These cigars are part of the Dominican Partagas brand. Since 1991, only well-aged tobaccos have been used to create the Partagas Limited Reserve. This line was released in 2005 and was christened "Decadas", to represent the Cameroon wrappers that were aged for a decade that this line utilizes. Limited Reserve Decadas cigars feature a Cameroon wrapper that were aged in Spanish cedar for ten years before being rolled. The great cigar maker, Daniel Nunez was determined to produce a top-rate cigar, despite the obstacles and difficulties of doing so. The undertaking was complex, but his experience and determined talents helped to set this line of cigars high above the rest. The first Partagas Limited Reserve cigar was released in 1991. These limited edition cigars are famous not only for their low production amounts, but for their extremely superior construction. The filler’s tobacco leaves are carefully selected as only one in about every one hundred are placed in orderly lots to be aged. The distinct Cameroon wrappers used in the Partagas LR Decadas 2007 are also hand selected from the brand reserves. Only about three in every one thousand of the highest quality wrapper leaves makes the cut. The cigars and their components withstand a lengthened aging procedure in rooms constructed of premium Spanish cedar. The cigars are than vigilantly watched with every aspect of the process noted to determine which cigars are suitable to represent not only the brand, but the Limited Reserve line of cigars. In the end, those cigars that have passed the test of time and quality are placed in a handmade mahogany box with a certificate documenting its detailed aging journey. The name Decadas is derived from the Spanish word for decade, which represents the period of time their exquisite wrappers were aged. The original Partagas Limited Reserve(PLR) and the Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas(PLRD) are completely two different blends and cigar. The original PLR comes with the same wrapper but with Mexican binder and Dominican fillers but PLRD comes with Honduran binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan Ometepe fillers. Both are also different in tastes. I will review the Original PLR some other time.(source: various on-line publication and articles) Wrapper: Cameroon(10 years age from 1999 and released in 2005. That means until now it is a 13 years old aged wrapper
Binder: Honduran San Agustin
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan (Ometepe) The flavor profile is combination of fresh herbal, lemony, mild raisin, leathery, oak, anise, nutmeg, cocoa flavors. It has mild to medium body with top quality Cameroon's sweet and subtle spicy aroma. A delicate but super complex smoke, requires clean palate to enjoy the layers of flavors and aroma. This is elegant cigar, must for any Cameroon lover. There are very few excellent Cameroon cigars in the market. This one is one of my top five along with Partagas 150, 160, AF Hemingway, Partagas Limited Reserva IMPO. This cigar has perfect construction with flawless burn. One of those few cigars we can retrohale all the way from the start to finish. Without retrohale, it is very difficult to enjoy a vintage, fine cigar. This is where the cigar stand aside and declares it's superiority. It comes in a beautiful, sealed glass tube. Total twenty glass tubes line down in two rows inside a beautiful humidor. 1/3: Upon igniting the cigar releases fresh herbal, lemony flavor with sweet leathery and oak. It is moderately light smoke at this point but super smooth, subtle and round - sign of a aged cigar. the sweet, mild raisin like aroma is noticeable. The top of my tongue can feel the sweet, mild black pepper spiciness. The middle of my tongue is full of fresh herbal, lemony flavors with sweet leathery, oak. The back of my tongue has no aftertaste. During retrohale the sweet spiciness is more distinctive but without any harshness. The smoke is dry with aromatic woodiness. The cigar is mild but full of complexity with medium finish. 2/3: At this stage, the flavor open up with distinctive anise, nutmeg with more woodiness. The mild raisin like flavor mellowed out and taken over by more sweetness and aromatic flavors. The body is picking up to medium. The top of my tongue can feel more sweet spiciness. the middle of my tongue is full of anise, nutmeg, fresh herbal, lemony flavor with sweet leathery note. The back of my tongue is enjoying the aged tobacco sweet, super mild bitterness. A complete smooth, cool and dry smoke. I am retrohaling the cigar in each puff to enjoy the layers of complex flavors and aroma. The best part of this cigar is how to sweet, spiciness pick up step by step. At this stage the finish is long without any aftertaste...wow. Final/3: At this stage, the cigar is straight medium bodied and the flavor continue to evolve layers after layers. I am feeling the cocoa power aroma with above flavors and aroma profile. Little bit of roasted nuts crispness with a combination of sweet leathery note with more spiciness. The flavor is combination of 1/3, 2/3 flavor and aroma profile but still smooth, round and subtle. The top of my tongue can feel more spice. At this stage the cigar is medium to full with strong spiciness. The mouth is enjoying the sweet, crispy spiciness with tingly feeling. This is a very complex cigar and prefect for retrohale to enjoy the delicate flavors and aroma. one of the best aged Cameroon in the market.
Final thought: One of my top Cameroon cigar. This cigar is a fine example of a true vintage beauty. the classical layers and layers of complex flavor and aroma need to be enjoyed with clean palate in the morning as a first smoke. I wouldn't recommend any alcoholic drinks with it. The delicate, smooth taste should be enjoyed with a glass of water. Many smokers think powerful smoke means more and complex flavor but it is actually the opposite. A mild to medium smoke can be more pleasant to enjoy the full flavor and complexity of a cigar. If you want the proof of my statement please go for this cigar. I highly recommend to collect a box, age them and enjoy to celebrate a special moment.
The owner William C. Paley, known as ‘Little Bill’ to differentiate him from his father, was also the grandson of Harvey Williams Cushing, the noted Boston neurosurgeon and the father of brain surgery. Bill never knew the good doctor, as he had passed away in 1939. His middle name pays tribute to his Cushing ties. It is worth noting before going into the tobacco in Bill Paley’s DNA that his mother, Babe, was one of three (3) Cushing sisters, all of whom figured in ‘society’ for the longest time. Aunt Betsey, the middle sister, was wife of James Roosevelt, the son of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She later married John Hay Whitney, President Eisenhower’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Publisher of the International Herald Tribune, and a formidable society figure himself. The eldest sister, known as ‘Minnie’, was married to Vincent Astor. Bill Paley, the Paley of this story, had a few brushes with higher education before deciding it wasn’t for him. He joined the United States Army in 1968 and wound up being a Military Cinematographer in Vietnam. After his tour of duty there, the Army transferred him to duty at the Pentagon, where he began his unrequited love affair with the city of Washington, D.C. Currently, he is a philanthropists and involves with many charitable organizations based in Washington DC and NY. He also opened up the Samuel Paley park in NYC where cigar lovers can sit, relax and smoke a cigar. It is very difficult to smoke a cigar in an open area in the NYC now a days. I want to meet him someday when I am in DC area. I know the marketing manger of La Palina Courtney Smith and she informed me that the company will come up with more cigar lines but slowly. They want to stick with the core line to maintain the quality and the consistency. So far they only use to roll their cigars in two world famous factories Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubana factory of Danlí, Honduras and Graycliff in Bahama.[Source: Various on-line articles],br>
The cigar band is one the best in the market and very elegantly designed. The Ecuadorian wrapper has a rustic look but it smells sweet and earthy. This is one those few cigars - you look at it, want to touch it and then light up right away. It is straight a medium bodied cigar. I agree with Bill Paley’s view about a good cigar- "a cigar that delivers in flavors as opposed to strength." True to his word, this cigar is all about flavors than overpowering strength. The only issue with this cigar is the uneven burn during 1/3 mark which doesn't disturb the taste but little annoying. The draw is slightly loose as well. I don't know if it is a one time release or not but if they can fix this issue I would love this cigar even more. I have smoked couple boxes of this cigar and found the burn issue so it is fair to throw my personal observation about the problem. However, it terms of flavor, this is an excellent smoke. To my knowledge, the best in La Palina line along with Little Bill Ligero small torpedo. The flavor profile is unique because of the earthy, tea flavors. I am a tea drinker and love it in a cigar where most of the cigars deliver more of coffee kind of flavor and aroma. The flavor profile is combination of Chinese black Dian Hong(Golden Yunnan black tea), Sweet-spice pepper, cedar, processed sweet cherry, distinctive spiciness of cinnamon and cloves, Mild bitter-sweet chocolate flavors. Overall, it is an excellent cigar packed with tons of flavors and aroma with creamy, mouthful, round taste. It is truly a balanced cigar like some other Graycliff cigars rolled in Bahamas. In fact, this cigar was rolled in the Graycliff’s cigar factory. The construction and look is very much like the Graycliff double espresso. Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Factory: Graycliff in Bahamas 1/3: the cigar starts with good amount of smoke with pronounced earth, sweet, tea aroma. One of the best black tea in the world is Chinese Yunnan gold(Dian Hong). The flavor reminds me of that and I am loving it as a experienced tea lover. The sweetness has balanced kick of black pepper spicy notes. So pleasant to retrohale and enjoy the flavor and aroma. the best part of this cigar is how the sweet and pepper spice alternate to a cinnamon- clove like aromatic spiciness. This is where the cigar declares it's complexity with pronounced flavors and aroma, few cigars can deliver the complexity at the 1/3 mark. La Palnia deserve extra credit here for the magical touch. the top of my tongue is enjoying the pepper, cinnamon-clove complex spiciness, the middle of my tongue is enjoying the creamy, buttery, round texture with cherry sweetness. The back of my tongue has no aftertaste except a little earthy, sweet leathery notes. Wow! 2/3: The flavor of this cigar is very consistent as 1/3 mark. At this stage the cigar is picking up more spiciness with slight buttery caramel, butterscotch flavors. The flavor profile is blasted by another layer of creamy and smooth chocolate espresso and processed cherry flavors. The burn issue is completely gone with a razor sharp even burn. The flavor profile remain the same but alternate puff after puff with unique complexity. It is straight a smooth medium bodied cigar. the spicy, peppery, sweet, earthy elements are more pronounced at this stage. My mouth and tongue is enjoying the buttery and creamy texture with a mild bitter-sweet aged tobacco taste. Final/3: At this stage, the tea profile is taken over by mild coffee with cocoa powder note. The flavor profile is the combination of super complexity of 1/3 plus 2/3 marks. Again, few cigars can maintain this kind of continuous complexity and long finish. There is no burn issue at all. I am still retrohealing the cigar because I do not want to miss any background aroma and notes. The top of my tongue is full of balanced pepper, cinnamon-clove spiciness, the middle of my tongue is enjoy the above flavors and aroma with creamy and buttery texture, the back of my tongue is enjoying the mild sweet earthy, leathery, aged tobacco bitterness. I am in love. I am sad because I am almost at the end of the smoke but having hard time to say goodbye. I smoke the cigar down to the nub. The entire time of smoking the cigar was cool- perfect example of a good construction.
Final thoughts: I tried to smoke it as slow as possible to savor it's unique taste but the reality is there is always an end of a smoke. I believe this cigar was made for Bill Paley because the flavor profile represent his personal taste. It is packed with tons of flavors and aroma with medium strength. I do not hesitate to say, one of my top ten favorite non-Cuban cigar. few non-Cuban cigars are so aromatic like this one. Unfortunately, this cigar is not widely available but I will try to collect couple more boxes to age them. However, aging is not really necessary but the taste can be more mellow, subtle and round. the problem is I cannot live without smoking this cigar for so long. I smoked almost three boxes of this cigar within last six months and failed to age them longer. I highly recommend this cigar- especially for those smokers who enjoy more complex flavor and aroma than strength. La Palina holds a special corner in my heart.
Nice review as always Ripon. These have been staring me down the last couple times I've been in the B&M. They're a little pricey so I haven't pulled the trigger on them. Guess I should make a move and pick up a couple.
Thanks Andy...appreciate your kind words. I have some idea about your taste buds and I have a feeling you will like them. If they have a good stock please let me. I would like to have two boxes. I have one cigar left. Thanks as always.
amz1301:
Nice review as always Ripon. These have been staring me down the last couple
times I've been in the B&M. They're a little pricey so I haven't pulled the trigger on them. Guess I should make a move and pick up a couple.
Thanks Daniel...I am glad to know that you enjoy the thread. I am not a pro like many of you. I simply enjoy to share some of my cigar moments and feelings about my life with the BOTLs here. I appreciate your kind words.
danielzreyes:
When I see this thread up top, I'm like "yessssssss"
Camacho has been growing tobacco since the early 1900’s, the Eiroa family emigrated from Cuba in what they thought would be just for the summer of 1960, but they never returned. They began buying Honduras state tobacco farms and making them profitable through a series of innovative improvements and working until they now produce fine cigars at their own factories using tobacco grown in their own fields. The Eiroas, doing business as Caribe Imported Cigars, acquired the Camacho brand (founded in 1961 by Simon Camacho which produced the original Churchill cigar) in 1995, five years after Simon’s death. Camacho Cigars, currently a part of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, is still run by Julio’s son and president, Christian Camacho. Julio and Christian Eiroa remain convinced that it is the Authentic Corojo wrapper leaves that make the Camacho cigars soar above other Honduran cigars. The year was 2007 and it came time to celebrate something special: this was the year that commemorated the Eiora family for its ten years of growing the world’s only Authentic Corojo. Christian created this blend and it offers some unique flavors along with a beautiful presentation. There are 21 cigars in the beautiful looking box. At 2007 RTDA Convention, Camacho released the 10th Anniversary cigar with their original Corojo leaves. Camacho is the only family who got their original Corojo seeds directly from the Daniel Rodriquez, the grandson of Diego Rodriguez who inveted this seed in Cuba. I know it sounds little challenging but I verified this information with couple prominent cigar makers. [Source: Various books and on-line articles] Wrapper: Original Corojo from Honduras
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Fillers: Honduran Corojo
I have a lot of respect for Camacho brand because of their unique taste of original Corojo seeds, flavor and aroma. Camacho always stands aside tall and proud in the middle of many so-called Corojo seed cigars in the market. However, some of their cigars are simply plain. My favorite cigar from Camacho is this one- Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo 11/18 among with their liberty line from 2006 and 2007. I bought a box of this a year and half ago. I do not smoke this regularly but today I want to smoke one to see how much the taste has changed after a year and half aging. The cigar has a nice and smooth chocolate brown wrapper, unique torpedo shape and slightly boxed pressed. It feels good in hand. The wrapper has a nice sweet, earthy, raisin like smell. The flavor profile is a combination of sweet, spicy, toasty and creamy nuttiness, white pepper powder, light coffee, dry fruits flavors and aroma. the construction and burn is more than perfect with little loose draw in a good way. Overall, a good smoke and value cigar. I can't ask more from $12 cigar than this. 1/3: After lighting, the cigar releases a lot of smoke. The first thing is the sweet, spice notes. Within couple puffs, it taken over by toasted nuttiness with a hint to dry fruits, delicate wood and leathery note. Indeed, the cigar mellowed out a lot. I was checking my previous notes. The harshness is almost gone. I can only feel it when I retrohale the smoke. The top of my tongue can feel the noticeable white pepper spiciness, the middle of my tongue can feel the smooth, creamy texture with above flavors and note. the back of my tongue can feel the mild woodiness with a leathery background. Quiet a pleasant start. The cigar is straight medium with medium finish which is little disappointing. This is not a super complex cigar but very enjoyable. 2/3: Not much more than the 1/3 mark but I can feel mild coffee flavor and more spiciness but not overpowering at all. The sweet leathery flavor is more noticeable at this stage. I can completely retrohale the cigar now because it is very smooth and creamy. There is a wonderful nuttiness at this stage. I wasn't able to feel this a year and half ago. Still not super complex but the smoothness is allowing me to enjoy the flavors and aroma. I found sudden strike of complexity but go away very quickly with medium finish. The flavor pattern confuses me about this cigar to declare it as a complex cigar. However, I am really enjoying the smoke. It releases a lot of smoke and I am enjoying to deep my nose into the smoke. When we cook some dishes with white pepper, it does give the dish a mild, nutty kick which is very different than black pepper. I call it underlying spicy kick. This is what I am enjoying the most about this cigar. It is a unique feeling. I have to mention it here that the burn is more than perfect until now. Final/3: Now the cigar became more interesting with light coffee flavor with a background of milk chocolate. Yes, it is complex now. The 1/3 and 2/3 flavor profile combined with the new light coffee, milk chocolate background are all there layers after layers. Ummmm.....very nice. I wish this presence earlier. At this stage, the cigar is complex with long finish. The spice and strength is coming out with a Opus like raisin aroma but not intense as Opus. This is a great smoke. I can also detect a little bit of vanilla flavor. The top of my tongue is really enjoying the distinctive smooth white pepper spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the creamy texture of above all the flavors and aroma with long finish. The back of my tongue is clean with mild tobacco bitterness. I am thanking myself to pick up this cigar tonight. It has a great balanced strength with complex flavor and aroma at this stage. The mild tingly feeling inside my mouth is very pleasant and enjoyable.
Final thoughts: I would like to reserve my final thought about this cigar. It has great aging potential. Even after a year and half this cigar mellowed down with more complexity. I didn't detect the vanilla flavor before. It wasn't as smooth and complex as now. This is a full flavor cigar with medium complexity. Finally, I can not ask for more from a $12 cigar. I might buy a full box just to age it few years. Overall, a good smoke with great value.
I really enjoy your reviews. You have excellent taste and do a great job of putting to words the emotion and full experience. I also like your personal cigar business knowledge.
I really enjoy your reviews. You have excellent taste and do a great job of putting to words the emotion and full experience. I also like your personal cigar business knowledge.
Dennis and Todd, thanks for your kind words. Each fine smoke is a metaphysical journey to me. I let my heart and soul guide me in that world where I can hide myself from the reality.
BigT06:
dennisking:
I really enjoy your reviews. You have excellent taste and do a great job of putting to words the emotion and full experience. I also like your personal cigar business knowledge.
Excellent reviews and keep contributing sir. Always enjoy reading them. I wish I had your cigar budget, but your reviews are so involved I feel like I smoked the cigar myself.
I will echo blurr's comments.
It takes great talent to be able to write with such ability that the reader can get absorbed into the writing.
Again, thank you for sharing your talent with us.
The original Graycliff Cigar created by Master Torcedore Avelino Lara. This blend offers a medium strength full-bodied cigar, with a spicy finish. This is a true cigar for everyone from novice to aficionado. Blended from Nicaraguan, Honduran, Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Sumatra Wrapper) tobacco, these cigars are available in thirteen different sizes. Born in Havana on March 20, 1921, Lara worked in the cigar business all his life, he trained and mastered the art of a torcedore at a young age. Once Fidel Castro’s personal roller, Lara was famous for his creations at the El Laguito Factory outside of Havana, where he created blends for Cohiba and Davidoff, among others. In 1996 Lara having retired from El Laguito, moved to Nassau to roll cigars at Graycliff Restaurant. His cigars were such a success, that Graycliff officially began the Graycliff Cigar Company to sell and market the cigars.“With Avelino we had the idea of creating a cigar to sell in the restaurant to fuel my passion of finding the perfect cigar to complement our 5-star dining experience,” said Enrico Garzaroli, Chairman and founder of the Graycliff Cigar Company. “With him we created the award winning Graycliff Original blend, beating some of Avelino’s former Cuban cigar creations in blind tastings. He had a passion for his art that no one can replicate.” Although Lara retired from the Graycliff Cigar Company a few years ago, and returned to his native Havana, he was still very much in touch with the Graycliff Cigar Company product line. He sampled the new cigar blends and suggested modifications. “Avelino [who passed away in October 2009] will be sorely missed. Even though he was no longer present in the rolling room each day, the torcedores continue to refer to his passion, knowledge and his constant testing of their skills,” said Paolo Garzaroli, President and Co-Founder of the Graycliff Cigar Company. “I will personally miss his dedication to our company, his drive for perfection, and his many wisdoms which he shared with me.” Lara’s passion is continued at the Graycliff Cigar Company through his son, Abel, and the other torcedores. [Source: Graycliff website] Graycliff is a cigar people like or dislike. Both group of the smokers have plenty of valid reasons. In some extend I agree with both but tilted towards the like side. I do not smoke them regularly. The reason is when they moved some of their production in Nicaragua to expand their market, IMPO they compromised with quality. As always, few cigar makers can stick with the core line. However, I am still a fan of some of the original Graycliff line cigars like the Chateau Grand Cru, Crystal, Emerald, Espresso, Original. Though they still use the name of Avelino Lara but the original core line rolls in Bahama were blended by Lara. Rest of the cigars are blended by some other blenders. This is the point where I become a member of the dislike group. To be honest, I do not like any new line from the Graycliff except the Crystal Edicion Limitada. The cigar I am smoking today is from 2007 release. The cigar is not overwhelmingly complex but it is complex enough to remain stay in my once in while smoke list. The full flavored profile is pretty impressive with combination of cedar, raising, vanilla, roasted peanuts, cocoa, black pepper, earth, little bit of mild caramel. The smoke is pretty dense, creamy, round and mouthful with perfect burn. Overall, it is a good cigar.
Wrapper : Costa Rican Corojo
Binder : Ecuadorian Criollo
Filler : Costa Rica/Nicaragua/Honduras 1/3: The first puff starts with tons of cedar, earthy, raisin, sweet flavors. The mild black pepper kick is classic. The top of my tongue is clearly enjoying the mild black pepper, the middle of my tongue is full of creamy, smooth, mouthful texture and enjoying the sweet raisin, earthy flavors and aroma. The roasted peanut flavor is at the background but I can feel it is coming forward. The back of my tongue has no aftertaste at all. This is a very good start. The creamy, smoothness of this cigar is the best part at this stage. Not complex yet but the medium tingly finish is very pleasant. 2/3: At this stage the cigar is complex with 1/3 flavor profile. The roasted peanut flavor is more noticeable and the sweet vanilla flavor is more dominant. The cocoa flavor is joining to the flavor profile. The cigar is medium but climbing towards full bodied sometime but not getting there. It has a Cuban cigar like complexity without the distinctive Cuban aromatic flavors. The top of my tongue is full of smooth black pepper power, the middle of my tongue is enjoying the round, mouthful, dense smoke, all the above flavors and aroma are there with distinctive vanilla and nuttiness. This is very enjoyable. Still no aftertaste at the back of my tongue. The five years aging did the magic. The sweet earthy background is simply splendid. This is the reason why Chateau Grand Cru is my favorite Graycliff. The reason I said it is not overwhelmingly complex at the beginning because it lacks long finish at this stage. A great cigar should have long finish at this stage with a slight aged tobacco sweet, earthy bitterness which is a good thing though we do not like the word bitter. In the morning when we drink orange juice, we like the background bitter taste because it help us to enjoy the sweet and sour crispiness at the back of our tongue. Final/3: The cigar is full bodied at this stage and complex. If there was a word beyond smooth, I could have used the term now. The cigar is full flavored, very complex with long finish. The reason, I said overall the cigar is not overly complex because it missed this feeling at the 2/3 stage. I love this cigar at this stage. The top of my tongue is full of smooth black pepper power, middle of my tongue can feel 1/3 and 2/3 flavors and aroma profile with mild caramel flavor. This is a new flavor added at this stage. The middle of my tongue is simply enjoying the thick, creamy texture- wow. The back of my tongue can feel the super mild bitterness. Hey, sweetheart where have you been at the 2/3 mark? I am so sad I am almost at the end of the smoke. Please don't go, stay with me little longer. I have been enjoying your smooth touch. Can you hug me little longer? No, she can't because the reality is the time is over. She left without giving me the chance to say I was in love with her at the final/3 mark. My entire mouth is full of creamy, spicy tingling feeling.
Final thoughts: This is a fantastic smoke but wish my final/3 moment could have lasted little longer and stared at the 2/3 mark. If you can give it 4-5 years of aging then this cigar is worth every single penny. Graycliff and legendary blender Avelino Lara did a great job with this blend. It will remain in my top 20 cigar list.
Launched by Habano S.A. in Cannes October 2009 as part of the Travel Retail Series. This elegant jar comprises 25 Petit Piramides, a vitola whose dimensions (5 X 50) are considered a trendy size nowadays. This brand stands out for its unique flavour and character, its high quality standards at every stage and a brand image that happily combines tradition, modernity and class thus building up a trend for years to come. All the flavour of Partagas locked in this small yet powerful smoke allowing the brand lovers to feel the absolute Partagas taste. The Series Lines from Partagas have become a guide due to the recognition of Serie D No 4 and the well-known pyramid: the Serie P No 2. Without a doubt, an excellent gift to the devotee smokers of the brand in a seductive presentation to satisfy the most demanding tastes. The 25 Petite Pyramids were packed in a beautiful shiny black Ceramic Jar that is made of Bone China Porcelain.[source: Casa Del Habano and other publications] The cigar is a small pyramid. The wrapper is light brown with little noticeable vain and slight oily glaze. It smells like woody, hay, sweet, mild earthy, milk chocolaty with perfect construction and burn. It has balanced peppery spiciness with creamy texture. The flavor profile is combination of woody, vanilla, milk chocolate, typical Cuban aromatic dry fruits, nutmeg, cinnamon with nice bitter-sweet-spiciness. The smoke is smooth and creamy but not smooth enough for my palate. It is a very complex cigar but still missing some aging. Specially in 1/3 I felt the noticeable young tobacco aroma. However, it is a complex cigar with long finish. It is a power smoke from the start. Straight full flavored with medium to full bodied.
Wrapper: Cuba Binder: Cuba Filler: Cuba 1/3: The cigar started with power and open up with thick smoke. With first puff, my mouth is coated with sharp spicy, rich vanilla, cedar, hay, mild earthy sweetness. The Cuban aromatic fruity aroma is very rich and noticeable. The top of my tongue can feel the black pepper, the middle of my tongue can feel the creamy, smooth texture with above flavors and aroma. The back of my tongue can feel the bitter-sweet tobacco in the background. I feel the hints of young tobacco(but no harshness) but it doesn’t affect the pleasure of smoking. The clear sign of a good Cuban beauty. 2/3: The sharp spiciness is mellowed out at this stage and taken over with sweet-balanced peppery spiciness. The cigar is very rich, smooth and round. The flavor profile has all the above elements but added with more distinctive aromatic fruity, nutmeg, cinnamon, mild clove flavors and aroma. The milk chocolate vanilla come forward with 1/3 mark flavors and aroma. The flavor is so complex and rich that I did not feel to retro hale. My mouth is full of above flavors and aroma with creamy, smooth, thick, round texture. I have no negative things to say about this cigar at this stage. The cigar is medium-full bodied with long finish. Final/3: The cigar started to roar with strength at this stage- full bodied with great complexity. I am getting some coffee notes with little roasted nuttiness. The smoke is richer- the flavor and aroma profile becoming more complex. The top of my tongue can feel the sweet spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the smooth, round, mouthful 1/3, 2/3 marks flavors and aroma. The smoke is very intense, flavorful, complex with long finish and strength. Great smoke.
Final thoughts: This is one damn good smoke. My only complain is the young tobacco smell and the small size. This cigar will simply get better with aging. I am definitely going to add this to my “Project aging cigar”. I really enjoyed this cigar. I just received the jar this morning and couldn’t stop myself to light it up right away. I enjoyed it more than Partagas P 2 or D series. I wish I could have smoked it little longer.
Ok, I drooled on that review. I just couldn't help it. LOL!
Partagas seems to be one that people either like or don't like. Never understood that. But I like them.
The owner William C. Paley, known as ‘Little Bill’ to differentiate him from his father, was also the grandson of Harvey Williams Cushing, the noted Boston neurosurgeon and the father of brain surgery. Bill never knew the good doctor, as he had passed away in 1939. His middle name pays tribute to his Cushing ties. It is worth noting before going into the tobacco in Bill Paley’s DNA that his mother, Babe, was one of three (3) Cushing sisters, all of whom figured in ‘society’ for the longest time. Aunt Betsey, the middle sister, was wife of James Roosevelt, the son of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She later married John Hay Whitney, President Eisenhower’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Publisher of the International Herald Tribune, and a formidable society figure himself. The eldest sister, known as ‘Minnie’, was married to Vincent Astor. Bill Paley, the Paley of this story, had a few brushes with higher education before deciding it wasn’t for him. He joined the United States Army in 1968 and wound up being a Military Cinematographer in Vietnam. After his tour of duty there, the Army transferred him to duty at the Pentagon, where he began his unrequited love affair with the city of Washington, D.C. Currently, he is a philanthropists and involves with many charitable organizations based in Washington DC and NY. He also opened up the Samuel Paley park in NYC where cigar lovers can sit, relax and smoke a cigar. It is very difficult to smoke a cigar in an open area in the NYC now a days. I want to meet him someday when I am in DC area. I know the marketing manger of La Palina Courtney Smith and she informed me that the company will come up with more cigar lines but slowly. They want to stick with the core line to maintain the quality and the consistency. So far they only use to roll their cigars in two world famous factories Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubana factory of Danlí, Honduras and Graycliff in Bahama.[Source: Various on-line articles] The cigar has beautiful dark brown, smooth, aromatic and velvety wrapper. It smells sweet, aromatic with slight woodiness. It is packed with aged ligeros. I heard there are 5-6 types of aged leaves in the blend from Honduras and Nicaragua. A week ago, I reviewed the La Palina 1896 but this one is quiet different than that. Little Bill is more balanced in sweet-spiciness. 1896 has more tea note but the Little Bill(LB) has distinctive espresso-cocoa power note, 1986 has more peppery spiciness but the LB has more delicate sweet-spiciness, Both are super smooth but LB has more sweet-smoothness. Overall, LB's flavor profile is heavily dominated with aromatic rich sweetness from the start to finish. The flavor profile is a combination of sweet-spicy, vanilla, espresso, cocoa, dry fruits, cardamom, cream, toasty, caramel flavors and aroma with crispy, clean clove kinda perfume spiciness. The cigar is perfectly constructed and didn't even touch once with burn. It has 100% perfect draw and burn. Straight medium bodied with super complexity. Only Davidoff can make such a smooth and complex cigar with so much ligero. I can only compare this cigar with Zino Davidoff Crown series. Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua 1/3: The first couple puffs starts with strong sweet-spiciness but mellow down quickly with clean, sweet spiciness. the top of my tongue can feel clean, delicate clove kinda sweet-spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the creamy, smooth texture with aromatic dry fruits, cocoa power, vanilla flavors and aroma. The back of my tongue is clean with slight sweet aged tobacco bitterness. I love it. This kind of start makes me very happy. I can feel the sweet-spiciness on my lips!!! What a promising start. 2/3: The clove kinda sweet-spiciness mellowed out and taken over by aromatic rich spiciness. This is the true concept of complexity- the spiciness has three different layers. The flavors and complexity reminds of Cuban San Cristobal La Habana petit corona. The flavor profile has everything from the 1/3 but added with cocoa powder, cardamom powder, caramel coated pecan like flavor and aroma. The layers of flavor and aromas are superb. The spiciness is in the background but the sweet espresso note is coming forward. The finish is very long and my entire mouth is full of complex, aromatic flavors. the top of my tongue can feel very delicate sweet-spiciness, the middle of my tongue is full of creamy texture with 1/3 and 2/3 marks flavors and aroma. The back of my tongue has some woody, aged tobacco mild bitter-sweetness. This cigar is all about sweetness with long finish. Final/3: The intensity of this cigar is astonishing. All the flavors and aroma from 1/3 and 2/3 marks are there but added some toasty, crispness at this stage. The clove kinda spiciness is gone and taken over by clean sweet-spiciness. Talking about complexity- this is another example. The aromatic fruitiness is so intense, I feel like smoking a vanilla-fruit cake. I can feel more strength at this stage. the cardamom flavor is forward with more sweetness. if you ever drink Starbucks sweet eggnog latte, the body is like that in the middle of my tongue. The top of my tongue has a spicy tingly feeling. My mouth is full of cream. My lips are literally sweet. I never licked my lips so much during a smoke. The flavor profile didn't loose anything from the 1/3, 2/3 marks. I am almost at the end. I smoked the cigar until I could hold on to the nub. I burned my finger tips. It is very hard to say goodbye to such a sensational experience like Little Bill.
Final thoughts: This cigar is extremely complex with long finish and medium strength. I retrohale all the way because I couldn't have enough of this little cigar. I smoked boxes of 1896 and some Little Bill but I can declare that I like little Bill more than 1896. This cigar is worth every single penny.
Without quoting the entire thing, Reviews like THIS are why I started doing them in the first place. You make me want to go seek this cigar and smoke a few. Fantastic review man.
Thanks Tony and Robert, I know the entire embargo thing doesn't make any sense not only for cigar but what have we achieved last 50 years from it? However, a good Cuban cigar is always a fine smoke. I am glad to live outside the U.S.
Roberto99:
Great review! Those smaller cigars can leave one wanting more! Damn I wish the US would get it's head out of it's a$$ and end the cuba embargo.
Thanks Spence for your kind words. Why did you stop reviewing? You don't have to tell me, just curious.
Hayblet:
Without quoting the entire thing, Reviews like THIS are why I started doing them in the first place. You make me want to go seek this cigar and smoke a few. Fantastic review man.
Partially cause I would only have time to have a cigar not sit and do out my process of doing a review then the 2 or so hours to get it posted (I get distracted easily) Also the site is down, or was last I looked, just haven't gone freelance yet, if I could figure how to post pics from my phone without having to connect it to my computer it would sorta help" That sounded better in my mind, a lot of it was just life happening and I dunno I enjoyed doing reviews of random sticks I had, when I was getting samples and HAD to do reviews that sorta took the fun out of it a little.
On occasion Padron manufactures a special release to commemorate a significant family date or event. In 2000, a celebration of the Millennium was marked with a limited production of 1,000 cases of 100 individually and sequentially numbered cigars. Today, there are no cases available with the exception of Padron family’s personal collection(Source: Padron website) These cigars were rolled in 1999 and released in the year 2000 and aged 5 years before that. Until today, they are 18 years aged. Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Special Millennium blend Good looking and boxed pressed, the wrapper is dark brown chocolate color, toothy, slight veiny, no oil present. I am not surprised because of 18 years of aging. It feels good in hand. The cigar smells dry cedar, mild chocolate with a hint of caramel. The band is beautiful and numbered 002130. The cigar is extremely well constructed without any glitch. The flavor profile is dominated by sweet dark chocolate, creamy espresso, hazelnut, dark French roast style coffee, super mild peppery background, cedar, molasses with a hint of refined sweet caramel. It seemed extremely mellow out, completely smooth, it has a wonderful aged tobacco sweet- bitterness at the background which I enjoy from a aged cigar. It burns very well with smooth-sweetness and complexity. The ash is semi-white. It delivered perfect draw. This is a dream cigar specially for those who enjoy aged cigar with flavor, aroma, mellowness and complexity as opposed to the strength. This is straight a medium bodied cigar. There is no presence of ammonia at all or even a slight harshness. How many cigars can be so smooth like this? It is something like drinking natural sweet spring water after a long hike. I smoked it very slowly because I wanted to relax and enjoy the cigar. I neglected the time and wanted the time to wait for me. I did not allow the time to control me. The cigar and me were against the world during the smoke. 1/3: It starts with very mild pepper, sweet dark chocolate, creamy espresso flavor and aroma. Within few puffs the mild peppery note goes to the background. Talking about quick complexity. The top of my tongue feels the quick peppery note but disappear to back right away. The middle of my tongue feels the sweet dark chocolate, cedar, creamy espresso flavor and aroma. Interestingly the creaminess is not heavy or thick. It is kinda medium creamy with dry sweetness. The back of my tongue is clean without any aftertaste except slight and short lasted mild peppery kick. Reminds me of some aged Cuban cigars. 2/3: The cigar is picking up some strength with more complexity. The above flavor profile is fully present with little more sweet and spiciness. The sweetness added with some caramel flavor- close to vanilla flavored molasses. Some of us describe it as sweet-creamy, vanilla, espresso coffee with caramel flavor. The cigar is completely smooth. It is so mellow that sometime it is difficult to detect the quick change in complexity. However, the distinctive hazelnut and dark French style roast coffee flavor came out at this stage. The top of my tongue is really enjoying the mild sweet-spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the medium bodied thickness with above flavors and aroma. The sweet-dry cedar and hazelnut flavors are dancing. It comes and go with different strength in each puff. The tingly feeling inside my mouth is very pleasant. Taking about complexity. However, I was expecting long finish but the finish is medium to long. The back of the tongue is really enjoying the aged tobacco clean sweet-bitterness. Until now, I am retrohaling the cigar and it is simply amazing smoking experience. The complex smoothness of cigar is for retrohale to enjoy the background flavor and aroma of this cigar. This is the perfect example why some people cherish aged cigars and spend hundred and thousands of dollar in the auction. The ultimate joy of a cigars is hidden in the aging process. Of course not all the cigars perform well with aging but Padron does, specially their limited released cigars. Final/3: At this stage, the cigar picked up little more strength but still medium bodied. During retrohale I am getting more distinctive black pepper spiciness but with the background of dry sweetness- very enjoyable feeling. Interestingly, the complete flavor profile of 1/3 and 2/3 is present. Few cigars can hold the flavor and aroma for this long and can add more flavors. I am also detecting some creamy moca flavor with a touch of mild clove, cinnamon and peach fruitiness. Wow! I rarely give cigars a score but this one will get 97 in my taste scale. This cigar stayed sweet throughout the smoke with ever changing complexity. At this stage the cigar has long finish. I just wish this long finish was present at the 2/3 stage. Still medium bodied.
Final thought: It is another beautiful light rainy day with clear sky in Managua. My heart and soul is full of joy. I took two hours and forty five minutes to smoke this gem. Finally, I beat the time without any rush. I love this cigar. This is one of the top three non- Cuban cigar in my list. I have to get some more if I can. Life is too short not to smoke a cigar like this. It is a luxuriant experience. This cigar puts me in a bliss approaching cigar nirvana.
Note: I dedicate this review to one of our great BOTL- Tony.
Wow Rip, excellent, just excellent discription of that cigar. I have one and have yet to smoke it. I don't remember who sent t.My mouth is drooling right now. I was not thinking of smoking it just yet. But after your report on it. Im anxious, love the review and thanks.
While I was reviewing it I was thinking of you because you really missed me. I dedicate the Padron Millennium review to your name Tony. BOTL like you inspire me to review cigars. Please see the note at the end of the review. Have a great day brother!!!
I appreciate your kind words. I am very curious to know about your thought after you smoke it. Please let me know.
RCY Cigars:
Wow Rip, excellent, just excellent discription of that cigar. I have one and have yet to smoke it. I don't remember who sent t.My mouth is drooling right now. I was not thinking of smoking it just yet. But after your report on it. Im anxious, love the review and thanks.
While I was reviewing it I was thinking of you because you really missed me. I dedicate the Padron Millennium review to your name Tony. BOTL like you inspire me to review cigars. Please see the note at the end of the review. Have a great day brother!!!
Awesome! Thanks Rip!
Seriously, when you put all that together into a book, let me know. I wanna be one of the first to purchase it. You've really made my day.
The Ediciones Limitadas- Limited Editions- of Habanos are characterized by vitolas that do not appear in the usual range of the brand portfolio, and which are distinguished by a careful selection of their leaves - wrapper, filler and binder- which have been aged for a period of at least 2 years. The dark wrapper dressing these Habanos coming from the top leaves of the Tapado – shade grown black Cuban tobacco plant- is another characteristic that identifies them. Cohiba 1966 (6 1/2 inches long by 52 ring gauge). This Edición Limitada commemorates the 45th anniversary of Cohiba, the flagship brand of Habanos, with an unique format specially selected for this occasion. These 10 Habanos have been made totally by hand using a selection of tobacco leaves from the plantations of San Juan y Martínez and San Luis in the Vuelta Abajo zone, Cuba, aged for a minimum of two years. This Edición Limitada 2011 has been produced in very small quantities. All the Habanos were made by expert rollers of Cuba in order to create this exquisite Habano for the most distinguished smokers.[Source: Casa Del Habano] Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Fillers: Cuba(two years aged) The cigar looks solid and very well constructed. The wrapper is dark and smooth with no imperfection. The wrapper is very oily and veinless. It has a beautiful pigtail that finishes off the cap of the cigar. It feels heavy in hand and the wrapper has a sweet, grassy, earthy scents. The pre- light draw is firm but not tight at all. A perfect looking cigar and hard not to get excited to smoke. The flavor profile is combination of sweet, spicy, earthy, woody, slight salty, chocolate, espresso coffee and toasted peanuts. Stared with little uneven draw but catches up quickly. I felt the presence of ammonia which tell me this cigar needs more rest. I do not enjoy tingly harness feeling in my throat. The cigar is extremely rich, complex and round but hasn't mellowed out yet. It does need more rest and maturity. It has a wonderful creaminess with thick smoke, mouthful feeling which I enjoy in a cigar. 1/3: With first puff, I am immediately greeted with signature Cuban aromatic light fruity flavor with a strong hint of hay and damp earthy note. It has a white peppery finish at the background. despite two years aged tobacco, I can still feel the young tobacco in it. After the half inch, the cigar gets together and settles with a complex, round flavor. It is interesting to see how this cigar gathered its complex flavor profile at this stage. The top of my tongue can feel the white pepper spiciness, the middle of my tongue can feel the round creaminess with espresso, woody, salty, chocolaty flavor and aroma. It doesn't have the as usual strong Cuban aromatic fruity flavor at this stage. The back of my tongue can feel slight harshness, bitter of young tobacco element. I can retrohale but the mild harshness is bothering me. Overall, it is still getting there. 2/3: The cigar acts better at this stage. The flavor gets stronger and picking up more strength but still medium. A nice round, sweet espresso kinda creaminess surrounds the flavor and aroma profile. It is very interesting to observe that how the sweet, creaminess shield has been locked a complex flavor in it. It is not an as usual Cohiba cigar. The middle of my tongue is working more dominantly than the top and back of my tongue. It is very interesting how this cigar's rich complex flavor and aroma is working in my mouth. I am little confused at this moment. It has a long, rich finish with toasted peanut element. The flavor profile is dominated with sweet, coffee notes. The signature Cuban aromatic fruitiness is at the back. I am definitely enjoying the complexity but at the same time having hard time to break into the detail of flavor and aroma profile for the creamy shield around it. Sometime, it is very difficult to express feelings. I apologize for that. Final/3: At this stage, the cigar picks up more strength- somewhere from medium to full with distinctive woody, earthy, strong chocolate, hay, bean kinda flavor and aroma. I can detect the Cuban aromatic fruity background aroma more clearly. This is definitely very different than any other Cohiba cigar. The complexity and finish is different. It gives me the impression that the blender did something different with this cigar. It is extremely enjoyable at this stage. I can retrohale but the mild harshness is still there. I do not like this element of this cigar. The top of my tongue feels the bite of white pepper, the middle of my tongue can feel the thick, creaminess with above 1/3, 2/3 flavor and aroma but it is dominated by toasty, nutty creaminess. The best part of the cigar is the complexity, creaminess and the long finish. The back of my tongue feels the young tobacco element the entire time of smoking.
Final thought: The characteristic and the rich complexity of this cigar is excellent. The draw is nearly perfect, the burn is also good but this cigar needs resting. It has huge aging potential. This cigar was rolled for the experienced smoker who can detect and break down layers and layers of flavor and aroma. In a nutshell, it is not ready to smoke to enjoy its full complexity. I wish Cohiba could have waited few more years to release it. It is way too young. I got a box of ten and going to set aside for my aging project. I will simply forget about it at least for one more year. In the future, this 2011 Limited Edition cigar will be more desirable then Behike. The aging potential and quality of this cigar is unquestionable. It is very different than any other top line Cohiba. At this moment it is impossible to take a final stand about this young, rich and complex cigar.
Comments
The owner William C. Paley, known as ‘Little Bill’ to differentiate him from his father, was also the grandson of Harvey Williams Cushing, the noted Boston neurosurgeon and the father of brain surgery. Bill never knew the good doctor, as he had passed away in 1939. His middle name pays tribute to his Cushing ties. It is worth noting before going into the tobacco in Bill Paley’s DNA that his mother, Babe, was one of three (3) Cushing sisters, all of whom figured in ‘society’ for the longest time. Aunt Betsey, the middle sister, was wife of James Roosevelt, the son of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She later married John Hay Whitney, President Eisenhower’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Publisher of the International Herald Tribune, and a formidable society figure himself. The eldest sister, known as ‘Minnie’, was married to Vincent Astor. Bill Paley, the Paley of this story, had a few brushes with higher education before deciding it wasn’t for him. He joined the United States Army in 1968 and wound up being a Military Cinematographer in Vietnam. After his tour of duty there, the Army transferred him to duty at the Pentagon, where he began his unrequited love affair with the city of Washington, D.C. Currently, he is a philanthropists and involves with many charitable organizations based in Washington DC and NY. He also opened up the Samuel Paley park in NYC where cigar lovers can sit, relax and smoke a cigar. It is very difficult to smoke a cigar in an open area in the NYC now a days. I want to meet him someday when I am in DC area. I know the marketing manger of La Palina Courtney Smith and she informed me that the company will come up with more cigar lines but slowly. They want to stick with the core line to maintain the quality and the consistency. So far they only use to roll their cigars in two world famous factories Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubana factory of Danlí, Honduras and Graycliff in Bahama.[Source: Various on-line articles],br>
The cigar band is one the best in the market and very elegantly designed. The Ecuadorian wrapper has a rustic look but it smells sweet and earthy. This is one those few cigars - you look at it, want to touch it and then light up right away. It is straight a medium bodied cigar. I agree with Bill Paley’s view about a good cigar- "a cigar that delivers in flavors as opposed to strength." True to his word, this cigar is all about flavors than overpowering strength. The only issue with this cigar is the uneven burn during 1/3 mark which doesn't disturb the taste but little annoying. The draw is slightly loose as well. I don't know if it is a one time release or not but if they can fix this issue I would love this cigar even more. I have smoked couple boxes of this cigar and found the burn issue so it is fair to throw my personal observation about the problem. However, it terms of flavor, this is an excellent smoke. To my knowledge, the best in La Palina line along with Little Bill Ligero small torpedo. The flavor profile is unique because of the earthy, tea flavors. I am a tea drinker and love it in a cigar where most of the cigars deliver more of coffee kind of flavor and aroma. The flavor profile is combination of Chinese black Dian Hong(Golden Yunnan black tea), Sweet-spice pepper, cedar, processed sweet cherry, distinctive spiciness of cinnamon and cloves, Mild bitter-sweet chocolate flavors. Overall, it is an excellent cigar packed with tons of flavors and aroma with creamy, mouthful, round taste. It is truly a balanced cigar like some other Graycliff cigars rolled in Bahamas. In fact, this cigar was rolled in the Graycliff’s cigar factory. The construction and look is very much like the Graycliff double espresso.
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Factory: Graycliff in Bahamas
1/3: the cigar starts with good amount of smoke with pronounced earth, sweet, tea aroma. One of the best black tea in the world is Chinese Yunnan gold(Dian Hong). The flavor reminds me of that and I am loving it as a experienced tea lover. The sweetness has balanced kick of black pepper spicy notes. So pleasant to retrohale and enjoy the flavor and aroma. the best part of this cigar is how the sweet and pepper spice alternate to a cinnamon- clove like aromatic spiciness. This is where the cigar declares it's complexity with pronounced flavors and aroma, few cigars can deliver the complexity at the 1/3 mark. La Palnia deserve extra credit here for the magical touch. the top of my tongue is enjoying the pepper, cinnamon-clove complex spiciness, the middle of my tongue is enjoying the creamy, buttery, round texture with cherry sweetness. The back of my tongue has no aftertaste except a little earthy, sweet leathery notes. Wow!
2/3: The flavor of this cigar is very consistent as 1/3 mark. At this stage the cigar is picking up more spiciness with slight buttery caramel, butterscotch flavors. The flavor profile is blasted by another layer of creamy and smooth chocolate espresso and processed cherry flavors. The burn issue is completely gone with a razor sharp even burn. The flavor profile remain the same but alternate puff after puff with unique complexity. It is straight a smooth medium bodied cigar. the spicy, peppery, sweet, earthy elements are more pronounced at this stage. My mouth and tongue is enjoying the buttery and creamy texture with a mild bitter-sweet aged tobacco taste.
Final/3: At this stage, the tea profile is taken over by mild coffee with cocoa powder note. The flavor profile is the combination of super complexity of 1/3 plus 2/3 marks. Again, few cigars can maintain this kind of continuous complexity and long finish. There is no burn issue at all. I am still retrohealing the cigar because I do not want to miss any background aroma and notes. The top of my tongue is full of balanced pepper, cinnamon-clove spiciness, the middle of my tongue is enjoy the above flavors and aroma with creamy and buttery texture, the back of my tongue is enjoying the mild sweet earthy, leathery, aged tobacco bitterness. I am in love. I am sad because I am almost at the end of the smoke but having hard time to say goodbye. I smoke the cigar down to the nub. The entire time of smoking the cigar was cool- perfect example of a good construction.
Final thoughts: I tried to smoke it as slow as possible to savor it's unique taste but the reality is there is always an end of a smoke. I believe this cigar was made for Bill Paley because the flavor profile represent his personal taste. It is packed with tons of flavors and aroma with medium strength. I do not hesitate to say, one of my top ten favorite non-Cuban cigar. few non-Cuban cigars are so aromatic like this one. Unfortunately, this cigar is not widely available but I will try to collect couple more boxes to age them. However, aging is not really necessary but the taste can be more mellow, subtle and round. the problem is I cannot live without smoking this cigar for so long. I smoked almost three boxes of this cigar within last six months and failed to age them longer. I highly recommend this cigar- especially for those smokers who enjoy more complex flavor and aroma than strength. La Palina holds a special corner in my heart.
Camacho has been growing tobacco since the early 1900’s, the Eiroa family emigrated from Cuba in what they thought would be just for the summer of 1960, but they never returned. They began buying Honduras state tobacco farms and making them profitable through a series of innovative improvements and working until they now produce fine cigars at their own factories using tobacco grown in their own fields. The Eiroas, doing business as Caribe Imported Cigars, acquired the Camacho brand (founded in 1961 by Simon Camacho which produced the original Churchill cigar) in 1995, five years after Simon’s death. Camacho Cigars, currently a part of the Oettinger Davidoff Group, is still run by Julio’s son and president, Christian Camacho. Julio and Christian Eiroa remain convinced that it is the Authentic Corojo wrapper leaves that make the Camacho cigars soar above other Honduran cigars.
The year was 2007 and it came time to celebrate something special: this was the year that commemorated the Eiora family for its ten years of growing the world’s only Authentic Corojo. Christian created this blend and it offers some unique flavors along with a beautiful presentation. There are 21 cigars in the beautiful looking box. At 2007 RTDA Convention, Camacho released the 10th Anniversary cigar with their original Corojo leaves. Camacho is the only family who got their original Corojo seeds directly from the Daniel Rodriquez, the grandson of Diego Rodriguez who inveted this seed in Cuba. I know it sounds little challenging but I verified this information with couple prominent cigar makers. [Source: Various books and on-line articles]
Wrapper: Original Corojo from Honduras
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Fillers: Honduran Corojo
I have a lot of respect for Camacho brand because of their unique taste of original Corojo seeds, flavor and aroma. Camacho always stands aside tall and proud in the middle of many so-called Corojo seed cigars in the market. However, some of their cigars are simply plain. My favorite cigar from Camacho is this one- Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo 11/18 among with their liberty line from 2006 and 2007. I bought a box of this a year and half ago. I do not smoke this regularly but today I want to smoke one to see how much the taste has changed after a year and half aging. The cigar has a nice and smooth chocolate brown wrapper, unique torpedo shape and slightly boxed pressed. It feels good in hand. The wrapper has a nice sweet, earthy, raisin like smell. The flavor profile is a combination of sweet, spicy, toasty and creamy nuttiness, white pepper powder, light coffee, dry fruits flavors and aroma. the construction and burn is more than perfect with little loose draw in a good way. Overall, a good smoke and value cigar. I can't ask more from $12 cigar than this.
1/3: After lighting, the cigar releases a lot of smoke. The first thing is the sweet, spice notes. Within couple puffs, it taken over by toasted nuttiness with a hint to dry fruits, delicate wood and leathery note. Indeed, the cigar mellowed out a lot. I was checking my previous notes. The harshness is almost gone. I can only feel it when I retrohale the smoke. The top of my tongue can feel the noticeable white pepper spiciness, the middle of my tongue can feel the smooth, creamy texture with above flavors and note. the back of my tongue can feel the mild woodiness with a leathery background. Quiet a pleasant start. The cigar is straight medium with medium finish which is little disappointing. This is not a super complex cigar but very enjoyable.
2/3: Not much more than the 1/3 mark but I can feel mild coffee flavor and more spiciness but not overpowering at all. The sweet leathery flavor is more noticeable at this stage. I can completely retrohale the cigar now because it is very smooth and creamy. There is a wonderful nuttiness at this stage. I wasn't able to feel this a year and half ago. Still not super complex but the smoothness is allowing me to enjoy the flavors and aroma. I found sudden strike of complexity but go away very quickly with medium finish. The flavor pattern confuses me about this cigar to declare it as a complex cigar. However, I am really enjoying the smoke. It releases a lot of smoke and I am enjoying to deep my nose into the smoke. When we cook some dishes with white pepper, it does give the dish a mild, nutty kick which is very different than black pepper. I call it underlying spicy kick. This is what I am enjoying the most about this cigar. It is a unique feeling. I have to mention it here that the burn is more than perfect until now.
Final/3: Now the cigar became more interesting with light coffee flavor with a background of milk chocolate. Yes, it is complex now. The 1/3 and 2/3 flavor profile combined with the new light coffee, milk chocolate background are all there layers after layers. Ummmm.....very nice. I wish this presence earlier. At this stage, the cigar is complex with long finish. The spice and strength is coming out with a Opus like raisin aroma but not intense as Opus. This is a great smoke. I can also detect a little bit of vanilla flavor. The top of my tongue is really enjoying the distinctive smooth white pepper spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the creamy texture of above all the flavors and aroma with long finish. The back of my tongue is clean with mild tobacco bitterness. I am thanking myself to pick up this cigar tonight. It has a great balanced strength with complex flavor and aroma at this stage. The mild tingly feeling inside my mouth is very pleasant and enjoyable.
Final thoughts: I would like to reserve my final thought about this cigar. It has great aging potential. Even after a year and half this cigar mellowed down with more complexity. I didn't detect the vanilla flavor before. It wasn't as smooth and complex as now. This is a full flavor cigar with medium complexity. Finally, I can not ask for more from a $12 cigar. I might buy a full box just to age it few years. Overall, a good smoke with great value.
It takes great talent to be able to write with such ability that the reader can get absorbed into the writing.
Again, thank you for sharing your talent with us.
The original Graycliff Cigar created by Master Torcedore Avelino Lara. This blend offers a medium strength full-bodied cigar, with a spicy finish. This is a true cigar for everyone from novice to aficionado. Blended from Nicaraguan, Honduran, Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Sumatra Wrapper) tobacco, these cigars are available in thirteen different sizes. Born in Havana on March 20, 1921, Lara worked in the cigar business all his life, he trained and mastered the art of a torcedore at a young age. Once Fidel Castro’s personal roller, Lara was famous for his creations at the El Laguito Factory outside of Havana, where he created blends for Cohiba and Davidoff, among others. In 1996 Lara having retired from El Laguito, moved to Nassau to roll cigars at Graycliff Restaurant. His cigars were such a success, that Graycliff officially began the Graycliff Cigar Company to sell and market the cigars.“With Avelino we had the idea of creating a cigar to sell in the restaurant to fuel my passion of finding the perfect cigar to complement our 5-star dining experience,” said Enrico Garzaroli, Chairman and founder of the Graycliff Cigar Company. “With him we created the award winning Graycliff Original blend, beating some of Avelino’s former Cuban cigar creations in blind tastings. He had a passion for his art that no one can replicate.” Although Lara retired from the Graycliff Cigar Company a few years ago, and returned to his native Havana, he was still very much in touch with the Graycliff Cigar Company product line. He sampled the new cigar blends and suggested modifications. “Avelino [who passed away in October 2009] will be sorely missed. Even though he was no longer present in the rolling room each day, the torcedores continue to refer to his passion, knowledge and his constant testing of their skills,” said Paolo Garzaroli, President and Co-Founder of the Graycliff Cigar Company. “I will personally miss his dedication to our company, his drive for perfection, and his many wisdoms which he shared with me.” Lara’s passion is continued at the Graycliff Cigar Company through his son, Abel, and the other torcedores. [Source: Graycliff website]
Graycliff is a cigar people like or dislike. Both group of the smokers have plenty of valid reasons. In some extend I agree with both but tilted towards the like side. I do not smoke them regularly. The reason is when they moved some of their production in Nicaragua to expand their market, IMPO they compromised with quality. As always, few cigar makers can stick with the core line. However, I am still a fan of some of the original Graycliff line cigars like the Chateau Grand Cru, Crystal, Emerald, Espresso, Original. Though they still use the name of Avelino Lara but the original core line rolls in Bahama were blended by Lara. Rest of the cigars are blended by some other blenders. This is the point where I become a member of the dislike group. To be honest, I do not like any new line from the Graycliff except the Crystal Edicion Limitada. The cigar I am smoking today is from 2007 release.
The cigar is not overwhelmingly complex but it is complex enough to remain stay in my once in while smoke list. The full flavored profile is pretty impressive with combination of cedar, raising, vanilla, roasted peanuts, cocoa, black pepper, earth, little bit of mild caramel. The smoke is pretty dense, creamy, round and mouthful with perfect burn. Overall, it is a good cigar.
Wrapper : Costa Rican Corojo
Binder : Ecuadorian Criollo
Filler : Costa Rica/Nicaragua/Honduras
1/3: The first puff starts with tons of cedar, earthy, raisin, sweet flavors. The mild black pepper kick is classic. The top of my tongue is clearly enjoying the mild black pepper, the middle of my tongue is full of creamy, smooth, mouthful texture and enjoying the sweet raisin, earthy flavors and aroma. The roasted peanut flavor is at the background but I can feel it is coming forward. The back of my tongue has no aftertaste at all. This is a very good start. The creamy, smoothness of this cigar is the best part at this stage. Not complex yet but the medium tingly finish is very pleasant.
2/3: At this stage the cigar is complex with 1/3 flavor profile. The roasted peanut flavor is more noticeable and the sweet vanilla flavor is more dominant. The cocoa flavor is joining to the flavor profile. The cigar is medium but climbing towards full bodied sometime but not getting there. It has a Cuban cigar like complexity without the distinctive Cuban aromatic flavors. The top of my tongue is full of smooth black pepper power, the middle of my tongue is enjoying the round, mouthful, dense smoke, all the above flavors and aroma are there with distinctive vanilla and nuttiness. This is very enjoyable. Still no aftertaste at the back of my tongue. The five years aging did the magic. The sweet earthy background is simply splendid. This is the reason why Chateau Grand Cru is my favorite Graycliff. The reason I said it is not overwhelmingly complex at the beginning because it lacks long finish at this stage. A great cigar should have long finish at this stage with a slight aged tobacco sweet, earthy bitterness which is a good thing though we do not like the word bitter. In the morning when we drink orange juice, we like the background bitter taste because it help us to enjoy the sweet and sour crispiness at the back of our tongue.
Final/3: The cigar is full bodied at this stage and complex. If there was a word beyond smooth, I could have used the term now. The cigar is full flavored, very complex with long finish. The reason, I said overall the cigar is not overly complex because it missed this feeling at the 2/3 stage. I love this cigar at this stage. The top of my tongue is full of smooth black pepper power, middle of my tongue can feel 1/3 and 2/3 flavors and aroma profile with mild caramel flavor. This is a new flavor added at this stage. The middle of my tongue is simply enjoying the thick, creamy texture- wow. The back of my tongue can feel the super mild bitterness. Hey, sweetheart where have you been at the 2/3 mark? I am so sad I am almost at the end of the smoke. Please don't go, stay with me little longer. I have been enjoying your smooth touch. Can you hug me little longer? No, she can't because the reality is the time is over. She left without giving me the chance to say I was in love with her at the final/3 mark. My entire mouth is full of creamy, spicy tingling feeling.
Final thoughts: This is a fantastic smoke but wish my final/3 moment could have lasted little longer and stared at the 2/3 mark. If you can give it 4-5 years of aging then this cigar is worth every single penny. Graycliff and legendary blender Avelino Lara did a great job with this blend. It will remain in my top 20 cigar list.
Launched by Habano S.A. in Cannes October 2009 as part of the Travel Retail Series. This elegant jar comprises 25 Petit Piramides, a vitola whose dimensions (5 X 50) are considered a trendy size nowadays. This brand stands out for its unique flavour and character, its high quality standards at every stage and a brand image that happily combines tradition, modernity and class thus building up a trend for years to come. All the flavour of Partagas locked in this small yet powerful smoke allowing the brand lovers to feel the absolute Partagas taste. The Series Lines from Partagas have become a guide due to the recognition of Serie D No 4 and the well-known pyramid: the Serie P No 2. Without a doubt, an excellent gift to the devotee smokers of the brand in a seductive presentation to satisfy the most demanding tastes. The 25 Petite Pyramids were packed in a beautiful shiny black Ceramic Jar that is made of Bone China Porcelain.[source: Casa Del Habano and other publications]
The cigar is a small pyramid. The wrapper is light brown with little noticeable vain and slight oily glaze. It smells like woody, hay, sweet, mild earthy, milk chocolaty with perfect construction and burn. It has balanced peppery spiciness with creamy texture. The flavor profile is combination of woody, vanilla, milk chocolate, typical Cuban aromatic dry fruits, nutmeg, cinnamon with nice bitter-sweet-spiciness. The smoke is smooth and creamy but not smooth enough for my palate. It is a very complex cigar but still missing some aging. Specially in 1/3 I felt the noticeable young tobacco aroma. However, it is a complex cigar with long finish. It is a power smoke from the start. Straight full flavored with medium to full bodied.
Wrapper: Cuba Binder: Cuba Filler: Cuba
1/3: The cigar started with power and open up with thick smoke. With first puff, my mouth is coated with sharp spicy, rich vanilla, cedar, hay, mild earthy sweetness. The Cuban aromatic fruity aroma is very rich and noticeable. The top of my tongue can feel the black pepper, the middle of my tongue can feel the creamy, smooth texture with above flavors and aroma. The back of my tongue can feel the bitter-sweet tobacco in the background. I feel the hints of young tobacco(but no harshness) but it doesn’t affect the pleasure of smoking. The clear sign of a good Cuban beauty.
2/3: The sharp spiciness is mellowed out at this stage and taken over with sweet-balanced peppery spiciness. The cigar is very rich, smooth and round. The flavor profile has all the above elements but added with more distinctive aromatic fruity, nutmeg, cinnamon, mild clove flavors and aroma. The milk chocolate vanilla come forward with 1/3 mark flavors and aroma. The flavor is so complex and rich that I did not feel to retro hale. My mouth is full of above flavors and aroma with creamy, smooth, thick, round texture. I have no negative things to say about this cigar at this stage. The cigar is medium-full bodied with long finish.
Final/3: The cigar started to roar with strength at this stage- full bodied with great complexity. I am getting some coffee notes with little roasted nuttiness. The smoke is richer- the flavor and aroma profile becoming more complex. The top of my tongue can feel the sweet spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the smooth, round, mouthful 1/3, 2/3 marks flavors and aroma. The smoke is very intense, flavorful, complex with long finish and strength. Great smoke.
Final thoughts: This is one damn good smoke. My only complain is the young tobacco smell and the small size. This cigar will simply get better with aging. I am definitely going to add this to my “Project aging cigar”. I really enjoyed this cigar. I just received the jar this morning and couldn’t stop myself to light it up right away. I enjoyed it more than Partagas P 2 or D series. I wish I could have smoked it little longer.
Partagas seems to be one that people either like or don't like. Never understood that. But I like them.
The owner William C. Paley, known as ‘Little Bill’ to differentiate him from his father, was also the grandson of Harvey Williams Cushing, the noted Boston neurosurgeon and the father of brain surgery. Bill never knew the good doctor, as he had passed away in 1939. His middle name pays tribute to his Cushing ties. It is worth noting before going into the tobacco in Bill Paley’s DNA that his mother, Babe, was one of three (3) Cushing sisters, all of whom figured in ‘society’ for the longest time. Aunt Betsey, the middle sister, was wife of James Roosevelt, the son of Eleanor and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She later married John Hay Whitney, President Eisenhower’s Ambassador to Great Britain, Publisher of the International Herald Tribune, and a formidable society figure himself. The eldest sister, known as ‘Minnie’, was married to Vincent Astor. Bill Paley, the Paley of this story, had a few brushes with higher education before deciding it wasn’t for him. He joined the United States Army in 1968 and wound up being a Military Cinematographer in Vietnam. After his tour of duty there, the Army transferred him to duty at the Pentagon, where he began his unrequited love affair with the city of Washington, D.C. Currently, he is a philanthropists and involves with many charitable organizations based in Washington DC and NY. He also opened up the Samuel Paley park in NYC where cigar lovers can sit, relax and smoke a cigar. It is very difficult to smoke a cigar in an open area in the NYC now a days. I want to meet him someday when I am in DC area. I know the marketing manger of La Palina Courtney Smith and she informed me that the company will come up with more cigar lines but slowly. They want to stick with the core line to maintain the quality and the consistency. So far they only use to roll their cigars in two world famous factories Fabrica de Tabacos Raices Cubana factory of Danlí, Honduras and Graycliff in Bahama.[Source: Various on-line articles]
The cigar has beautiful dark brown, smooth, aromatic and velvety wrapper. It smells sweet, aromatic with slight woodiness. It is packed with aged ligeros. I heard there are 5-6 types of aged leaves in the blend from Honduras and Nicaragua. A week ago, I reviewed the La Palina 1896 but this one is quiet different than that. Little Bill is more balanced in sweet-spiciness. 1896 has more tea note but the Little Bill(LB) has distinctive espresso-cocoa power note, 1986 has more peppery spiciness but the LB has more delicate sweet-spiciness, Both are super smooth but LB has more sweet-smoothness. Overall, LB's flavor profile is heavily dominated with aromatic rich sweetness from the start to finish. The flavor profile is a combination of sweet-spicy, vanilla, espresso, cocoa, dry fruits, cardamom, cream, toasty, caramel flavors and aroma with crispy, clean clove kinda perfume spiciness. The cigar is perfectly constructed and didn't even touch once with burn. It has 100% perfect draw and burn. Straight medium bodied with super complexity. Only Davidoff can make such a smooth and complex cigar with so much ligero. I can only compare this cigar with Zino Davidoff Crown series.
Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
1/3: The first couple puffs starts with strong sweet-spiciness but mellow down quickly with clean, sweet spiciness. the top of my tongue can feel clean, delicate clove kinda sweet-spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the creamy, smooth texture with aromatic dry fruits, cocoa power, vanilla flavors and aroma. The back of my tongue is clean with slight sweet aged tobacco bitterness. I love it. This kind of start makes me very happy. I can feel the sweet-spiciness on my lips!!! What a promising start.
2/3: The clove kinda sweet-spiciness mellowed out and taken over by aromatic rich spiciness. This is the true concept of complexity- the spiciness has three different layers. The flavors and complexity reminds of Cuban San Cristobal La Habana petit corona. The flavor profile has everything from the 1/3 but added with cocoa powder, cardamom powder, caramel coated pecan like flavor and aroma. The layers of flavor and aromas are superb. The spiciness is in the background but the sweet espresso note is coming forward. The finish is very long and my entire mouth is full of complex, aromatic flavors. the top of my tongue can feel very delicate sweet-spiciness, the middle of my tongue is full of creamy texture with 1/3 and 2/3 marks flavors and aroma. The back of my tongue has some woody, aged tobacco mild bitter-sweetness. This cigar is all about sweetness with long finish.
Final/3: The intensity of this cigar is astonishing. All the flavors and aroma from 1/3 and 2/3 marks are there but added some toasty, crispness at this stage. The clove kinda spiciness is gone and taken over by clean sweet-spiciness. Talking about complexity- this is another example. The aromatic fruitiness is so intense, I feel like smoking a vanilla-fruit cake. I can feel more strength at this stage. the cardamom flavor is forward with more sweetness. if you ever drink Starbucks sweet eggnog latte, the body is like that in the middle of my tongue. The top of my tongue has a spicy tingly feeling. My mouth is full of cream. My lips are literally sweet. I never licked my lips so much during a smoke. The flavor profile didn't loose anything from the 1/3, 2/3 marks. I am almost at the end. I smoked the cigar until I could hold on to the nub. I burned my finger tips. It is very hard to say goodbye to such a sensational experience like Little Bill.
Final thoughts: This cigar is extremely complex with long finish and medium strength. I retrohale all the way because I couldn't have enough of this little cigar. I smoked boxes of 1896 and some Little Bill but I can declare that I like little Bill more than 1896. This cigar is worth every single penny.
On occasion Padron manufactures a special release to commemorate a significant family date or event. In 2000, a celebration of the Millennium was marked with a limited production of 1,000 cases of 100 individually and sequentially numbered cigars. Today, there are no cases available with the exception of Padron family’s personal collection(Source: Padron website) These cigars were rolled in 1999 and released in the year 2000 and aged 5 years before that. Until today, they are 18 years aged.
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Special Millennium blend
Good looking and boxed pressed, the wrapper is dark brown chocolate color, toothy, slight veiny, no oil present. I am not surprised because of 18 years of aging. It feels good in hand. The cigar smells dry cedar, mild chocolate with a hint of caramel. The band is beautiful and numbered 002130. The cigar is extremely well constructed without any glitch. The flavor profile is dominated by sweet dark chocolate, creamy espresso, hazelnut, dark French roast style coffee, super mild peppery background, cedar, molasses with a hint of refined sweet caramel. It seemed extremely mellow out, completely smooth, it has a wonderful aged tobacco sweet- bitterness at the background which I enjoy from a aged cigar. It burns very well with smooth-sweetness and complexity. The ash is semi-white. It delivered perfect draw. This is a dream cigar specially for those who enjoy aged cigar with flavor, aroma, mellowness and complexity as opposed to the strength. This is straight a medium bodied cigar. There is no presence of ammonia at all or even a slight harshness. How many cigars can be so smooth like this? It is something like drinking natural sweet spring water after a long hike. I smoked it very slowly because I wanted to relax and enjoy the cigar. I neglected the time and wanted the time to wait for me. I did not allow the time to control me. The cigar and me were against the world during the smoke.
1/3: It starts with very mild pepper, sweet dark chocolate, creamy espresso flavor and aroma. Within few puffs the mild peppery note goes to the background. Talking about quick complexity. The top of my tongue feels the quick peppery note but disappear to back right away. The middle of my tongue feels the sweet dark chocolate, cedar, creamy espresso flavor and aroma. Interestingly the creaminess is not heavy or thick. It is kinda medium creamy with dry sweetness. The back of my tongue is clean without any aftertaste except slight and short lasted mild peppery kick. Reminds me of some aged Cuban cigars.
2/3: The cigar is picking up some strength with more complexity. The above flavor profile is fully present with little more sweet and spiciness. The sweetness added with some caramel flavor- close to vanilla flavored molasses. Some of us describe it as sweet-creamy, vanilla, espresso coffee with caramel flavor. The cigar is completely smooth. It is so mellow that sometime it is difficult to detect the quick change in complexity. However, the distinctive hazelnut and dark French style roast coffee flavor came out at this stage. The top of my tongue is really enjoying the mild sweet-spiciness. The middle of my tongue can feel the medium bodied thickness with above flavors and aroma. The sweet-dry cedar and hazelnut flavors are dancing. It comes and go with different strength in each puff. The tingly feeling inside my mouth is very pleasant. Taking about complexity. However, I was expecting long finish but the finish is medium to long. The back of the tongue is really enjoying the aged tobacco clean sweet-bitterness. Until now, I am retrohaling the cigar and it is simply amazing smoking experience. The complex smoothness of cigar is for retrohale to enjoy the background flavor and aroma of this cigar. This is the perfect example why some people cherish aged cigars and spend hundred and thousands of dollar in the auction. The ultimate joy of a cigars is hidden in the aging process. Of course not all the cigars perform well with aging but Padron does, specially their limited released cigars.
Final/3: At this stage, the cigar picked up little more strength but still medium bodied. During retrohale I am getting more distinctive black pepper spiciness but with the background of dry sweetness- very enjoyable feeling. Interestingly, the complete flavor profile of 1/3 and 2/3 is present. Few cigars can hold the flavor and aroma for this long and can add more flavors. I am also detecting some creamy moca flavor with a touch of mild clove, cinnamon and peach fruitiness. Wow! I rarely give cigars a score but this one will get 97 in my taste scale. This cigar stayed sweet throughout the smoke with ever changing complexity. At this stage the cigar has long finish. I just wish this long finish was present at the 2/3 stage. Still medium bodied.
Final thought: It is another beautiful light rainy day with clear sky in Managua. My heart and soul is full of joy. I took two hours and forty five minutes to smoke this gem. Finally, I beat the time without any rush. I love this cigar. This is one of the top three non- Cuban cigar in my list. I have to get some more if I can. Life is too short not to smoke a cigar like this. It is a luxuriant experience. This cigar puts me in a bliss approaching cigar nirvana.
Note: I dedicate this review to one of our great BOTL- Tony.
Thanks Rip! Awesome reading.
Seriously, when you put all that together into a book, let me know. I wanna be one of the first to purchase it. You've really made my day.
The Ediciones Limitadas- Limited Editions- of Habanos are characterized by vitolas that do not appear in the usual range of the brand portfolio, and which are distinguished by a careful selection of their leaves - wrapper, filler and binder- which have been aged for a period of at least 2 years. The dark wrapper dressing these Habanos coming from the top leaves of the Tapado – shade grown black Cuban tobacco plant- is another characteristic that identifies them.
Cohiba 1966 (6 1/2 inches long by 52 ring gauge). This Edición Limitada commemorates the 45th anniversary of Cohiba, the flagship brand of Habanos, with an unique format specially selected for this occasion. These 10 Habanos have been made totally by hand using a selection of tobacco leaves from the plantations of San Juan y Martínez and San Luis in the Vuelta Abajo zone, Cuba, aged for a minimum of two years. This Edición Limitada 2011 has been produced in very small quantities. All the Habanos were made by expert rollers of Cuba in order to create this exquisite Habano for the most distinguished smokers.[Source: Casa Del Habano]
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Fillers: Cuba(two years aged)
The cigar looks solid and very well constructed. The wrapper is dark and smooth with no imperfection. The wrapper is very oily and veinless. It has a beautiful pigtail that finishes off the cap of the cigar. It feels heavy in hand and the wrapper has a sweet, grassy, earthy scents. The pre- light draw is firm but not tight at all. A perfect looking cigar and hard not to get excited to smoke. The flavor profile is combination of sweet, spicy, earthy, woody, slight salty, chocolate, espresso coffee and toasted peanuts. Stared with little uneven draw but catches up quickly. I felt the presence of ammonia which tell me this cigar needs more rest. I do not enjoy tingly harness feeling in my throat. The cigar is extremely rich, complex and round but hasn't mellowed out yet. It does need more rest and maturity. It has a wonderful creaminess with thick smoke, mouthful feeling which I enjoy in a cigar.
1/3: With first puff, I am immediately greeted with signature Cuban aromatic light fruity flavor with a strong hint of hay and damp earthy note. It has a white peppery finish at the background. despite two years aged tobacco, I can still feel the young tobacco in it. After the half inch, the cigar gets together and settles with a complex, round flavor. It is interesting to see how this cigar gathered its complex flavor profile at this stage. The top of my tongue can feel the white pepper spiciness, the middle of my tongue can feel the round creaminess with espresso, woody, salty, chocolaty flavor and aroma. It doesn't have the as usual strong Cuban aromatic fruity flavor at this stage. The back of my tongue can feel slight harshness, bitter of young tobacco element. I can retrohale but the mild harshness is bothering me. Overall, it is still getting there.
2/3: The cigar acts better at this stage. The flavor gets stronger and picking up more strength but still medium. A nice round, sweet espresso kinda creaminess surrounds the flavor and aroma profile. It is very interesting to observe that how the sweet, creaminess shield has been locked a complex flavor in it. It is not an as usual Cohiba cigar. The middle of my tongue is working more dominantly than the top and back of my tongue. It is very interesting how this cigar's rich complex flavor and aroma is working in my mouth. I am little confused at this moment. It has a long, rich finish with toasted peanut element. The flavor profile is dominated with sweet, coffee notes. The signature Cuban aromatic fruitiness is at the back. I am definitely enjoying the complexity but at the same time having hard time to break into the detail of flavor and aroma profile for the creamy shield around it. Sometime, it is very difficult to express feelings. I apologize for that.
Final/3: At this stage, the cigar picks up more strength- somewhere from medium to full with distinctive woody, earthy, strong chocolate, hay, bean kinda flavor and aroma. I can detect the Cuban aromatic fruity background aroma more clearly. This is definitely very different than any other Cohiba cigar. The complexity and finish is different. It gives me the impression that the blender did something different with this cigar. It is extremely enjoyable at this stage. I can retrohale but the mild harshness is still there. I do not like this element of this cigar. The top of my tongue feels the bite of white pepper, the middle of my tongue can feel the thick, creaminess with above 1/3, 2/3 flavor and aroma but it is dominated by toasty, nutty creaminess. The best part of the cigar is the complexity, creaminess and the long finish. The back of my tongue feels the young tobacco element the entire time of smoking.
Final thought: The characteristic and the rich complexity of this cigar is excellent. The draw is nearly perfect, the burn is also good but this cigar needs resting. It has huge aging potential. This cigar was rolled for the experienced smoker who can detect and break down layers and layers of flavor and aroma. In a nutshell, it is not ready to smoke to enjoy its full complexity. I wish Cohiba could have waited few more years to release it. It is way too young. I got a box of ten and going to set aside for my aging project. I will simply forget about it at least for one more year. In the future, this 2011 Limited Edition cigar will be more desirable then Behike. The aging potential and quality of this cigar is unquestionable. It is very different than any other top line Cohiba. At this moment it is impossible to take a final stand about this young, rich and complex cigar.