Bolivar Bonitas

[Hohenthal]

Bolivar Bonitas are difficult to find nowadays as everybody knows, however, on my last trip to vienna I went for a big detour to chech republic specially to finally trace down a few of these from early (March or May?) 2008.

Tonight I tried one:

Beautiful colorado+ wrapper, oily, firm to the touch, slightly restricted draw - perfect for a 40 RG cigar.

Smell and draw at cold didn't reveal it's secrets, just slightly sweet tobacco.

First third was all dark cocoa and roasted nuts, medium body and smoke output;

2nd third showed amazing complexity: viscous smoke, full body, dark roasted arabica espresso, citrus rind / bergamotte, coconut cream and toasted tobacco / fresh baked rye bread.

Dip some stoneoven baked breadrind in espresso doppio and Earl Grey tea and coconut milk - that's it!

Final third: more coffee, more like grinds of coffee, burnt in late summer to shy away the wasps; some roasted peanut, more toasted tobacco and a sweet earthiness like damp soil and moss.

Beautiful complex yet ballanced smoke, due to a faster pace at around zero temperature it feels like 88/89, in a proper cigar climate would be an easy 90/91, future potential 92/93 for sure.

Size- and flavourwise right in between Coronas Junior (without that ruthless strength) and BPC. High quality!

Sadly discontinued, like so many others.

Alex

[bolivr]

Great review thank you Alex. These are one of the first cigars that got me back into CCs exclusively because they were inexpensive and tasty. Shame to have to speak of these in the past tense. I have one box only which is from 06. I am very slowly working through and I find they are as you describe them, quite a treat when you light one after some time smoking other cigars. When you love the Bolivar range the Bonitas are in interesting branch of the family tree

[Lotusguy]

Good sticks but I like BCJ and the BPC better so if we had to lose one, they did kill the right one, IMO...

[dB69]

Thanks for the review!

I like these! Just a bit milder than BCJ or BPC, but very nice Bolis. Still having some from -97 and almost a full box from -06. Very suitable for aging (IMO).

[Michel1968]

Good review!!!

IMHO Bonitas are great and almost perfect in quali/price ratio! One box of 08 remains for ageing...

[bassman]

I've only smoked a few of these. Good cigars, but the ones I had didn't seem as complex as the PC. Thus, just kept buying PCs instead of Bonitas.