I always feel like a bit of an imposter when smoking a cigar with an MSRP of over $100. To be fully transparent, in 100% of these occasions the cigar was either gifted to me or submitted to the TNCC for review. The feeling is similar, I imagine, to the feeling I may have if yours truly won a raffle and was given the opportunity to drive a Ferrari for a day. Both situations offer a chance to experience something with a lofty price tag that I never would have tried otherwise, specifically if it involved me pulling out my own wallet. Although I can’t imagine a world where I’d look back at my time cruising around picking up hot babes in a Ferrari all day long as lackluster or disappointing. I recently told fellow TNCC member Tut about my “Ferrari Theory” and he took it a step further. Tut added that you should feel as though the entire experience (from the leather stitching on the seats to the ultrasnazzy gear shift) should be something that you have never experienced ANYTHING like before. If you can compare the interior of the Ferrari AT ALL to the interior of your Honda Civic – you should walk away from that free drive disappointed and unfulfilled.
1980’s television taught me many life lessons, including that chicks dig a guy with a Ferrari. That, that we know for certain.
I was once invited, in a roundabout way, to a Houston Astros home game by the then-owner of the team (Drayton McClane). I was instructed to go to a private terminal of the Hobby airport where a black SUV, with McClane himself behind the wheel, picked me up and away we went. Mr. McClane drove the car right up to the stadium where a security guard ushered us in through a VIP entrance to our seats directly behind home plate. Throughout the game, the billionaire sat to my right and filled my ears with knowledge: why the decision was made to go with a retractable roof when constructing the new ballpark, how much money teams lose annually to poor weather conditions (it was a shocking amount of dough), the intricacies of the player scouting process, etc. Oh, and every few innings I was encouraged to go to the private “snack bar” behind our seats for free beer, free hot dogs, free nachos, limitless free candy bars, you name it and they had at least three different varieties of it. I left that game fully buzzed and fully realizing that I would never be able to fully enjoy a baseball game from the cheap seats ever again. I had been momentarily spoiled, given a glimpse of how fucking cool an experience could really be. It was far different than getting bumped up to First Class on a flight for the first time, in that while you get to board the plane first and the hot towels are nice… it’s not a night and day experience from sitting in coach. Smoking a $150 cigar should be like watching a major league game alongside the team’s owner. Ideally it will be a once in a lifetime treat that doesn’t remind you of any previously smoked cigars whatsoever while smoking it. According to Tut, and I’m leaning towards agreeing with him on this one, a $150 cigar should deliver a smoking journey that you never dreamed possible and that cigar should deliver things that will truly blow your goddamn mind. Sounds exciting!
Way back in 2019, Tuesday Night Cigar Club celebrated our 100th episode by lighting up the most expensive cigar that we had ever featured on the podcast – the original Cohiba Spectre. Unfortunately, the table was not impressed as the elevated price tag along with the multinational blend elevated our expectations and at $90 for just an average stick… I haven’t gone back to watch that show but I vaguely remember several rounds of celebratory shots being served so I can only imagine that our opinions may have been unkind.
We love a good redemption story here in The Corner Of No Hope and I’m going in to tonight’s review with an open mind. Here’s what Cohiba brand ambassador Sean Williams has to say about this year’s Spectre release (the 5th release overall):
“Spectre has always been about pushing the limits of what’s possible. Rare tobaccos, flawless construction and packaging that is in a league of its own. This year, we’ve taken it even further. The blend is unlike anything we’ve done before, and the box is truly next level. This year’s Spectre is for those who appreciate the smoking experience as much as the cigar.”
THE CIGAR – SPECTRE 2024 by COHIBA
Size: 6 x 52
Wrapper: Connecticut (seven-year-old habano)
Binder: Mexican San Andrés
Filler: Mexican San Andrés, vuelta abajo, and Dominican Republic (Mao) criollo 98
Price: $150.00 (while these cigars were submitted by General Cigar Company for review, you can order your favorite Cohiba cigars right now from Famous Smoke Shop and save $20 off $100 using promo code TNCC20)
The thick, black, embossed band that surrounds the bulk of the cigar did not peel off easily from any of the samples we smoked for review. It takes some patience and a steady hand (you don’t want to risk damaging that expensive wrap leaf!) but once I finally removed the black band I realized that it begins underneath the Spectre’s primary band, so to fully remove the black band one must also take off the cigar’s main “Spectre” band. I personally don’t give a shit but the type of person who buys one of these more than likely wants the other people in the lounge to know it or at least take a few snaps of the $150 cigar for their social media. Did that sound judgey? If it did, that wasn’t my intent. The band issue isn’t anything that will influence the cigar’s final score, but a “once in a lifetime experience” shouldn’t start out with a head-scratcher.
The Spectre’s oily broadleaf wrapper is slick, both in appearance and texture. There are many visible veins running along the shaft
The Spectre’s cold draw is comprised of more brown sugar, some maple, and faint oak. Upon torching the foot, crisp white pepper introduces itself first and foremost through the nose. The draw is delivering flavors of woodsy oak followed by coffee grounds here early on. The smoke production is copious to the point of ridiculousness. So much so, as I watch the thick chewy gray smoke pour from both ends of the Spectre, I’m immediately reminded of the Liga Privada No. 9. More on that later…
Construction wise, the Spectre is performing very well. While one of the review samples did have a consistently wonky burn line that required attention, the others smoked perfectly all around. The medium-strength white pepper has been highly consistent, although a graphite note does begin to develop alongside of it in the middle third.
Right around the fifty yard line, something very interesting happens. A limoncello cake sensation appears just underneath the pepper spice just as a moist chocolate cake flavor rises up via the draw. See what I did there? Cake, rises… nobody in cigar media holds a candle to my pun wizardry. Get it? Candle… Anyhoo, these dueling dessert notes aren’t in fact dueling at all as everything in the Spectre’s flavor profile is working extremely well both individually and together as a whole.
The limoncello cake fades away just before the burn line reaches the band. I should mention that the primary band and remaining black band scraps peeled off effortlessly. Remember, way way back when I mentioned the Liga Privada No. 9? Well, as the moist chocolate cake and coffee grounds combination become solidified as the draw’s primary profile in the second half (the oak is now nearly buried) and the balance on display here with the retro’s consistent delivery of unwavering pepper… I’m reminded of the Liga 9 circa 2010. The Spectre 2024 is smoking eerily similar to the legendary Liga that started it all. Those first 4-5 years of Liga 9 production were nothing short of magical and it’s one of the cigars that absolutely pulled me into the world of premium cigars and never let me go. This Spectre is sparking up long lost memories of that time period for me so yes, obviously, that’s some fucking serious high praise.
THE NUB
TNCC FINAL SCORE = 92*
The Spectre 2024 is full bodied, balanced, and features some impressive transitions that keep things interesting from beginning to end. And I honestly didn’t want it to end. While the Spectre didn’t exactly give me the “Ferrari Experience”, it did give me the “DeLorean Experience”. This smoking journey took me back in time and it reminded me of the profile of one of my favorite cigars ever. Almost every aspect of the Spectre 2024 screams “EARLY LIGA 9!!!!” And that’s a very good thing. Whether reliving that moment is worth $2.34 per minute (that’s 59 cents per puff) is a decision that you and your financial planner will need to make together.
* Price only accounts for 0.05% of the TNCC’s Final Score. So how does one assign a score concerning pricing when a box of 10 equals a decent down payment on a new vehicle? It’s a component that’s factored in for a reason, I guess, so for those reading that are curious it took the Spectre 2024’s overall score down from a very high 93 to a very low 92.
** If you’re interested in a taste of the good life but at a fraction of the cost, I just received this email. You’re welcome.
