General Info
- Price: $50 USD (Box of 25, $1,050 USD)
- Made By: Habanos S.A.
- Factory Location: Cuba
- Dimensions: 5 7/8” by 52 ring gauge
- Shape: Canonazo
- Filler: Cuba
- Binder: Cuba
- Wrapper: Cuba
- Cold Draw: Cedar, Cocoa, Earth, Leather, Light Spice
- First Third: Light Pepper, Coffee, Earth, Cedar, Creamy Vanilla, Sweet
- Second Third: Cedar, Vanilla, Light Spice, Coffee, Leather, Sweet
- Final Third: Cedar, Vanilla, Nutmeg
Appearance
The Siglo VI is a beauty, it’s a seriously classy looking cigar. Just looking at the box, you know you’re in for a treat. The Cohiba Siglo VI comes either individually wrapped, or in boxes of 10 or 25. The box is a smooth, lacquered finish with a sliding lid, and inside the Siglo VI’s areheld together with a yellow ribbon. Each cigar has the signature, gold-bordered, holographic Cohiba band with gold Indian heads on a black-and-white checked background.
The Cohiba Siglo VI is a big cigar. Its shape is called Canonazo, which translates to “cannon shot”. The Siglo VI is 5 7/8” by 52 ring gauge, and maintains that size throughout. The cap is a uniquely Cuban style triple-cut head, meaning it’s flat with three seams.
The Siglo VI’s wrapper feels delicate to the touch, but not flimsy. It’s a light brownish-tan, with a slightly oily sheen and satiny feel to it. You can see faint veins winding their way through the tobacco leaf. Though the wrapper is thin and delicate, the cigar itself feels well-packed and even from foot to cap.
Taste and Draw
Smoking a Cohiba Siglo VI is like taking a trip back in time to Cuba. Everything from opening the box, to selecting a stick and taking a cold draw, and then finally smoking it – time stops and the rush of your daily life just disappears. The first scents to hit you when you open the box are almost perfumey, with notes of soft spice and cedar. As you work your way through the Siglo VI, the flavors blend smoothly together
The cold draw carries the cedar note and then you start picking up hints of cocoa and earth, soft saddle leather, and then it finishes with light spices. Not one bit of the Siglo VI is out of place. The transitions are smooth and seductive and there’s nothing startling. Once you light the cigar, the spice notes from the cold draw turn into hints of light pepper. These are overlaid by coffee and earth, and then open up to allow the cedar back in.
Cold Draw
Cedar, Cocoa, Earth, Leather, Light Spice
Since the cold draw is your first real introduction to any cigar, I’ve always found it to be an exciting moment. It lets you know if the stick is going to be bold and contradictory, or smooth and relaxing, with hints of seductive complexity. The cold draw also lets you know if you might be in for some burn issues. But the cold draw on the Cohiba Siglo VI is total perfection.
The Cohiba Siglo VI is well known to be a cigar-smoker’s cigar, one that’s slightly pungent, yet never overwhelming because the pungency is short-lived. Cedar is the first flavor that settles on your tongue, followed closely by some slightly pungent notes of cocoa and earth and worn leather. It finishes up with hints of light spice mingling into the mix.
So far, there don’t seem to be any indications that the Siglo VI will have burn issues. The construction appears flawless
First Third
Light Pepper, Coffee, Earth, Cedar, Creamy Vanilla, Sweet
The Cohiba Siglo VI is beautiful. The draw in the first third of this cigar really is perfect. The light spices from the cold draw have turned into notes of light pepper. These blend seamlessly (albeit a little surprisingly) into notes of coffee and earth and woodsy cedar. The first third of the Siglo VI ends with notes of creamy vanilla and a mild sweetness.
It’s flavorful and rich and complex, but at no point do you feel overpowered by it. The flavors mingle together seamlessly in your mouth, and the smoke feels smooth and slightly slick, and comes out in a nice cloud. The aroma is mildly sweet and woodsy, and actually has an almost bready smell, though I didn’t pick up any bready notes in the cold draw or while smoking it.
The Siglo VI starts out as a light to medium bodied cigar, but by the end of the first third, is definitely more of a solid medium body. The draw is still perfect by the end of the first third, which isn’t surprising, considering the Siglo VI’s incredible construction. The burn line is even and straight.
Second Third
Cedar, Creamy Vanilla, Light Spice, Pepper, Coffee, Leather, Sweet
Cohibas are known for their consistency. The Siglo VI starts the second third out pretty much where the first third ended. The cedar notes are still there, along with the creamy sweetness of the vanilla. Lights spices and hints of pepper start to come into play, but they never threaten to take over. In the background are still those earthy notes of coffee and leather, backed up by some mild sweetness.
The smoke from the Cohiba Siglo VI is still abundant and pleasantly aromatic. It leaves a nice natural tobacco taste in your mouth, and by the end of the second third, the Siglo VI has become a solidly medium bodied cigar. The burn is still perfect and the draw is flawless.
Final Third
Cedar, Vanilla, Nutmeg
It’s a well-known fact that no one likes great things to end. But it’s inevitable, and so we come to the final third of the Cohiba Siglo VI. The flavors have really built up by this time. The cedar is the backbone of this cigar, and has settled in as one of the predominant flavors to finish the smoke out. Next up is the vanilla, but it’s no longer very sweet. An interesting hint of nutmeg has also joined the mix.
This cigar remains a solidly medium-bodied smoke. Though it’s rich and intense, it still never overwhelms the palate, even by the end of the final third. The smoke changes though. It started out fairly thick and voluminous, but by the end, it seems almost airy. I’m not sure if this was particular to the one I was smoking, or if this is a trend among all the Siglo VI’s. It would be worth finding out. Even with the change in the smoke, the mouthfeel and aroma stay smooth and have that awesome tobacco-y feel and flavor, and the burn and draw remain perfect.
Summary
The Cohiba Siglo VI really is the epitome of what we imagine when we think of olden-days Cuba. It’s warm and smooth, rich and complex, yet never overwhelming or brash. The Siglo VI mixes woody notes like cedar seamlessly into more earthy, pungent notes of coffee and damp dirt and worn leather. Something so artful about this cigar is how those woody, earthy notes easily blend into light spices and pepper and then become sweet with vanilla and nutmeg. This combination makes for a sophisticated, yet approachable smoking experience.
The Siglo VI has a reputation of being one of, if not the best, Cuban cigars. Because each Cohiba Siglo VI is hand-rolled, you know that there’s been great attention to detail. This could also cause some flaws and defects in the overall construction, draw, and burn, but in my experience, it seemed to only add to the cigar’s overall quality.
Everyone is going to have their preferred time for smoking a cigar, but I feel like the Siglo VI really lends itself to a quiet, late afternoon smoke. Since this cigar stays medium bodied and never gets too intense, it doesn’t have that knock-you-on-your-ass nicotine punch that some do. I think this is what makes it perfect for those late afternoon moments when you want to sit and relax with your thoughts and still be able to go on with your day afterwards.
Pairing Notes
The Cohiba Siglo VI is smooth and subtle, classy and nuanced; everything about it is classically Cuban. So the trick for me was finding drinks that paired with it seamlessly without overpowering it. I wanted to find flavors and feelings that transported me to Cuba.
- Bruery Terreux’s Rhone Blanc (Imperial Sour Blonde Ale)
- Trappistes Rochefort 10 (Quad-style beer)
- IPA (or something else bitter)
- Stout
- Cognac
- Havana Club Union (what’s more Cuban than a top-quality rum)
- Espresso
- Tea
- Apple Juice
Cohiba Siglo VI History
Cohiba is the flagship brand of Habanos S.A. It was created in 1966 for Fidel Castro. He wanted a cigar created that would embody all that he loved about Cuba; something classy and sophisticated and exclusive, simultaneously smooth and aromatic. The Cohiba line grew out of this desire, and became the exclusive cigar to be presented as the official gift of the Cuban Communist Party to visiting Diplomats and Heads of State. In 1982, the Cohiba was finally approved to sell to the eagerly waiting public.
Cohiba cigars exclusively use tobacco grown in the Vuelta Abajo region of western Cuba. This area is known for its fertile soil and incredible tobacco. Cohiba is the only brand of cigar whose tobacco undergoes a third fermentation. This process adds an even better balance to the already incredible and unmistakable taste of each hand-rolled Cohiba.
The Cohiba Siglo VI made its debut on the world market in 2003. It’s fondly called the Canonazo in the factories, and at the time of its initial production, was thought of as the “fattest” Cohiba to ever be created.
The Siglo VI is timeless, and remains one of cigar smokers’ favorite Cubans.
