Sancho Panza Bachilleres SML MAR '06 (SSSTRW)

The Squiggler · March 23, 2020

Weekend Review!! The Sancho Panza 'Bachilleres'

I was totally phsyched to try these Sancho Panza petit coronas (40 x 116). I stumbled across this box a while back and since the SP weekend review is here, I guess it's finally time.

Gave this thing a pinch, pinch, pinch to check for knots, and despite the fact that there's a hard spot right between the shoulder and the band, the draw is nice and open with a small punch, so I decide it's good to go. Cold draw flavors seem pretty muted, but that's to be expected with a 14 year old cigar, aged tobacco and a bit of raisins and molasses.

At first light, smoke is somewhat thin and wispy. Flavors of charred walnuts and white pepper are present, joined soon by milk coffee and sourdough toast. Body is medium, leaving a bit of zestiness on the tongue during the finish.

Into the second third, the bitter walnut flavors are replaced by something more reminiscent of toasted peanut. The milky coffee flavors now predominate, accompanied by something semi-sweet and nougatesque. Charred sugarcane occasionally makes an appearance, along with some salty leather on the lips and the same zest on the tongue. Strength is very mild, body remains medium, and it's hard to resist sucking this thing down.

Into the final third this little guy is all coffee cream and light spice--not unlike gargling with cappuccino foam I would imagine. The smoke output is huge, producing beautifull silky plumes that coat the tongue. I blow a few smoke rings but the cat is unimpressed. I find at this point that I'm really enjoying this stick, and I wish it wouldn't end. The smoke production seems to taper off a bit as the burn line passes the band-point, but this thing is still chugging. Flavors of salty toasted nuts and zesty spice re-emerge for an amazing finish as I smoke it down to the nub. This was a fine little cigar!.

Overall impressions: this one got off to a slow start and I thought these might be past their prime, but it really wound up impressing me in the end. It was very approachable like an aged cigar should be, but the flavors and textures were there in abundance--A pleasure to smoke--an easy 93.5.