Tang Monarch 2003 (BGRW)

[Lant63]

 

About five or six years ago I wandered into the LCDH In Windsor. Most of the pricing was exuberant for regular production cigars however there was a great inventory of aged and rare cigars that were being sold at a fair premium. I wandered over to a box of H Upmann that said Monarch on the side. I knew however that these cigars never came in slide lid boxes... Except in 2003 when they were part of the first “regional release” That were commissioned by David Tang for PCC. Sure enough the bottom of the box read 2003 and I purchased all of these red and gold band Monarch that were left.

 

1/3

Copious amounts of hay, leather, almonds, bitter espresso. Floral through the nose. Sweet cashews develop. Burnt walnuts.

 

An interesting pairing to a drink that I recently have been working on: soy, maple and Luxardo cherry syrup mixed with black tea and rye whiskey

 

Returning to the cigar short bread and butter take hold. Honey biscuit, floral olive oil finish

 

After the first ash falls sourdough bread, mushroom like umami, a bit of driftwood the return of bitter espresso very dry in terms of the absence of sweetness.

 

About 2/3 of the way through the cigar some sweetness develops. Like French bread that breaks down on the tongue as you chew, more floral sweetness.

 

Throughout the final third rich leather baking cocoa in floral notes intertwine. Some bitter burnt nuts develop as well as the cigar closes.

 

 

A really interesting cigar to say the least. Extremely mild, I would have love to have smoked the cigar on its release as well as the other sizes of petite corona and the no2.

 

98/100

 

 

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[PigFish]

I don't know if I could taste a cigar through that concoction of yours... but if you says so!!! Thanks for the review. -r

[99call]

very interesting review, of a cigar I would of loved to get a hold of.

The description sounds like the lovechild of e Upmann monarch,  crossed with  Dip no 3,  crossed with a SP Molinos.    

All I can say is that, if a cigar like that did exist, then it would defo be worth 98 points.

A question?  Were there Chinese stickers on the box?  I think i've only ever scene SIR DT monarch boxes with Chinese stickers on them, was it just the fact they were SLB that made you 100% sure?

[Ken Gargett]

i need to go back and check my box - could have sworn it was a slide. sadly, very few left in it. got it from rob so not concerned about authenticity. had never heard of any other than the 2002s. but they are one of the truly extraordinary cigars. stunning stuff. 

[Lant63]

50 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

i need to go back and check my box - could have sworn it was a slide. sadly, very few left in it. got it from rob so not concerned about authenticity. had never heard of any other than the 2002s. but they are one of the truly extraordinary cigars. stunning stuff. 

They very well may have been 02. I didn’t keep the box. My memory was 2003.

 

54 minutes ago, 99call said:

very interesting review, of a cigar I would of loved to get a hold of.
The description sounds like the lovechild of e Upmann monarch,  crossed with  Dip no 3,  crossed with a SP Molinos.    
All I can say is that, if a cigar like that did exist, then it would defo be worth 98 points.
A question?  Were there Chinese stickers on the box?  I think i've only ever scene SIR DT monarch boxes with Chinese stickers on them, was it just the fact they were SLB that made you 100% sure?

No Chinese stickers. PCC distributes both for Asia and Canada. Also normal Monarch did not have red/gold bands at this time and did not come in SLB ever. 100% sure.


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[99call]

1 minute ago, Lant63 said:

No Chinese stickers. PCC distributes both for Asia and Canada. Also normal Monarch did not have red/gold bands at this time and did not come in SLB ever. 100% sure.


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nice work,   sorry I wasn't being sceptical, I was just fact finding for my own records

hats off, what a score

[DaBoot]

Sounds like an incredible smoke

[Lant63]

nice work,   sorry I wasn't being sceptical, I was just fact finding for my own records
hats off, what a score

Hahah didn’t take it as such! Happy smoking!


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[Habana Mike]

Nice stick, nice review. 
 

Stlll have the one Wilkey (ginseng) gave me years back. 
 

Where’d he go? Haven’t seen him around in years. My favorite mod....

[The Squiggler]

Very interesting... some nice cigars coming out for this round of reviews ?

[Lant63]

Nice stick, nice review. 
 
Stlll have the one Wilkey (ginseng) gave me years back. 
 
Where’d he go? Haven’t seen him around in years. My favorite mod....

Be sure to post a review when you smoke it! I’m not quite sure what is happened to some of the moderators. I have taken a step back from the forum as well. I’m sure Rob could lend some insight


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[Lant63]

Very interesting... some nice cigars coming out for this round of reviews

Agreed! It’s fun to see the range of cigars that I’ve been tucked away by forum members


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