Partagas Serie P2 (MSU SEP 18) (PWR)

[Bri Fi]

P2’s are one of my favorite cigars. I love the format, and they just flat out deliver 95% of the time for me. This box of P2 were clearance from our hosts and the box date is my daughters birth month/year. I have a couple other boxes of P2 but this particular box is on a completely different level. The MSU factory surely delivered in 2018. 

 

A straight cut reveled an open draw. Not a wind tunnel, but open enough that I can pull freely without any effort. Flavors are all cuban twang. 

 

First third: the cigar took no time to develop. From the first puff, this stick showed what it was going to be about. Sweet/spicy cream, a little black pepper, and cedar. For a lot of people, they associate partagas with bell pepper. I’m not sure if I am associating the flavor incorrectly but to me a good Partagas is spiced cream. 

 

Second third: the flavors are consistent with the first third with little change. Surprisingly, toward the last part of the second third chocolate becomes the dominant flavor. If I smoked this cigar blind at this point, I would have said it was a montecristo. I was just as pleased as I was surprised. 

 

Final third: I had to step away from the cigar for work, but when I came back I clipped the foot and relit. The cigar took a bit of a turn toward pepper and spiced cream. I’m not sure if the break was the reason the sweetness was gone, but the pepper picked up quite a bit. It was not unpleasant. Aside from the unanticipated relight, the burn was razor sharp. I nubbed the stick till my fingers burned. First nub I’ve had in a while. 

 

Overall, this stayed true to my anticipation. These are absolutely ready now but I smoke them sparingly because it’s a special box. I bought another box on 24:24 about a week ago, so I look forward to having a nice stock of these built up for the future. 93/100