(Yes, Another) Bolivar Petite Corona: OGA MAY 11


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Admitting biases up front, the Bolivar Petite Corona is one of my favourite cigars. Also understanding that this is a very frequently reviewed cigar, I'll attempt to stand out a bit from the crowd and pull one from a 50 Cab that I have resting. The box code is OGA MAY 11

This is my third cigar from the 50 Cab. The first two were very good and very young. Harsher than many I had from the same vintage in dress boxes. (Interesting?) I'm interested to see what another few months has done to this cigar.

Beverage: Sparkling Water

Aroma at Cold: Damp Earth, Espresso, Chocolate, Toasted Bread

Draw: Slight Resistance. Perfect, really.

First Third:

The first few puffs are spicy leather and very dark, toasted tobacco. Rich, thick, billowy smoke. A very good sign.

As the cigar settles, the citrus that I associate with a Bolivar PC comes through intensely. Almost a slightly bitter and tart marmalade. There is a creamy aspect to it, along with espresso and chocolate. Some harshness, but less than I remember. This is still a little fire cracker of a cigar. The same rich, billowy smoke continues. Perfect burn.

I have good feelings about this one...

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Second Third:

The flavors in the first third taper gradually, with the tangy citrus being overtaken by the cream and dark chocolate. The espresso mellows to a rich coffee. The finish is long, with toasted bread and damp earth lingering on the palate. A slight touch of stone fruit appears and lingers for only a few draws. The smoke is nearly chewy, very rich, and satisfying. The harshness from the first third is also more reserved here. Just the slightest uneven burn as we head towards the final third.

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Last Third:

The slightest uneven burn corrected itself without any assistance. A slight citrus hint returns to round out the creamy coffee and, now, milk chocolate that dominate the flavors. It's almost an orange zest, hovering above the other dominant flavors. Every now and then the tease of stone fruit from the second third returns. A fabulous, full-flavored cigar thus far, the thick smoke continues. The youth of the cigar begins to push through, that harsh, slightly bitter tannin that I associate with a young wine.

I pitch the cigar as the burn reaches the band. The youth in this particular cigar wins out at this point. Another fabulous cigar from this particular 50 Cab, I'm very excited to see how they'll continue to mature.

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Score: Darn Good Cigar.

Final Thoughts: Fantastic cigar. Some of the more recent stock is more approachable now, with much less youth in the final third. I don't, however, find the same intense complexity in the few boxes I've had from 2012. I suppose it's a give and take. I wish I could find a few more 50 Cabs of these.

Comments and Thoughts appreciated. (The background is a picture of a gargoyle at Washington National Cathedral in Washington DC printed on canvas.) Thanks for reading.

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Thanks for the review - a fave of mine as well. As for the number of reviews of any particluar cigar, I suppose it may depend on how you look at the review section. I look at it as a kind of database - let's say I'm interested in the Bolivar PC. I check the review section, see what members think, take what makes sense for me and use it to help make a decision. In this scenario, for me, more reviews are better than fewer.

I'm still working on an '06 cab..... smile.png

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