BBF MSU OCT 19 (T5RW)

[generalnegroni]

+ bonus review - Olmec Colorado Claro Corona Gorda

 

Warning: long, clearly biased 

 

Bolivar Belicoso Fino, words to warm the soul. One of the first cigars I ever tried after a fateful Montecristo No. 2 in early 2019. At the time I thought the Bolivar less refined, more rustic, less polished. Experience has taught me that the comparison was wrong. A Bolivar is not a worse Montecristo. It is a beast of its own.

 

And what a beast it is. SLB, Partagas factory, FoH PSP from the good old days, bought in the heady summer of the early pandemic, when cigar smokers everywhere opened their humidors and thought - we’re gonna need some more sticks. I had hoped to lay them down a longer time, but my Cuban acquisitions have been cut short by the price rise and uk customs.

 

This is my first foray into that perfect box, but I have opened it every few months to smell, turn, check, and every time that heady scent has awoken something in my soul that the most beautiful sweet smelling flowers cannot (or even a cohiba).

 

Veterans of FoH May remember that PSP was once the highest grade, and the cigar equivalent of viagra. 2019 is nowadays described in some quarters as a vintage cigar, given the difficulty in obtaining older cigars outside of FoH’s vintage sampler program. To break open the box seems sad. To leave it any longer, a crime. 

 

The cigar is beautiful. Perfectly formed. The ideal of a BBF made manifest to die for our sins. The wrapper is lighter in colour than some Cubans, and a little more bumpy, but no less beautiful for that. The texture is bumpy, a little spongy, looser than most cubans I’ve smoked, but firmer than any non-Cuban. This should be the top of the mountain, non plus ultra, the cigar that all the other ones were trying to be. Do I think this is going to be the best cigar ever? Of course not, but let’s see where it lands.

 

Why I am I smoking this now? The best answer, “why not?” would not be the whole truth. I do not go through boxes as fast as some, for me this is a rare treat. The truth is I have finished a first draft of a book I have been writing. 110,000 words, some of them even in the right order. I will take the next week off, and then edit over Easter.

 

Started with a cross v cut. Cold draw reveals smooth, subtle cedars flavours with a healthy dose of spice. I’m smoking this outside and did not have the right lighter for the job - to my shame i singe my palm. Play with fire etc.

The first third starts subtle, and soft, but builds in intensity like an orchestra warming up. A steady trickle of white smoke runs from the ash. It’s currently the softest Bolivar I’ve smoked, so I worry it’s a little tight. Subtle, unmistakably Cuban hay and grass notes.

I work a bit of Cuban magic TM on the cut, and the second third explodes into gouts of thick rich smoke. Now we’re in Bolivar territory. We’ve hit plutonium. We’ve made the jump to light speed. The smoke is bitter, sweet, heavy, rich, full bodied, and blow for blow with any non-Cuban Maduro. It pairs perfectly with the st estephe I’m drinking but in flavour is closer to a red wine cask caol ila distillery scotch. There’s a strong wind, but halfway through the cigar and we’ve still not ashed. There’s more smoke than my mouth knows what to do with. 

We ash as we hit the final third. Unbelievable. I hate to say it but this is already one of the best cigars I’ve smoked. The home stretch rounds out the experience. The nicotine is hugging me. There was less of the boli Guinness/marmite here, more pure Cuban excellence. Grand cru burgundy stuff. The iron fist in the velvet glove. I don’t enjoy gushing, but here we are. This is better than an H Upmann Sir Winston I smoked in 2021. A Cohiba Siglo VI and IV, and an H Upmann Royal Robusto just retain joint top 3, but this makes number 4 all time. We’re just now getting to cured meats and bacon notes. An hour well spent. Barnyard to the end.

94/95 burnt my fingers this time. #worthit

Thank god I have 24 more.

 

Olmec Colorado Claro Corona Gorda

 

New world cigars love being a mouthful, in both senses. This one’s almost a tongue twister. Full disclosure, I’ve rested this ten days, so this is not a fair test, but here we go.

 

This is the latest hypest thing in the non-Cuban world. Suffice it to say that they’re pretty cuboids. Near-black wrapper is not quite perfect, a few rough spots here and there. It lights perfectly, and burns evenly. Flavour is coconut, almond, chocolate and cocoa. To my horror it went out halfway through. Serves me right for trying to slow down my smoking. Still a good cigar, still enjoyable, not enough to want more though.

 

87 

[Tunkat92]

Both are great cigars! Thanks for the review

[Slayer]

Thanks for the review, after the first few lines I dunno why I read it with Morgan Freemans voice in mind like an audiobook, great writing!

[Namisgr11]

Wonderfully written review.  I'll keep trying, but beyond the obvious smokiness doubt I'll ever taste cured meats and bacon in any of my smokes.