Sancho Panza Non-Plus & Partagas Presidente

[SmokinLightning]

I recently made myself a promise to take some quiet time every week to really concentrate and enjoy a cigar or two, so I can get some notes on paper for posterity. Since I'm writing this all down in my dossier anyway, figured I would share with the group. :-)

Sancho Panza Non-Plus OPU FEB06

Great looking cigar... lightly veined, smooth wrapper with a perfect triple cap. Several examples from this box have been downright ugly, I found this gem when I got down to the second layer.

Snipped the cap and lit, nice draw and straight forward tobacco taste. Healthy doses of smoke, could feel it coating the tounge. For the first inch or so, nothing but good clean tobacco flavor... making me wonder if this baby was going to offer up anything else.

By the midpoint, a slight citrus note appeared... reminding me of overripe orange peel. This moved in and out, blending seemlessly with the tobacco taste, but never really coming into it's own. I kept waiting for it to develop further, but it never happened. Also a slight hint of what I can only describe as slightly burnt oatmeal, which tastes better than it sounds!

Last bit finished off by adding a mild white peppery taste to the mix, which never overpowered to other flavors, merely making its presence known.

Halfway through the box now, and I've enjoyed every one of them... but I can't help but feel it's trying to deliver more than it is.

Partagas Presidente 1999

I aquired a handful of these a while back, unsure of the box code. A fairly ugly cigar, an awkward box pressed perfecto. Wrapper was somewhat rough, but it held together just find.

Cigar had burn issues from the get go, requiring several touch ups during the course of the smoke. This cigar was a perfect example of what I call medium bodied, full enough to be interesting but by no means a powerhouse.

First half was fairly well defined flavors of hazelnut and creamy coffee. By the halfway mark, a nutmeg spice developed... with maybe a dash of clove thrown in. Sorry no other pictures, I left the camera on and the batteries croaked!

Other than babysitting the burn, an enjoyable cigar. I was glad I was able to grab a few. I gave a friend one of these a while back, I'm curious to find out what he thought of it.

Thanks for reading!

[El Presidente]

Nice reviews Smokin and thanks for posting them

I am an avid fan of the non plus but the Presidente has generally left me cold.

[jsd]

Thanks for the review. Ive only had one Non Plus and it was pretty good.

[anacostiakat]

Nice ashtray! ;-)

I had some of those same Presidentes :-D

Good review on them. They were better than I expected.

[shrink]

Thanks for the revews, but...

I like my tacos with lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa.

[marco polo]

Thanks for the review !

[BigSlick]

Great reviews Keith!! Didn't get a chance to burn the Presidente in Antigua, but it is definitely on Death Row and will plan to do a follow up review on this post. TD

[bassman]

I'm almost finished a box of 04 Presidentes & the burn and draw problems of older versions have definitely been solved. Not complex, but a good strong straightforward cigar.

[JulietasRomeo]

The SP Non Plus is my current "Go To" PC right now. I have some from JUN06 that are actually mighty tasty.