Bolivar Coronas Junior ETP MAY 16 (BWRC)

[Akela3rd]

What better to accompany this cigar than a potted history of the man himself? This Minuto gives me enough time to get through 35 pages of political and military determinism culminating in the liberation of northern South America. Nice.

BCJs are at the stronger end of the Cuban minutos, packed with rich heavy flavour. This particular cigar doesn't disappoint. Right from the off there's a strong espresso overlaying licorice, which is absolutely delightful. I'm now wishing I'd gone for the licorice Nespresso rather than caramel to go with it, but no matter. The depth of flavour is fantastic, coating my taste buds on every draw. The smoke is thick and hangs nicely in the air on this still morning. The construction and burn are perfect throughout and as the relentless campaigning and battles unfold the intensity of the cigar matches the story of his life (maybe I'm overthinking this but let's go with it). For a small cigar it's certainly a bit of a powerhouse, but thoroughly enjoyable. White pepper, bitter dark chocolate, burnt leather (?) all come and go in the background in equal measure, under the dominant coffee and licorice. The licorice flavour is an interesting one - I've come across it occasionally in cigars, especially Bolivar, but in this it's right at the forefront and lasts from start to finish.

An absolute delight of a cigar, and an interesting read about a driven and principled man who accepted and demanded sacrifice to achieve his goals.

A score? I'd give this a solid 9/10 - best cigar I've had in weeks.

 

Sent from my ActionMan walkie-talkie

 

 

[Pag]

Nice review. I have a box from February 17 thats very good . People always talk about the Partagas shorts as a great minuto which is a good smoke. Me personally I enjoy these more. 9/10 for sure.

Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

[Silverstix]

I have a box of ETP ABR 16 (son's birth month and year) that I have ziplocked away for when he becomes of age.  Nice to hear that production around that time is good

[Fugu]

4 hours ago, Akela3rd said:

- best cigar I've had in weeks.

I'd say you've nailed it, Akela, rich and delightful. Not to hijack your thread and the great review, but I thought it's funny that I made a similar 'finish photo' of a likewise great ETP Sep 15 smoked last summer, which had been among the five best smokes for me in 2018. I just said it in another thread, where @NSXCIGAR made a very valid comment about the format - give me my Minutos and I am a happy camper. All Minutos are blended to pack a punch in a small format. Very present right from the get-go, highly satisfying and great representatives of their respective marcas. Why I am such a fan (the BCJ being a fave together with the RASCC and the Reyes in the same format family, but the Party Shorts and the Principes are neither disappointing). Am always surprised by the development, which in particular the Boli Coronas Junior is capable of expressing despite its limited length. And also how different is is to the Mareva.

 

[Akela3rd]

I'd say you've nailed it, Akela, rich and delightful. Not to hijack your thread and the great review, but I thought it's funny that I made a similar 'finish photo' of a likewise great ETP Sep 15 smoked last summer, which had been among the five best smokes for me in 2018. I just said it in another thread, where [mention=24474]NSXCIGAR[/mention] made a very valid comment about the format - give me my Minutos and I am a happy camper. All Minutos are blended to pack a punch in a small format. Very present right from the get-go, highly satisfying and great representatives of their respective marcas. Why I am such a fan (the BCJ being a fave together with the RASCC and the Reyes in the same format family, but the Party Shorts and the Principes are neither disappointing). Am always surprised by the development, which in particular the Boli Coronas Junior is capable of expressing despite its limited length. And also how different is is to the Mareva.

 

Do you really keep all your cigar photos? I generally delete them as soon as I've posted.

Sent from my ActionMan walkie-talkie

[TheMonk]

Seems like you really enjoyed it!

[MigsG]

Enjoyable review, a fitting way to enjoy a BCJ while reading about Bolivar's story.  Your review made me salivate for another BCJ, with a nice latte , and maybe some baklava... 

[Fugu]

On 2/22/2019 at 8:51 PM, Akela3rd said:

Do you really keep all your cigar photos? I generally delete them as soon as I've posted.

Sent from my ActionMan walkie-talkie
 

Haha, yup, but pics are taken for myself in the first place, less so for posting (infrequ. doing it, anyway), and only a fraction gets actually pictured. As long as those bits and bytes are taking up less room than my cigars do, I see no reason to erase them... . Serving nicely as a sort of diary and a means of memorizing past smokes, even without keeping detailed notes.