Bolivar Petit Corona ETP DIC 16 (BWRC)

[JGD]

I decided to brave the elements tonight (it’s only juuusstttt below freezing here) to join in the Bolivar contest. 

Tonight I’m smoking a Bolivar Petit Corona (ETP DIC 16). This is one of my favorites, and is something that I’ll often offer to an experienced smoker who hasn’t had much experience with Cuban cigars as I find the spice is somewhat reminiscent of many non-Cubans, but it is still distinctively Cuban. 

I’m pairing tonight’s cigar with Havana Club Maestros. I picked up a bottle last year in Havana and the tread about rum reminded me that I have yet to crack it open. 

Pre-light draw shows no indication of any problem with being under or over filled. I get some nice earth and leather. 

I had some trouble with the light, however, that was my fault, not the cigar’s as I had to use a Shit lighter due to somehow all of my torches being broken. While the burn was initially off, it corrects itself during the first third.

During the first third the earthiness and leather starts to intensify, while there is a faint bit of the spice lurking in the background. So far it is pairing nicely with the Maestros, which has a nice burnt caramel aftertaste. 

In the second third the earth subsided a bit and the leather took over. For a minute I sensed a bit of cocoa, but that went away quickly. The spice continued to lurk nicely in the background. I spoke too soon during the preflight date as far as the construction went. A soft spot developed right above the burn causing me to have to re-light with the assistance of the “Cuban crush.”

The final third (or about that) was a true disappointment. The soft spot continued to grow, to the point where there was no fixing it. As a result the flavors that were there became more and more muted. I needed up tossing it early as the enjoyment was gone.

I’ll Gabe the cigar a 2/5. The flavors were great at the beginning, but they couldn’t overcome the construction issues. Luckily, this was the only one from the box that I’ve had such bad problems with out of the 20 I’ve smoked.