One blend. One format. Ten smokes. Ten reviews, and as many review styles. That's the project and the cigar was, of course, the Partagas Anejo in its Petit Robusto iteration. Shall we look at the specs again? Sure, let us.
WRAPPER: Cameroon/Connecticut Shade
BINDER: Dominican
FILLER: Mexican, Dominican
FORMAT: Petit Robusto (4.5x49) Barber-pole
ORIGIN: General Cigar Dominicana
[PLEASE NOTE: regardless of which installment of this multi-post project you come in on, you can find the rest of the entries by employing the Search Kaplowitz Media. function to the right of your screen. Simply enter "Partagas Project." Thank you.]
Succinctly, as if that ship ain't sailed, the Anejo is a moderately complex cigar with a tilt toward citrus sourness, pushed by a salty note. In terms of the project itself, I was only somewhat surprised to see how the slightly different angles of perception involved in each review style occasionally shined an explaining light on certain aspects. That was neat. Do I think it was necessary? So little of what I do can ever even tenuously fit under that label. It was, however, quite interesting.
More as to the cigar, over-all it often teetered on being surprisingly brash (particularly given the age of its hyped leaves). Although it also at times teetered toward not blandness but maybe being overly sedate in awkward spots. An impromptu nap fell into at an awkward position, say. I pinned this and a nice savoriness on the San Andres addition in its filler. Although I was right, I was put more correct in a talk I had with Sean Hardiman.
Speaking of Sean, he's been in the industry for a hair over a decade, for a goodly chunk of that time within the General Cigar organization, where he now acts as National Sales Manager for the Forged company. Prior to that he was with LFD and in the interim twixt became a much-ballyhooed big Partagas apprecianado. In talking with him I did manage to learn a bit more first-hand about the Anejo. As well as a bit more about the brand and the companies.
As to the Anejo blend, as reported here at KM and myriad elsewheres, it was and is meant to showcase the leaf availability of which General is privy to. Again, we are talking about a 1998 Cameroon leaf coupled with a 2013 Connecticut leaf. As Sean put it and to paraphrase, 'Give Van Gogh a handful of colors and he'll make a pretty painting. Give him a limitless palette and we're talking masterpiece.' That is what General has to offer.
What Forged and, in turn, Partagas has to offer is the ability for the ginormous General (STG) to pivot on a dime, allowing it to operate in a somewhat boutique manner. To not only keep an ear to the ground but also to meet those heard rumblings with readied offerings. Plus, what consumer doesn't like 'boutique', and in turn what boutique ethos bearer wouldn't like that sort of big-deep backing? As to the Anejo directly, sheesh, aren't 10 reviews enough? Even scattered into this overview, I give you gold nuggets of insight.
"The San Andres puts in what the age took out," said Sean. True dat. And for the most part skillfully-so. Although, at its worst and rarest times, it was an awkward replacement. It put me in mind in those times of the common question of resuscitating dried cigars. Sure, the moisture can be replaced but the oils are lost to time. To be clear, there were no dried-out or lifeless leaves here--but sometimes the fill-in stands out more than is desired. Or at least in a manner that alters the profile.
An interjection here before closing it out, another characteristic of this Anejo was its savoriness. Picture this as a roasted orange dish served on a leather tray. I bring this to light because Sean has an interesting take on what balance means; that it is the interplay of balance and dryness. I just might give that notion of his more writing time someday. Regardless, he hit the mark there, here. Also in this grabbag paragraph, he equates the taste of nicotine with leather. Reading between those lines, you'd be correctly inferring that this A carries a sneaky punch.
Nevertheless, the Anejo is quite an interesting project and smoke well-worth experiencing. Let me take one last run at it, leave it there. The thing is a vehicle for its Cameroon wrapper star. An able supporting actor is the Connecticut, in that it's not completely over-run by the lead. Then there's the San Andres, a character actor who steals a scene or two. Keeping it in cinematic terms I'm virtually illiterate in, Creative actor, Cameleon actor, and Personality actor, respectively. The Dominican binder and filler? The old professional gameshow contestants... what were they called?
*Below is the schedule of this 'Partagas Project.' You have just read 12. Hallelujah.
1. Intro (about the blend & project)
2. Review (Regular)
3. Review (Sherlock Holmes)
4. Review (Something quirky)
5. Review (Cigar Aficionado style)
6. Review (Limerick)
7. Review (Long-form)
8. Review (Flavor wheel)
9. Review (Kaplowitz Scale review)
10. Review (Synesthesia review)
11. Review (Primary tastes)
12. Overview
Helluva ride.
::: very :::