Review of Cohiba Black Gigante (6"x60)

     First impressions.....difficult to light with a match, there's a lot of filler rolled up fairly tight, definitely need a torch to roast this stick properly.  Burn was a bit uneven for the first inch, looked like there may have been some slight voids causing issues near the end.  After that first inch, the burn improved dramatically and the smoke and draw was smooth and consistent.  As the session progressed, I found that the smoke stayed very consistent, and definitely letting you know there was plenty of dark leaf filler in there, full flavored yet not sour or tarry.  At the last bit of the session, the cigar quickly developed tar build-up which could not be flashed off for long.  About the time it got near where the band would be, the cigar let me know in no uncertain terms that the session was over.  The most surprising thing was how short the session was, total time was around 45-50 minutes.  For a cigar of that size, density, and darkness, I was really expecting closer to 90 minutes of smoking enjoyment.  Overall, it was a great cigar.  Not too strong and very consistent.  Was really surprised at how tame it was, the flavor was lighter than the Cohiba XV even though this cigar was larger and darker.

 Pricing: (7/10) Like all Cohibas, they tend to be a bit pricey compared to similar quality cigars.  I would definitely buy these by the box, at an average of $15/ea on a single stick basis, the $11/ea box price makes the pocketbook cringe a little less at the prospect of buying Cohibas.  Still, at $11/ea there is plenty of other cigars out there that are comparable and damn near half the cost.

 Flavor: (9/10) Unlike most Cohibas, this had a distinctly wonderful flavor without much buildup on the palate.  Could have easy paired this cigar with a Newcastle Ale or Boddingtons and been in no danger of either one overpowering the other.  A truly heavy cigar that doesn't require single-malt to scrub the palate.

 Construction: (9/10) Very well rolled, as stated previously there seemed to be some mild voids near the end, but overall it seemed top notch.  The density and shape were damn-near perfect.

 "Wheelchair Weed" Factor: (7.5/10) As stated previously, I was really expecting this one to be a "wrecking ball".  After 15+ years of smoking cigars I still occasionally find one that knocks me in the dirt, but this one was not in that category.  Smooth smoke that didn't make my head or stomach feel amiss.  Left me with a smile on my face and feeling sharp.