Partagas Presidente ALO JUL 16 (PAWRC)

[earthson]

I love this vitola - it has a very comfortable Perfecto head and is easy enough in ring gauge to generally assure a good burn.  I've always found these to be rather strong for a Havana and unique enough in the Partagas lineup to justify purchasing these alongside my beloved Shorts.

The cigar smells of cedar and nothing else.  It has been in my smoke-now desktop at ~59RH for a couple weeks after being pulled from my cooler which sits pegged at 67 RH.  Companion is tap water and Jolt Cola (I have things to get done today!).

Prelight puffs - very rich.  Familiar Partagas savoury paprika and gentle sourdough/malt.  In the back, I can taste a creamy, fruity flourish

First puffs are extremely elegant, especially for a Presidente.  The profile is very soft and marshmallowy, tasting sweet like a cardamom infused dessert before exploding into very deep and rich Partagas notes of savoury paprika and bell pepper, cream and toasted sourdough bread.  The finish is robust with some hints of ginger and some definite fruit - sort of a mix of Hoyo de Monterrey stonefruit and El Rey del Mundo citrus.  This stogie was one of 5 cigars remaining from the box.  Most of them have been excellent with only a few fairly muted with little more than malt, paprika and heavily toasted bread notes.  This one so far is exemplary and I am glad I chose it to review.

Finishing the first third, the flavors are very powerful.  While carrying that familiar Partagas DNA of paprika and lightly toasted sourdough bread, there is also an element of wine and mild chocolate cake discernible on the finish, marking a unique twist I have not found in other Partagas vitolas (save the Salomones, which can be mind-bogglingy complex when well-aged and well-constructed).  The ash falls off and I get a puff of honey particular to Cuban tobacco.

The flavors continue to get denser and darker.  While it takes focus to continue to pick up the fruitiness (which is becoming less sweet), there is a darling Darjeeling tea note that has emerged from the wine and chocolate cake.  Additionally, pepper appears on the finish, though not in the intrusive way it manifests in strong Nicaraguan blends.

The cake rears up at the halfway point, tasting more like gingery spice cake, rather than the chocolate of earlier.  Pepper is slowly growing on the finish - methinks I have hit a leaf of ligero, evidenced by the throat-tingling pepper and sturdy little cone that burns at the center of the cigar.  The former notes of paprika, fruit, Darjeeling tea and ginger are still present, though only in the finish and with great attention paid to each puff.

The second third ends and the spice cake is blatantly offering cinnamon notes.  The pepper on the finish appears to be here to stay and slow, deliberate draws are needed to avoid it from becoming too prominent and making the whole thing taste like a Padron.

The cigar ends much in the same vein.  Overall, the earlier development was a nice surprise, but once what I assume is the ligero took hold, the evolution became clear - increasing strength and pepper until the cigar had little to offer besides that.  This is consistent with previous examples and boxes I have had.  Only after 7-10 years does there appear to be a chance of aging this feature out.

Construction was typical of many other Presidentes - ash was flaky and the cigar began firm, but gradually loosened the nearer I got to the end.

Score: if based upon the first half alone, this would have been an easy 95/100 and either indicative of sufficient aging or else a one-off example of a fantastic stick containing some extra special tobacco.  The second half, however, with its domineering strength and all-encompassing pepper note drops this to an 85.  While it fits the bill when I desire something strong, I typically do not prefer such an onslaught of power and strength.

[BeerPimp]

I purchased a quarter box on the 24:24 UMB SEP 18.   I was wondering if you have smoked any more recent ones?   I had heard that the current production are not as strong as the previous years by a good bit.   I found this to be true of the one that I smoked.   It definitely has some really interesting flavors including earthy ones but I would say it was medium full.   Either way it is a cigar I will be purchasing more of.

[Islandboy]

Excellent review! 

I’ve only smoked one, fairly recently, that I received in the figurado prize sampler a while back. I thought it was quite good, but definitely noticed the ramp up in pepper in the back half. 

[Str8BlkCoffee]

Nice review.

I too purchased a 1/4 box and plan on buying more. I think this is a great cigar.