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Partagas 898 (Barnizados)
Size: 170 x 43 ? Dalia
Smoke time: 1hour 55mins
Box date: Unknown Source: El Catador
El Cat gave me this cigar in a MAW round last year, and to be honest it?s only the second 898 I?ve smoked and I?m a little anxious about reviewing it because I know just how revered this cigar is, get the review ?wrong? and I?ll be jumped-on by BOTL from every corner of the planet.
Appearance: A very handsome, solid looking cigar with an oily, toothy wrapper carrying a tracery of prominent veins. In fact the cigar appeared hewn from chocolate coloured marble rather than wrapped in tobacco leaf. Standard band ?A? (Text aligned) which indicates the cigar was 4 to 10 years old.
Construction: Deceptively heavy and nicely balanced, the cigar felt well packed along it?s entire length and was nicely yielding to the ?pinch? from the foot to head. The triple cap was perfectly applied, but on cutting the wrapper split and unravelled. I had to make a hasty Torcedor repair which delayed the review start by 15mins and meant that I had to be very careful with the wrapper and smoke from a little further up the barrel than I would otherwise like. (You can see the repair in some of the pics). The cold draw was perfect as would have been the smoking draw if not for the problem I?ve described. The burn was totally straight and never wandered. The very dark ash was crisp and compact and needed very little attention. One relight due more to me I think than the cigar. No corrections.
Flavour: The start was surprisingly light with citrus, wood and an amazing under taste almost like treacle. From then on there were no constants almost every puff was different, sometimes the citrus taste would have a lemon fizzyness to it, then it would be joined by aromatic woods and then those tastes to conjoin into something akin to un-sweetened marmalade on toast only to be replaced a ?Sugar Puffs? sweet wheatiness. The flavour and body of the first third I would catagorise as a perfect medium/medium, sweet, zesty and refreshing and perfectly balanced by dryer woodier notes. At rest the cigar appeared not to give out any smoke at all, but in the mouth it was soft, carryng an almost effervescent quality, if you could drink it, it would be a Champagne. Into the second third and everything before just got better and better. Green peppers and some light spicey almost ginger notes accompanied by sharp black pepper. Then suddenly from nowhere a taste passage like dark, luxury chocolate carrying with it a sour berry edge like blackberry or cranberry and then back into citrus and then into woods again and all without ever loosing sweetness or poise, just totally, totally delightful. In the last third the power increased and the flavours sensation was simply pure pleasure, imagine a less sweet Tunnocks wafer, chocolate and caramel and biscuit plus something with a sour, acidic bite served up in creamy smooth smoke. Freakin? amazing!
Overall: Just one brilliant tasteing cigar, the best and most enjoyable I?ve smoked this year. Magnificent. This cigar doesn?t progress ? that would be too easy too predictable ? instead it dances, it?s a total delight with a different taste or surprise in almost every velvet smooth puff. I?ve seen reviews in which the 898 production of the last decade or so is often criticised for lacking the power of the ?old time? Partagas. That may be true, but on this smoking I would argue that the cigar does not lack power and that anyone unwary enough will certainly notice it in the final third.
Marks. The Partagas now takes the lead with a 7.7. The mark would have been higher but I?ve had to dock a few points due to the construction issue and for me having to adjust my smoking style to nursemaid the cigar through the review.
Next up. Romeo y Julieta Cedros de Luxe No 1
Size: 170 x 43 ? Dalia
Smoke time: 1hour 55mins
Box date: Unknown Source: El Catador
El Cat gave me this cigar in a MAW round last year, and to be honest it?s only the second 898 I?ve smoked and I?m a little anxious about reviewing it because I know just how revered this cigar is, get the review ?wrong? and I?ll be jumped-on by BOTL from every corner of the planet.
Appearance: A very handsome, solid looking cigar with an oily, toothy wrapper carrying a tracery of prominent veins. In fact the cigar appeared hewn from chocolate coloured marble rather than wrapped in tobacco leaf. Standard band ?A? (Text aligned) which indicates the cigar was 4 to 10 years old.
Construction: Deceptively heavy and nicely balanced, the cigar felt well packed along it?s entire length and was nicely yielding to the ?pinch? from the foot to head. The triple cap was perfectly applied, but on cutting the wrapper split and unravelled. I had to make a hasty Torcedor repair which delayed the review start by 15mins and meant that I had to be very careful with the wrapper and smoke from a little further up the barrel than I would otherwise like. (You can see the repair in some of the pics). The cold draw was perfect as would have been the smoking draw if not for the problem I?ve described. The burn was totally straight and never wandered. The very dark ash was crisp and compact and needed very little attention. One relight due more to me I think than the cigar. No corrections.
Flavour: The start was surprisingly light with citrus, wood and an amazing under taste almost like treacle. From then on there were no constants almost every puff was different, sometimes the citrus taste would have a lemon fizzyness to it, then it would be joined by aromatic woods and then those tastes to conjoin into something akin to un-sweetened marmalade on toast only to be replaced a ?Sugar Puffs? sweet wheatiness. The flavour and body of the first third I would catagorise as a perfect medium/medium, sweet, zesty and refreshing and perfectly balanced by dryer woodier notes. At rest the cigar appeared not to give out any smoke at all, but in the mouth it was soft, carryng an almost effervescent quality, if you could drink it, it would be a Champagne. Into the second third and everything before just got better and better. Green peppers and some light spicey almost ginger notes accompanied by sharp black pepper. Then suddenly from nowhere a taste passage like dark, luxury chocolate carrying with it a sour berry edge like blackberry or cranberry and then back into citrus and then into woods again and all without ever loosing sweetness or poise, just totally, totally delightful. In the last third the power increased and the flavours sensation was simply pure pleasure, imagine a less sweet Tunnocks wafer, chocolate and caramel and biscuit plus something with a sour, acidic bite served up in creamy smooth smoke. Freakin? amazing!
Overall: Just one brilliant tasteing cigar, the best and most enjoyable I?ve smoked this year. Magnificent. This cigar doesn?t progress ? that would be too easy too predictable ? instead it dances, it?s a total delight with a different taste or surprise in almost every velvet smooth puff. I?ve seen reviews in which the 898 production of the last decade or so is often criticised for lacking the power of the ?old time? Partagas. That may be true, but on this smoking I would argue that the cigar does not lack power and that anyone unwary enough will certainly notice it in the final third.
Marks. The Partagas now takes the lead with a 7.7. The mark would have been higher but I?ve had to dock a few points due to the construction issue and for me having to adjust my smoking style to nursemaid the cigar through the review.
Next up. Romeo y Julieta Cedros de Luxe No 1
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