So I decided to try one of these after almost a year since the last one. It’s always good to see how a cigar is developing, especially if you have aged them from the get-go. The wrapper was a beautiful Colorado color that had a nice sheen and an aroma of cedar and leather. It wasn’t as in depth as most Partagas cigars, but this is rather young.
The pre-light tasted of pure cedar and maybe an underlying profile of spice. After lighting the cigar and getting into the first 1/3, there was a slight cocoa taste with cedar being rather dominant. On the exhale through the nose, the smoke was spicy…white pepper in profile. These cigars seem to have gained a lot of strength in the past year. The flavor is also revealing some herbal nuances; kind of like bay leaves.
Now into the 2/3, the other flavors have taken a backseat and a lot of woodiness has come to the front. In my best Gary V impression, I would say that it was almost like I cut and oak tree in half, sprinkled pepper on it, and took a bite. Although, it seems to be mellowing out on the back end and giving off some underlying sweetness.
The final third is an intensified profile of the last-maybe slightly bitter. This will only refine with age. Not bad for a 2 year old custom. The ash held very well during the smoke and showed moderate combustion. You can see that by the white striations. There were no touch-ups need during the 1hr smoking time. These should be a great smoke in another 4-5 years. It’s a shame I only have 3 left.
two guys blogging about cigars and everything else that goes along with it.
