Saint Luis Rey Serie A (2000) (XYNRC)

[IanMcLean68]

Saint Luis Rey Serie A, 2000 vintage

I would like to firstly thank @Luca for sourcing these and organising a split with me when you were last in the UK. I have two left after this one.
By coincidence my first box from many years ago was also an '00 (PEL EA00). I don't know the box code on these though.

Very little aroma off the cold wrapper or foot, but I get a hint of dried apple on the cold draw. I wasn't expecting this, as a fresh apple note I more
attribute to the newer blend, and to younger SLRA. I like many are of the opinion that the blend changed in SLRA in the mid-noughties and became fuller bodied.

I started this cigar with no expectations. Various things could have been wrong. At 20 years old it may have fallen off its perch. Being a '00 vintage, it could have
been a total tent-peg with zero draw, or had terrible construction issues. Being the old blend was traditionally a mild cigar, it is hard to know how it would fare after 20 years.

I'm pleased to note that none of the above were issues. A fragile thin tensile wrapper, straight colorado and still with some sheen. which is a bit difficult to see in the photo above.
 It had an excellent burn with a nice thin burn line throughout that never needed touching up at all. The draw was a little tighter than I like in the first half but still fine,
and then opened out beautifully at the half way point with an increase in body to go along with it, from mild-medium to medium, building surprisingly to just over medium at the finish.

This cigar has not in any way fallen dead. Absolutely beautiful and I knew from the very first puffs that it reminded me of the original blend which got me hooked on Serie A to start with.

Started with leather and floral notes, with just a touch of dried fruits. The aroma of the smoke is musky and divine, just as I always remember it.
Starts to get toasty, and towards the end of the first third I am getting a hint of roasted cashew nuts. Smooth, soft, and completely balanced.

Further along, some interesting savoury meaty BBQ flavours, toasted bread, leather, musky/floral notes, and a hint of coffee.
The old blend is a little creamier in texture to the newer, at least at this age. The last third brought in some woody notes, and it finished with coffee,
leather and wood. The cigar has a short finish, the flavours do not linger long. Great ash on this Serie A, I only needed to ash it twice.

This cigar surprised me. How flavoursome and how much body it has. How well it smoked. How much it held onto its original blend characteristics (at least how I remember it
after all these years), and how complex it was. This cigar shows that initial strength is not the be-all-and-end-all when determining whether or not a cigar will age well.
I would have a hard time giving this less than 96 points.

[PigFish]

Thanks for sharing. Cigars of this vintage get a bad rap. Really some gems from this era. Cheers! -Piggy

[JohnS]

Great review, @IanMcLean68! I'm both glad and dejected that I have around 7 Serie A's left. Thanks for reviving some joyous memories! ?

[Luca]

Great Post @IanMcLean68 thank you for such a detailed review. I look forward to trying one of mine.

By the way....I had a search through my phone and I have found the box code for that Serie A! Its: PEL EA 00