There are certain names in the cigar world that don't need much of an introduction. Cohiba is one of them. And when a new Cohiba lands in the humidor at Haskins Hideout Cigar and Bourbon Lounge, we're obviously going to smoke one. Strictly for research purposes, of course. We take this responsibility very seriously.
The Cohiba Serie M is now available in our walk-in humidor at Haskins Hideout Cigar and Bourbon Lounge, 100 W Main St. in Haskins, and this is a cigar with a little more personality and pedigree than your everyday smoke.
An American-Made Cohiba
What makes the Serie M particularly interesting is where it's made.
Unlike most cigars bearing the non-Cuban Cohiba name, Serie M is handcrafted in Miami's Little Havana at the El Titan de Bronze factory. This boutique operation has developed a reputation for old-school Cuban-style cigar making, with highly experienced rollers producing cigars in relatively small quantities. That makes Serie M an unusual animal in the Cohiba lineup. This isn't simply another Cohiba wearing a different band and asking you to admire it. It's a premium, small-production cigar with some legitimate craftsmanship behind it.
The Serie M is made entirely with Nicaraguan tobacco, including a Corojo wrapper that gives the cigar a beautiful, rich appearance. Construction is what you'd expect from a cigar carrying both the Cohiba name and the reputation of El Titan de Bronze. The roll feels substantial and refined, the wrapper is attractive and oily, and the cigar looks like it means business before you've even introduced it to a lighter.
Which, naturally, we recommend doing.
Lighting Up the Cohiba Serie M
Right from the start, Serie M lets you know this isn't intended to be a mild background cigar you forget you're smoking while watching television. There's flavor here. The opening delivers a combination of pepper, earth, cedar and toasted notes, with that Nicaraguan tobacco bringing some immediate spice into the equation. The pepper has enough presence to grab your attention without turning the first inch into some sort of macho endurance contest. Nobody should have to prove his toughness to a cigar.
As the smoke settles in, the Serie M becomes increasingly interesting. The initial spice begins working alongside deeper notes of wood, leather, roasted coffee and earth, with some natural sweetness appearing in the background.
There's also a creamy quality that helps round things out. That balance is important because there's plenty going on here. Serie M manages to deliver complexity without becoming muddled.
The smoke production is generous, the draw is satisfyingly open when properly cut, and good examples display the kind of burn and construction you expect from experienced hands in a boutique factory.
The Second Half Gets Even Better
One of the things we like about the Serie M is that it doesn't give away everything in the first ten minutes. As you move toward the middle of the cigar, the flavors deepen. The cedar and earth remain, but richer espresso, leather and darker toasted flavors begin showing themselves. The pepper continues hanging around, although it tends to integrate into the overall profile rather than dominating it. There's a subtle sweetness underneath everything that provides a nice counterpoint to the spice.
By the final third, you're dealing with a cigar firmly in the medium-to-full-bodied neighborhood, depending on your palate and smoking pace.
And speaking of pace, don't rush this one.
Smoking a premium cigar like you're trying to finish it before boarding Group 7 at the airport is a good way to turn an excellent cigar hot and bitter. Give the Serie M some time between draws and let the tobacco do what it's supposed to do.
Your patience will be rewarded.
What Should You Drink With It?
We're Haskins Hideout Cigar and Bourbon Lounge, so you probably knew where this conversation was eventually headed. Serie M practically begs for a good bourbon.
The cigar's combination of pepper, cedar, coffee, leather and underlying sweetness works beautifully with a bourbon carrying caramel, vanilla and oak characteristics. A richer Kentucky bourbon can stand comfortably beside the cigar without either one beating the other into submission.
If you're more adventurous, this is also a cigar worth trying alongside a rye. The additional spice from the whiskey can create a really interesting pairing with the Nicaraguan tobacco.
Fortunately, finding something appropriate isn't exactly a hardship at Haskins Hideout.
Our bar features one of the most extensive bourbon and spirits selections in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan, giving you plenty of opportunities to conduct your own pairing experiments.
Again, research.
We're basically scientists around here.
Smoke the Cohiba Serie M at the Hideout
The Cohiba Serie M is now available inside our climate-controlled walk-in cigar humidor, where we maintain our cigar selection under proper humidification so the cigar you purchase is ready to smoke the way its makers intended.
And you don't have to be a member to come check it out.
The general public is always welcome during retail hours to visit Haskins Hideout, shop our humidor, purchase premium cigars and enjoy a pour at the bar.
If you've never been inside the Hideout, fair warning. Your definition of "cigar lounge" may change a little.
We're talking oversized leather chairs that swivel, rock and recline, with heat, massage and induction phone charging. We've got large-screen TVs throughout the lounge, Ohio Lottery and Keno, retro pinball machines, electronic darts, Golden Tee, a Texas Hold'em poker table and a full-size golf simulator. Then there's our outdoor patio, which gives you another great place to settle in with a cigar when Northwest Ohio weather decides to cooperate.
Yes, we realize that's sometimes a fairly big ask.
Membership Takes the Hideout to Another Level
For people who really enjoy the Haskins Hideout experience, membership is where things get serious.
Members receive 24/7 access to the members-only lounge and outdoor patio, meaning the Hideout doesn't have to close just because normal retail hours are over. Depending on your membership level, benefits can include a private humidor locker with precision humidification and its own digital hydrometer, access to limited-production cigars and our extensive collection of lounge amenities.
During after-hours visits, members also have access to our endless beverage service with coffee and soda, our endless bourbon-ball ice maker and a humidified vending machine stocked with select cigars.
Single-Member, Standard and Corporate Membership options are available, with Corporate Membership providing a particularly interesting option for businesses looking for a unique place to entertain clients, reward employees or simply escape another conference room with fluorescent lighting and stale coffee.
There are meetings you have to attend.
Then there are meetings involving leather recliners, premium cigars and bourbon.
Choose wisely.
Our Take on the Cohiba Serie M
The Cohiba Serie M isn't trying to be an inexpensive everyday cigar, and that's really not the point.
You're getting a distinctive Cohiba made in Miami by a boutique factory known for traditional craftsmanship, using Nicaraguan tobacco to create a cigar with enough strength and complexity to keep an experienced smoker interested. Expect pepper, cedar, earth, leather, espresso, toast and subtle sweetness, with the profile developing nicely as the cigar progresses. If you're already a Cohiba fan, Serie M deserves a spot on your list. If you're normally skeptical about paying a premium for a famous cigar name, this one is still worth investigating because there's a compelling story behind what's inside the band.
And if you've never smoked one? Well, we just solved that problem.
The Cohiba Serie M is now in the humidor at Haskins Hideout Cigar and Bourbon Lounge, 100 W Main St., Haskins, Ohio. Stop in during retail hours, grab one from the humidor, find yourself an appropriate bourbon and settle into one of those heated massage chairs.
Just remember that eventually you have to go home.
Unless you're a member. Then, we don't care when you leave - that's up to you!
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