Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas RAE ABR 14 - Ode to the 40 and 42 gauge review week

[NSXCIGAR]

Aroma at cold: light barnyard with a bit of hay/grassiness. Draw is a tad on the firm side but good. Wrapper slightly oily and very slightly toothy. 

First third--immediate sweetness upon lighting. Very present light toasted tobacco and floral notes. Very classic RG profile and just a tad under medium.

Second third--honey starting to creep in, toasted tobacco turning to medium. Picking up to an overall medium

Final third--straight tobacco coming in and dominating. Burn starting to get a little wonky. Picked up to medium plus strength.

Overall rating 90. Burn hampered the score a bit. Pretty representative of the box I have.

[fabes]

Well done! Always nice to see a personal favorite well received. 

[zeedubbya]

Nice review.  I think RGPC is probably the most underrated cigar of all.  I am constantly amazed how they can deliver that 90 point experience so often.  

[NSXCIGAR]

3 hours ago, zeedubbya said:

Nice review.  I think RGPC is probably the most underrated cigar of all.  I am constantly amazed how they can deliver that 90 point experience so often.  

I would agree that the cigar is underrated, or more accurately, not rated at all. This is not a cigar many people are smoking, but it is a solid cigar for those who prefer a more "suave" experience. I would have to say that some of the recent examples of the 2-3 year-old Sancho Panza Non Plus I've had were slightly better than the RGPC, IMO. Also a highly underrated (or non-rated) cigar and similar in approach to each other. I just think the SPNP has a bit more character and a tad more strength, which I prefer.

Regardless, if the burn had been better on this I would have probably bumped it up to a 92 which is a solid showing indeed. It isn't really the profile for me, and as I said above I'd probably opt for the SPNP over this. Both cigars are rock solid, and there's something to be said for a simple, cheap and reliable low-90 point cigar when there's a lot of other crap people chase and end up with out there. 

[JohnS]

Light toasted tobacco and floral notes...spot on! 

[TheMonk]

Nice job, it does quite differ from my experience. Actually smoked another just the other day, was an average smoke at best... wasn't pleased at all.

[Fugu]

love 'em

[NSXCIGAR]

8 hours ago, TheMonk said:

Nice job, it does quite differ from my experience. Actually smoked another just the other day, was an average smoke at best... wasn't pleased at all.

I don't think I would challenge you on that. I can understand how some examples could be considered very "average" even by myself. They are not particularly rich or full of flavor, and it is not a profile that I prefer, as I'd grab a Boli Tubos No. 2 or good Monte 4 over this any day. It's  a cigar that one has to kind of work to get something out of. Is the work worth the reward? That's a legitimate question. It's definitely not a cigar I would keep in my regular rotation long-term. It just doesn't have the kick I prefer. It's much too "suave" for me, but for those looking for that kind of experience, it fits the bill perfectly. 

[stunod]

Bought a box a few month ago. Haven't crack it yet.