Stogie Reviews: Siglo Limited Reserve No. I
17 Mar 2010
I confess. I did with this brand exactly what your mother and Bo Diddley warned you never to do: judge by appearances. OK, if a Cuban brand owner had his business nationalized after the revolution, can you really fault him for using the same name and artwork on his new production in another country? He’s got a legitimate claim, right?
With Siglo, though, we’re talking about a Cuban brand that wasn’t on the market until the 1990s. So it’s hard to see anything at work here other than crass commercialism and hope for buyer confusion. (Then again, Sigl0-maker Altadis owns a share of the Cuban cigar company Habanos, which introduced the Cohiba Siglo line in 1992—not to be confused with the Dominican Cohibas made by Altadis competitor General Cigar.)
I had been ignoring this cigar, a practice that was reinforced by a number of poor reviews I’ve seen online. But a recent positive review on Doc Stogie’s podcast convinced me to give it a try.
I was pleasantly surprised. First, I have to say I’ve smoked only a couple of Cuban Siglos. From my memory, the Altadis version, said to have been blended under the direction of Frank Llaneza, tastes nothing like them.
That, however, doesn’t mean it is an unworthy smoke. In fact, it offers a winter-time size for those chilly days when you want a cigar but don’t want frostbite: the No. I (4.25 x 44). The even-smaller No. XXI is available in tins.
There are eight other vitolas in addition to a maduro line. According to Altadis’ website, the regular line features an Ecuadorian Cubano wrapper around and a Nicaraguan binder and a mix of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. Other sources have different information.
To be honest, though, what really makes this cigar stand out is the price. If you smoke several cigars a day or are looking for a cigar to enjoy when you’re doing something else, the Siglo is one to consider. It’s far better than a cheap yard-gar but only a bit more expensive. The No. I can be found for under $4, while the No. III, a 6.5-inch stick with a 44 ring gauge, runs around $5 or less.
While this is not a great cigar by any means, it isn’t one to totally ignore, either. I rate this stick three stogies out of five.
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photo credit: JR Cigar
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
Price is about the only thing that even makes this cigar noteworthy, imo. It had ok flavor,no real complexity, and I remember it had a very quick and dry finish which I wasn't the biggest fan of.
George is right though, for the price these are much better than most of the really cheap bundle type cigars.
I too was prejudiced against this cigar because of the name. Same goes for Dominican Cohibas. Last year I was given one of the Siglos at the local B&M and ended up smoking it 7 or 8 months later. It definitely exceeded my expectations.
Of course, I won't be buying any in the future simply because of the name.
I agree that the price is really the only thing going for this cigar. And I do think there are better options in that price range, particularly with a bit of shopping around.
I agree with Luke and mighty. The price is all that recommends this. I smoked a couple this summer and found they burned poorly and were harsh. I bought 3, smoked one. Tried another a couple of days later and pitched it after about the half way point. I didn't even smoke the third one-just threw it away.