Bolivar Coronas Gigantes - '05-'06 (CRW)

[Sir Diggamus]

This is a cigar I received as a single sometime in 2006 and has been in a desktop humi since then taking a rest. The construction on this cigar is near perfect and there is a thick oily sheen on the cigar even after all of these years. Aroma at cold is a little barnyard and dark chocolate. 

 

I clipped the cigar and away we went. The draw had a good deal of resistance, but once lit it the cigar drew in a lot of smoke. The flavor I noted in the first few puffs was earth. A few more puffs later I started to notice a dried berry note on the retrohale that increased with each draw of the cigar. Then an espresso note came in much like the berry. There were varying degrees of each of these flavors throughout the first third, with a cocoa powder note joining in just at the end.

 

 

Into the 2/3 the dried berry and earthy notes disappear with the espresso note changing more to a ground coffee note with the cocoa powder and pencil lead on the finish. I was glad Rob put up the flavor wheel post because it reminded me to keep one out and wouldn't have nailed this more mineral flavor otherwise. The cocoa powder note become more front and center with the coffee notes on the retrohale being a nice compliment. A little cedar note joins in. The evolution of this cigar is really great, the flavors are gliding in and out of intensity. At this point for some reason the keep having to relight the cigar, but it is still burning fine. 

 

 

In the beginning of the last third the cocoa notes again are front and center with the woody and mineral notes in the background. The latter notes fade and the rich earthy notes come back in as the main flavor. In half a dozen more puffs the dried berry notes join back in too but ease in and are at the edges. The cigar finishes with an interplay of the earthy, cocoa, coffee, and berry notes all the way to the nub. 

One of my favorite Bolivar cigars is the Tubos no 3 and I had quite a few of the same vintage and the profile on this reminds me of the older brother of that cigar. The core of earth, cocoa, coffee, and berries is what I have always picked up in those smokes. I quit on Bolivar for some years and all of the Bolivar I have tried with a 2013 or later date seem to be missing the strong earth and espresso that I used to think were the hallmarks of the marca in favor of a lighter and more fruity profile in most cases. The Liberator was all berry salad for sure. This cigar was worth the wait.

95 Points. An amazing cigar. 

 

[Chucko8]

Fantastic review and pictures.

[maverickdrinker]

Great review!


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[Goodfortune]

Thanks for the review! Sounds and looks like a great cigar.