Sancho Panza Non Plus BOR ABR 16 (HBFCRW)

[HumidorJuan]

Part 1

After a burst of the driftwood panzas are known for it switches instantly to a nutty, stale cocoa powder delivered in a pleasant mildness.  I have reviewed a pairing between this and Talisker scotch and smoking this is making me want that type of drink right now haha. This is an FOH auction box from 2016 with just an amazing dark chocolate sheen to the wrap. The aftertaste is still chocolate with just the faintest floral notes. Chocolate is gone and I get a bit of a dry vegetative thing like hay and the distinct taste of Spanish Cedar is in my sinuses. Finishing part one it’s very twangy with a bit of that bitterness those brown paperlike casings have that are in peanut shells. A bit of a spicy aftertaste, all mixed in with touches of chocolate, toasted tobacco and driftwood and it’s reminding me of a nutty brown ale,I think I would like to pair this with a can of Newcastle or something similar. (I’ve had great tastes pairing QD 50 with a can of Boddingtons and like beer pairings when they work) and I think this would lend a really nice toastiness to a nutty ale of some sort.  

Part 2 

The second half so far has really mellowed out. Only to return with heartburn inducing cedar, spice, and dry hay. This is the twangiest  one I’ve had out of the box. My first time trying this Marca it tasted stale and flavourless but I I had to not judge cigars as only good if they achieve “flavour bomb” levels. Some smokes flavours stay humble and understated and I like Sancho Panza for that reason. This particular one is still trying to figure out what it is, we go from pangs of  bitterness back to mellowness. At the end of part two I get the real oily hazelnut vibe i get from Upmann Half Coronas, and my nut brown ale pairing is back to making sense. 

Part 3

To me, in a lot of Cuban cigars, the third part has this warm, moist, bread dough thing that emerges and it’s happening in the non plus as well.  Flavours slowly mute behind the yeasty breadlike thing and I get it down to the nub without any more spats of cedar and spice inspired heartburn.   This is the least salty panza I’ve had. When I initially acquired the box it was for its sea salt flavours, but even for a stick that abandoned its signature flavours and swung from mellow to twangy as much as this one did, I’m fine to partake and see where it wanted to go.  

6/10