partagas edicion limitada series no 1

[Ken Gargett]

this is something i did for Quill & Pad, in case anyone might be interested (yes, Quill & Pad, not Quill & Pen - it was pointed out to me that if i am going to write for them then it would help to get their name right). the aim is not to have rob's visa for his next trip revoked but...

 

https://quillandpad.com/2018/06/27/partagas-edicion-limitada-series-no-1-worthy-of-the-limited-edition-name/

[JohnS]

Great article, Ken...well written!

[Ken Gargett]

3 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Great article, Ken...well written!

thanks John. your cheque is in the mail! 

[gweilgi]

Read that already on the quill&pad site, good read!  Thanks ...

Although your reviews are rather lacking in regard to complementary pleasures ... what to smoke with a Seppelt 100 year Para, for instance, of what to drink with these Partagas...

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, gweilgi said:

Read that already on the quill&pad site, good read!  Thanks ...

Although your reviews are rather lacking in regard to complementary pleasures ... what to smoke with a Seppelt 100 year Para, for instance, of what to drink with these Partagas...

you got to it before i even knew it was up!

this site is not really about matching - that is what why rob set up Kenfessions. it is about matching. and this cigar is the next one up (or at least, the next i am submitting, as soon as it is finished. so no spoilers! 

[Fugu]

Had my second one just yesterday. One of the strongest blends coming out of Cuba atm. This second one was a bit less rounded than the first one and lacking a slight bit of the RyJ cherry notes which came with the first. But, as you say, these certainly need time. Agree with you on the harshness towards the end. Don't agree on burn, which was suprisingly good for a young EL in my two singles (same box). Disagree with you on chocolate notes. These are very true Partagas in my book, and rather un-LE-ish. No choc or cocoa whatsoever, which is a good thing (for me).

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, Fugu said:

Had my second one just yesterday. One of the strongest blends coming out of Cuba atm. This second one was a bit less rounded than the first one and lacking a slight bit of the RyJ cherry notes which came with the first. But, as you say, these certainly need time. Agree with you on the harshness towards the end. Don't agree on burn, which was suprisingly good for a young EL in my two singles (same box). Disagree with you on chocolate notes. These are very true Partagas in my book. No choc or cocoa whatsoever, which is a good thing (for me).

really interesting. the more i talk to people who have tried this smoke (and read other reviews), the more i am starting to think that these vary more than any other LE i can think of. which i don't think is a good thing but it is what it is.

we have done a video on them and the burn for both of us was a constant hassle. if i recall correctly, rob was far more forgiving of this than i was (can't recall whether this part of our discussion made it to tape - in fairness to greg, we turn the video off for most of the time and then put it back on to chat, so when just yacking about whatever cigar we have, stuff gets said which never appears). but i found it a real concern. hoping it is not endemic to the entire production and obviously there are a number of people who have had better luck than we did. i think rob said he had one that had no such issues but others had. for me, i found it such a concern that i would not risk the dosh. 

to me, there was certainly some chocolate in the initial stages but as mentioned, less so as we moved through it. if rob is up for it, happy to revisit but would like to give it six months or so to settle down. 

and apols to Gweilgi, i was thinking of the wrong LE for kenfessions. 

[Fugu]

True Ken, wouldn't be the first LE showing such variance. If I could get a whole box of the sort of sticks I had tested I'd certainly be in for it. Also, the wrapper of these wasn't one of of the leathery, overly dark LE type. Actually quite nice and supple (may post up pics later). I usually try to select those wrappers in LEs if available.

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, Fugu said:

True Ken, wouldn't be the first LE showing such variance. If I could get a whole box of the sort of sticks I had tested I'd certainly be in for it. Also, the wrapper of these wasn't one of of the leathery, overly dark LE type. Actually quite nice and supple (may post up picks later). I usually try to select those wrappers in LEs if available.

very much agree re the wrapper. 

[ayepatz]

I’ve only tried one, so far, and it was dominated by that classic Partagás Bell pepper. Bit of chocolate to begin with, but it very quickly gave way to the pepper. I felt it was almost too much.

I also suffered from your relighting problems.

My conclusion was that I’ll stick to the E2s.

[gweilgi]

15 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

really interesting. the more i talk to people who have tried this smoke (and read other reviews), the more i am starting to think that these vary more than any other LE i can think of. which i don't think is a good thing but it is what it is.

Interesting indeed.  The more I read, the more I want a box.  I actually like bottle variation, so to speak.  

 

15 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

we have done a video on them and the burn for both of us was a constant hassle. if i recall correctly, rob was far more forgiving of this than i was (can't recall whether this part of our discussion made it to tape - in fairness to greg, we turn the video off for most of the time and then put it back on to chat, so when just yacking about whatever cigar we have, stuff gets said which never appears). but i found it a real concern. hoping it is not endemic to the entire production and obviously there are a number of people who have had better luck than we did. i think rob said he had one that had no such issues but others had. for me, i found it such a concern that i would not risk the dosh. 

When will you put up your video of out-takes?

Burn issues may resolve themselves with a bit of age on them; at least, that is what I have found with other smokes in the past.

 

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, gweilgi said:

Interesting indeed.  The more I read, the more I want a box.  I actually like bottle variation, so to speak.  

 

When will you put up your video of out-takes?

Burn issues may resolve themselves with a bit of age on them; at least, that is what I have found with other smokes in the past.

 

i did mention if they can get past that burn and maintenance then they could be goodies. big 'if', for me. 

doesn't each vid have outtakes? it would be cruel and unusual (not that we aren't beyond that) to make greg sit through an entire afternoon to get the bits he needs. 

very curious re the bottle variation. on this we depart paths.

i read one pommy wine writer say the same thing. he liked not being exactly certain what he was getting. with the greatest respect, my thoughts then and now were unprintable. i want wine the way the winemaker/terroir/winery/vintage wants it to be and not influenced by a piece of dead tree (which cam only make it as good as that collection reflects, never better, but so often worse) and i want cigars to be the best they can be. i don't object when the variation is to the stellar but i want them all like that. that should be the benchmark. everything else below that is a fail. i don't want a stunning cigar and then the next three from that box being bog average. 

[Fugu]

Forgot to post the pics....

first one (smoked in April), no burn issues whatsoever, in actual fact what I call a perfect burn.

Second one (smoked end of June) slightly more uneven and a bit flaky ash, but no more than you can get with any regular stick out there. Still no issues, neither in construction noir burn.

Mind you, both sticks haven't been smoked right from the box but kept in the open for a couple of days prior to smoking.