo II from a five-pack, and was well disappointed in both the taste and the burn of the cigar.


The taste felt miserable and dull - like an afternoon waiting for your wife to finish the shopping. Don't come to me with your tales of spice and chocolate and other juiced-up phoney descriptions. A smoke is a smoke.


It's burning hot air, tar and all harshness, and that's what Cohiba's Siglo II was for me. Raw and nasty.


I wasn't impressed. It smoked like a $1 cigar and it burned down one side, forcing me to light the other side several times. I'm beginning to think this whole Cohiba-mystique thing is nonsense.


Good thing this was a gift. I'd never chuck money, or even 1/4 of the money at a Cohiba. I'd trade 10 Cohibas for a Montecristo #2 without hesitation.

DANGER: Stay away from Cohiba Siglo II. In fact don't even go into the same room.

I've just returned from a stay in The Bahamas with my good friends, Douglas and Nora Smith. Their hospitality was positively regal and the cuisine second only to the great feasts of Rome. However, the unquestionably highlight of this all-too-brief sojourn was Doug's magnificent humidor, quite sublime.
He tells me that although The Bahamas grows no tobacco, their proximity to both The Dominican Republic and Cuba, guarantees an exquisite range of enviable cigars. I wold postulate that Doug's selection would not be out of place in the finest New England Clubrooms.


As easy as was the hospitality, I resisted the temptation to overindulge and restricted myself to his Siglo Range. Here, I shall discuss the Siglo II but shall discuss others as and when.



I can announce with relative confidence that the Siglo II catured my attention immediately; a relatively relaxed flavour with out the unpleasant aftertaste some have associated with other Cuban brands; a complex flavour with perhaps the suggestion of coffee and a forest background. A long tail to it, which was pleasant, offering about an hour of even burn. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Siglo II.