Tweet
I mentioned before Christmas, that I hoped to be smoking an eighty yo cigar & a couple of you asked me to let you know how it went.
First to thank C.A. for the chance to try this vintage stick, I have brought a few sticks in his sales before & have never been disappointed. I was a late buyer so you all have the chance to go for this. It seems there are more people willing to pay ?30-35 for a brand new stick, than a well aged one.
Anyway I wasn't expecting an earth shattering experience; I have had a few 70's, 60's & even a few Pre-Embargo smokes & they were all good, no dry cardboard taste, no powdered dust, no smelly cheese aroma.
SAM_0146.jpg
Apperance: Well the box was old & a little tatty as you can see from the pic. Guess 7 1/2 cents was a decent price in 1932. No official date on the box but inside a note from Oct 15th 1932 Havana, Cuba. 'Transilvania boat,' a visiting ship? This is were the suggested age comes from. I suspect this has been through several auctions perhaps with dimishing number of sticks inside, I had the last one.SAM_0016.jpg
The cigar was presented in very yellowed cellophane, with the band appearing on the outside of the celophane. I haven't noticed this before but perhaps it used to be common?
After removing the band & cellophane, the cigar was in good condition & had a slight give to a gentle squeeze. I cut the head with my palio & it came off cleanly. The pre-light draw was slightly easy & of course no problems were anticipated with a machine made.
Draw/ash/smoke: It lit easily & burned gently, without correction throughout, draw perfect. The ash was grey/white & the smoke medium in density & aroma.
SAM_0151.jpg
Flav: well the only surprising this for me was that there was any flav at all after 80yrs! Nothing fancy but a good clean tobacco flav that got a little stronger in the last third.
Accompanied by a couple of glasses of Demi-sec (as my host fav), I managed to make this last 45 -50mins, It was a classy smoke for such a humble unpretentious smoke.
SAM_0150.jpg
So the final question for me was it actually 80ys old? Now I ask this, without casting any doubt on C.A.'s integrity, I know he brought it & sold it in good faith, as no doubt the previous owner did too. When you buy at auction, the caveat 'buyer beware' is forever blazing in front of your eyes. So I took the chance & the answer is I don't know. I have no experience of pre-50's cigars, so have nothing to directly compare it too. I would say that it tasted very similar in flav & stength to an 80's H.Upmann Majestic. As it happens I also purchased a pr of 70's Majestics from C.A. so I'll try one of those shortly to do a more recent comparrison.
So in short this may well have been an 80-yo cigar or maybe not quite so old. If it was, it had certianly been looked after very well & carefully stored for all of it's life. The important point it that it was a really nice smoke & it started off a rare Christmas at home in a special way.
My next stick was a ERDM DT from '90, this was the better stick, but then I expected that & just one left in that box now, guess I'll save it for my next Christams at home, in '14. SAM_0158.jpgSAM_0159.jpg
First to thank C.A. for the chance to try this vintage stick, I have brought a few sticks in his sales before & have never been disappointed. I was a late buyer so you all have the chance to go for this. It seems there are more people willing to pay ?30-35 for a brand new stick, than a well aged one.
Anyway I wasn't expecting an earth shattering experience; I have had a few 70's, 60's & even a few Pre-Embargo smokes & they were all good, no dry cardboard taste, no powdered dust, no smelly cheese aroma.
SAM_0146.jpg
Apperance: Well the box was old & a little tatty as you can see from the pic. Guess 7 1/2 cents was a decent price in 1932. No official date on the box but inside a note from Oct 15th 1932 Havana, Cuba. 'Transilvania boat,' a visiting ship? This is were the suggested age comes from. I suspect this has been through several auctions perhaps with dimishing number of sticks inside, I had the last one.SAM_0016.jpg
The cigar was presented in very yellowed cellophane, with the band appearing on the outside of the celophane. I haven't noticed this before but perhaps it used to be common?
After removing the band & cellophane, the cigar was in good condition & had a slight give to a gentle squeeze. I cut the head with my palio & it came off cleanly. The pre-light draw was slightly easy & of course no problems were anticipated with a machine made.
Draw/ash/smoke: It lit easily & burned gently, without correction throughout, draw perfect. The ash was grey/white & the smoke medium in density & aroma.
SAM_0151.jpg
Flav: well the only surprising this for me was that there was any flav at all after 80yrs! Nothing fancy but a good clean tobacco flav that got a little stronger in the last third.
Accompanied by a couple of glasses of Demi-sec (as my host fav), I managed to make this last 45 -50mins, It was a classy smoke for such a humble unpretentious smoke.
SAM_0150.jpg
So the final question for me was it actually 80ys old? Now I ask this, without casting any doubt on C.A.'s integrity, I know he brought it & sold it in good faith, as no doubt the previous owner did too. When you buy at auction, the caveat 'buyer beware' is forever blazing in front of your eyes. So I took the chance & the answer is I don't know. I have no experience of pre-50's cigars, so have nothing to directly compare it too. I would say that it tasted very similar in flav & stength to an 80's H.Upmann Majestic. As it happens I also purchased a pr of 70's Majestics from C.A. so I'll try one of those shortly to do a more recent comparrison.
So in short this may well have been an 80-yo cigar or maybe not quite so old. If it was, it had certianly been looked after very well & carefully stored for all of it's life. The important point it that it was a really nice smoke & it started off a rare Christmas at home in a special way.
My next stick was a ERDM DT from '90, this was the better stick, but then I expected that & just one left in that box now, guess I'll save it for my next Christams at home, in '14. SAM_0158.jpgSAM_0159.jpg
Comment