Partagas Corona 2006 Reviews and blend comparison.

[Professor Twain]

Rob, thanks for this detailed review with the corresponding pictures. For a relative beginner it is great to get more than just a review, your comments on the citrus peel flavor, likely aging properties, and relation to other cigars is like attending a graduate seminar on Habanos. Much appreciated.

[stever]

Great reviews and nice photos. I really like the Partagas Coronas from SVF AUG05, but it sounds like I need to try these '06s too. Damn! There goes the budget. :-D

[Bubba -NJ]

Nice review . Sounds like another to get soon .

[Tampa1257]

It will be interesting to find out which box Smithy will be sending my way in my December order I just placed with Lisa. Thanks for the review, now they can just sit back and age a few years and then we can compare this review with that of the same box code with age.

[Mel]

Hell them thangs should have behaved like wild brumbies kickin **** and layin ya down mate. Think they have the legs for aging or should smoke em all up right away? I love my cabs from 02 but afraid to try them new-uns.

[Well Armed]

» Great reviews and nice photos. I really like the Partagas Coronas

» from SVF AUG05, but it sounds like I need to try these '06s too. Damn!

» There goes the budget. :-D

How would you describe the SVF 05 box to the ones Rob had?

[Claudius]

So you like 50 year old classy women, huh? ;-) :-D

[El Presidente]

» So you like 50 year old classy women, huh? ;-) :-D

I love an older woman ;-)

[El Presidente]

» » Great reviews and nice photos. I really like the Partagas Coronas

» » from SVF AUG05, but it sounds like I need to try these '06s too. Damn!

» » There goes the budget. :-D

»

» How would you describe the SVF 05 box to the ones Rob had?

I thoroughly enjoyed the SVF 05. From memory, I found them to be fuller in body with more white pepper spice but less finesse than the 06.

To assess the ageing legs of the 2006, we will need to wait 2-3 years to see their development. I believe they have what it takes for a great 5 year old cigar. I have some doubts about their ability past 8.

I am guessing (as one can only do based on experience) that they will be an excellent complex cigar at 4-8 years.

[tigger]

Great review Rob!

It's truly a shame that these are on the chopping block...

[Claudius]

I havent seen that GSO code yet, btw. Would you tell us which factory it stands for? (I understand SVF 05 is Partagas).

[stever]

» How would you describe the SVF 05 box to the ones Rob had?

Smoked an SVF AUG05 last night.

Rich tan color with light sheen, slightly veiney, slightly bumpy, and yet silky smooth to the rub. Well-packed with firm resiliency and box press. Overall excellent construction. First ash is white grey, very firm and over 2 inches. Barnyard nose at cold. Rich fermented tobacco and sweet dark fruit at foot.

Medium firm draw with rich tobacco, leather and white pepper at prelight. First few draws reveal a slightly creamy, medium-bodied smoke with toasted tobacco and white pepper. Spicy earth notes follow thereafter. Definite white pepper tang, but the pepper becoming softer, more rounded as smoke progresses.

Slightly sweet woody notes coming through at 1” mark. More pronounced leather notes surface around the 2” mark with the smoke becoming more mellow and rounder before the white pepper and toasted tobacco finish. At the halfway mark there’s a slight, sweet and zesty nuttiness mid-palate that adds a nice balance to the finish. The white pepper flavor recedes somewhat into the background, but resurfaces with the occasional nose exhalation. A dry cocoa flavor also surfaces for a short period with about 2.5 inches remaining, and leather notes are also more pronounced. More pronounced earth and cedar notes come through towards the end.

Overall, a rich, tasty and enjoyable smoke. Looking forward to the ‘06s.

[El Presidente]

Nice work Stever

[El Presidente]

» I havent seen that GSO code yet, btw. Would you tell us which factory it

» stands for? (I understand SVF 05 is Partagas).

Claudius....I am under instruction not to reveal current box codes although I have the list.

I use the codes as a reference particularly when ordering high production cigars in order that I try to get the majority from Partagas/La Corona/EL Habanero/ H. Upmann and El Laguito.

[hazleem]

Rob, nice pics and review!

Very sad that they're stopping production on these babies... :crying:

[Ginseng]

Exemplary!

I've only had a few Coronas as singles (from FOH) and I truly enjoyed them. They will be a loss for sure.

Wilkey

[shrink]

» Hell them thangs should have behaved like wild brumbies kickin **** and

» layin ya down mate. Think they have the legs for aging or should smoke em

» all up right away? I love my cabs from 02 but afraid to try them new-uns.

I'm with Mel. My '02 cab is one of the strongest Partagas in my humidor. Hard to believe that these '06s will end up like that. Still, once they're gone, they're gone...

[El Presidente]

Last week our last supplies of Partagas Corona 2006 arrived. They are to be discontinued as at the end of 2006 and there appears to be no reprieve. The discontinuation of this cigar is a disgrace as for many of us, it was in the top 2-3 of all Cuban Corona's.

Looking at our stocks I noted two different box codes in GSO ABR 06 & GSO AUG 06. I thought it would be a good opportunity to not only complete a review but also to test blend consistency an issue to which I have an interest in seeing dramatic improvement.

Both boxes of cigars looked near identical with Colorado shade wrappers and a box press construction. Construction overall was immaculate which is consistent with 2006 cigars.

Smell at cold of both boxes was again identical....chicken coop...ie straw and chicken ****. To me this is a good thing

I started with the April Box code first.

Clipped the end to reveal a fine if slightly over easy draw. I prefer it a touch tigher but I was not complaining. Out of 5 I would give the draw a 4. You can see from the photo of the cigar that the foot reveales a perfect bunching of tobacco.

No hard or soft spots evident. Torched the foot, took my traditional long draw and gave the little corona a minute or two to get into stride.

I will always correct the draw of a young cigar but I am never too pedantic. Razor edge burns seldom appear before the 4-5 year mark.

The initial body was medium and the flavour straight toasted tobacco, earth and a touch of white pepper spice. Straightforward...smooth as an aged wine and approachable right now. Not a rough edge to be found.

The white pepper spice all but disappeared by the half inch mark leaving the Partagas Corona with a signature earth and leather profile which I know many of you adore but a flavour profile that doesn't necessarily ring my personal bell....but still very enjoyable. Excellent levels of smoke, good mid palate albeit a slightly short flavour finish.

The second third continued in the same vein as the first with toasted tobacco leather and earth. One can tell that the cigar has the breeding to develop into an excellent puro and likely to develop a fuller body profile within 3-4 years. It has many similar characteristics to the Partagas Serie De Connoisseur No 3 but excludes any element of sweetness.

Into the last third of the cigar I was expecting the body to build from medium to full bit it did not happen. The corona maintained it's poise and profile to the very end. Tasty, unmistakenly Partagas but at this stage of its life cycle it had no intention of jumping to the wild side and show me a little passion or youthful exhuberance. I respect that.

In summary a very good Corona. It surprised me a little with the absence of white knuckle pepper spice I so often use to find in young Partagas. The medium body was a surprise as well...I expected a touch fuller....more bull at a gate....more college Frat party. What I got instead was a disciplined show bull and a chess club star.

88/100 4/6 smoke rings.

The second August 06 Partagas was a kissing cousin of the first. Looked the same, smelt the same, rolled the same with the exception of a slightly tighter draw which I would give a 5 out of 5 rating.

Clipped the end, toasted the foot, nice long draw and out through the nose.......ahhhhh...Partagas white pepper.

But...just as in the first Partagas, the white pepper was but a visitor in the night quickly replaced by toasted tobacco, earth and leather...with one additional ingredient....citrus peel.

Let's discuss this citrus peel phenomenon quickly for it is something I refer to often. There are some cigars where citrus peel is a core flavour regardless of age...La Gloria Cubana Medaille D'or No 1, Montecristo No 1 and La Gloria Cubana Tainos come immediately to mind.

Citrus peel is also a flavour which I have recently found in many young cigars (first 6 months of age) and it is a flavour which may or may not stay for the long run. The flavour to me is enchanting and more dominant the younger the cigar is. However when you are enjoying an aged LGC Medaille D'or No 1..the citrus peel notes are hints...a classic flavour that drifts in and out. It is that beautiful, classy, 50 year old woman who's hint of perfume is entrancing.

In many recent boxed young cigars (and cigars picked up off the rolling tables) the citrus flavour can be very dominant....much like the cheap perfume on a 16 year old girl going to the movies.

I am not sure if I am making much sense....but I expect the citrus in this Partagas to disappear or transform to a background element before long. I am quite certain if I tasted the April Partagas Corona in July, it too would have has a similar citrus note because in every other facet (body, flavours of toasted tobacco, earth, leather and the opening of white pepper spice)...they were identical cigars.

The August 06 Partagas was in all facets a mirror of the April 06 Partagas from beginning to end. Medium bodied, same flavour profile excluding the citrus which we have discussed. I would gladly keep a few boxes in my own humidor for aging and development because it is a classic corona which deserves respect.

These cigars came from the same factory albeit produced in different months. There is something to be said about smaller production cigars when it comes to consistency of blend.