Cohíba Lancero 2000

Measures: 190 mm x 14 mm

Age: The cigar dates from year 2000 and came from a cardboard box of five.

Setting: Midsummer is quite literally a magical time in Finland. There is hardly any darkness: the sunset in Helsinki is around 11 PM and sunrise at 3:50 AM. The time between is a blend of evening and morning dusk, and on a clear night it is quite possible to, say, read through the night. (Reading, nevertheless, is not the first choice for spending the Midsummer eve night for most Finns.) Following ancient (and probably pagan) customs, the Midsummer eve is a time for celebration involving the lighting of bonfires and a bit of white magic: unmarried girls gather a bouquet of seven flowers during the night, and if they place it under their pillow, they can dream of their future fiancé. If they manage to get any sleep at all, that is: it is not uncommon for young people to celebrate through the entire night.

I too attended a bonfire party with my family. Of course, I was prepared to light a small fire myself. The occasion called for a special cigar, so I pulled a Cohíba Lanceros from my humidor where they had spent a few months in rest, waiting for a special occasion such as this.

The Lanceros is a cigar of almost mythical fame: the original Laguito product that once was only available to dignitaries as a gift from the Cuban government. Thus my expectations were high. Judging from the external appearance, this cigar reached even the highest requirements of what a flagship Habanos should be. It was clad in perfect colorado wrapper, and rolled with perfect workmanship. Year 2000 is supposed to be a less preferred vintage for Cuban cigars, so I was a bit concerned when I originally shopped for the cigar. The vendor nevertheless assured that these cigars are of highest quality, and that indeed proved to be the case: after cutting the signature pigtail cap, the draw (which had been my main concern) turned out to be ideally resistive.

I timed lighting the cigar in sync with the lighting of the bonfire. My bonfire started rather more eagerly. From the first pulls, I received a rich Cohíba flavour that reminded me of espresso with a dose of cream. The flavour was strong from the very start, with an aftertaste that seemed to last forever, and only became stronger as I continued smoking in bliss. Somewhere along the session, sweet spiciness entered the profile, always in perfect balance with the very wholesome creamy flavour. Although I was smoking outdoors in windy conditions, watching the bonfire, the sea, and the setting sun, the cigar burned perfectly, never requiring any further interventions from my part during the entire smoking session that lasted some 100 minutes.

My choice of a special cigar for a special moment turned out to be perfect. I found that the Lancero can live up to the high mythos that surrounds it. The experience of smoking it blended perfectly with the experience of witnessing the bonfire, the slowly setting sun, and the merry company of fellow Finns celebrating the apex of the long-awaited Summer that will so soon be past.