Partagas D5 ETP JUN 16 (FEBW3)

[Capn_Jackson]

Perfect weather here in Ft Worth today to light up a smoke. This one came from a very generous Pay it Forward sent to me by @Tunkat92. I’ve gone back and forth between PD4’s and PD5’s. Started smoking the PD5’s years ago, and became impatient whenever I had a PD4. Now it’s usually the other way around, and I would rather PD5’s take their time to “get there.” With nearly 8 years of down time, we’ll see how this one goes.

Like most of the PD5’s I’ve come across, this one is smoother leaf, not much tooth, but a few bumps and ridges in the veins here and there. Very attractive with a soft peanut butter shade of brown. The aroma is kinda just barnyard and tobacco. Cold draw gives me coffee, some salt, and a tiny bit of graham cracker pie crust. Great draw after a little drybox time. On the opening light I taste Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, and lightly salted popcorn.

First third is mostly sourdough toast with cinnamon and butter, along with some coffee. There’s also definitely some leather and damp earth, and a little bit of spice. The retro at first is very peppery, surprisingly so. Have to pound the sparkling water to combat that burn, but it evens out pretty quickly. The first third is really pretty muted overall, not what I’ve come to expect in a PD5, but pleasant. Strength is nowhere near that Partagas force that I’ve had before. Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve ever had a PD5 with more than four years on it. Maybe that’s why the slightly lower strength.

Good time to give my face an appearance.

Heading towards the 2nd act, there is some evolution here. A dark honey starts to pile on top of the coffee. The sourdough with cinnamon and butter is starting to get sweeter, too, and some crushed almonds show up for the fun. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, add almonds, in a bowl with some kind of nut milk…. Follow me for more recipes.

As the 2nd third gets going, the sweetness dies down and I’m surprised to find a little fennel in the mix. Haven’t tasted fennel on a cigar in a long time, at least not that I noticed. A little bit like anise, but less sweet. Almonds were trying to join the party but got rushed out the door quickly, and something like walnuts take their place. Everything is evolving very slowly for a PD5, and I gotta say I’m pleasantly surprised by that, with regards to my first paragraph. The burn line has remained constant, only a couple waves but mostly straight as an arrow, something else I’m not used to in this cigar. 

Mid-puff selfie. So flattering, I know….

Heading into the last act, the walnuts are joined by some more honey, and I can’t help but think of baklava. A little paprika spice is present as well, and I feel like I just finished a great Greek meal. Only thing missing is the tahini sauce! A burst of citrus would fix that, but not getting any at this point. As if this cigar read what I was writing earlier, the fennel morphs somewhat into more of an anise note, probably due to the sweeter profile here. As I get close to the label, sadly, the honey takes on a slightly charred character, and then things get a little bitter. Purging helps a bit, but only temporarily.

An hour and twenty minutes. Quite honestly, this is my best experience with a PD5 in quite some time. Even with the harshness near the end, this was still a very enjoyable smoke. All along I was reminded how much I have to nurse PD5’s. Every one I’ve ever had acted like it wanted to go out, and most do, but this one never did.
Burn line was good the whole time, but I did have to puff a little quicker than my usual. Strength consistently rode just on top of medium, and flavor was bold the whole time.

I’m going to have to say about a 90 on this. Very good cigar, and I’d give it higher, but it did get a little too hot near the end.

Cheers!

[Tunkat92]

That box has been a grab bag! They all have been great tasting and construction but profile wise its been a crap shoot. Glad you enjoyed!