Montecristo Robusto (seleccion 5 pack) GIK NOV 04

[Bucky McSwensen]

Tried out my first of a 5 pack from 2004.  I gave it a spritz of water to the wrapper based on advice from other people on dunking aged cigars.  Aroma is fairly muted with some nice pleasant aged tobacco.  Cold draw is mainly ceder. 

First light was tobacco and cedar.  Then mainly cedar.  Then all cedar.

Next bit had hints of cocoa and and tiny waves of cream but still mainly cedar.

Second third picks up into the expected aged Monty cream, coffee and chocolate but tastes like a mocha drunk out of a cedar cup.

Final third is all cream, cinamon, coffee cake goodness.  If this was the full cigar I'd be sold.  Almost wish I had chopped off the front half and just gone straight to this.

Smoked down to the nub and enjoyed every last bit.  The cedar tones are always a nice mix but this one just had too much.  I feel like the packaging did it a disservice in the aging process.  The finish was everything I had hoped the cigar would be, just a shame it was such a short portion.  Still looking forward to the others in the pack but I will be prepared to tough it out through the beginning.

Scoring

I'd value this cigar at $11.00

Cuba rating = shelf price unknown

Purchase rating = 0.50

(Ratings are based on a ratio of value/cost. 1.00 means I value it the same as it cost.  Less means it wasn't worth the purchase.  More means it was a deal)

PS:

I read an older thread on these regarding complaints about the cedar flavors being overpowering due to the long aging in packaging that basically encases each cigar in thick cedar (great read, thanks for starting this stonedpirate)

This raises 3 questions for me:

Is there anyway to mute the cedar flavor on the rest of these (partagas cohiba hoyo and r&j)?  I currently have them removed and sitting in a tray in my new air cigar fridge.  I'm sure what's done is done and more age and meddling with other smokes will only do so much.

Should I remove my Partagas E2 5 packs from their boxes for aging?  It's not as encased, but still more cedar to cigar ratio than most boxes.

Is too much cedar an issue for others?  My current storage is a new air fridge stacked with about 3 to 5 each of various cigars ready to smoke while the rest of the boxes sit in a cooler for aging.  I keep the ready to smoke stash separated by spanish ceder plys (trimmed and reused from box inserts) to keep them organized and separate.  Now I'm concerned I'm setting myself up for failure.  Any experience with the pros cons of isolating brands or letting them touch?

 

[CaptainQuintero]

They should be fine in their boxes, I've read about people making their own walk ins lined with Spanish cedar and it's been completely overwhelming. But in terms of boxes/cabs you should be fine 

It's only cardboard you need to remove cigars from, some special lacquered boxes can smell of glue and varnish too though.

Cigars can touch without worrying about flavours intermingling. It's only flavoured/fire cured/ artificially coloured stuff you are probably sensible keeping separate.