Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Partagas Cigars Black Label in Review

Partagas Cigars Black Label in Review

WRAPPER: Connecticut Medio Tiempo
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan

FORMAT: "Magnifico" (654) Toro
ORIGIN: Dominican Republic
INTENSITY: Full

NOTES:
Earth | Spices | Leather

A philharmonic orchestra, a hundred musicians, easy. The lights are out. So many notes, so much pitch blackness. Sometimes when you stare into the abyss, it stares back at you, and you realize you're both smoking this cigar. Swoon. Every note is toasted darkly-so and springs forth from a dried compost and heavy grain melange. The whole shebang is wrapped in savory patent leather, begs Bourbon.

Italian roasted coffee beans, chicory, hickory, mesquite. Dried red and purple fruits with accompanying spices led by black pepper, red pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika. A silky but waxy bar of 90% dark chocolate. Full-on full but somehow surprisingly light on its feet. Harmoniously balanced and complex. Some scant ashy charcoal distractions. Image of a bodybuilder convincingly performing barre exercises.

The burn could be better. Ash splits, never grows so well. The line wiggles about, and needs a couple instances of re-touching. Draws a bit empty on the first puff, so double puffing it is, but never over-heats. Burns quite coolly, really. Lumbers. Lumpy exterior but rolled tightly and evenly. No hard/soft spots. Shoulder dings a tick. Nice smoke out-put, particularly passively, giving a heady aroma of all the notes.

Sating to the point of uneasy gluttony.

TASTE: A
DRAW: B+
BURN: B
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: A-
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very :::