Bolivar Gold Medal POS DIC 06

[jqmunro]

Received a couple boxes of these today... one box from POS NOV06, the other TEB JUN07... I guess it took a while for the manufacturing of these

[El Presidente]

» Thanks for the review! One thing that caught my eye in your and Jimmy's

» posts is the

» word ammonia. I understand you're not saying they reek, but I've always

» associated

» ammonia with improperly processed tobacco. It's been my understanding that

» proper

» fermentation should take care of this kind of off-gassing?

In general yes however there are some cigar releases in which it is noticeable. The Punch Super Robusto was one. Now it was produced and released at the same time as the Ramon Allones Estupendo which had no noticeable Ammonia traces. So what gives?

Is there a Ligero which comes from a particular finca or district of fincas which has this characteristic and is preferred for a certain type of cigar? I can't answer the question Colt as only the blending team assembled to determine the blend of the cigar can do that and they will talk to no one (not even HSA).

In regards to the Punch Super Robusto, the PCC team would have determined the size and the blend characteristics they wanted "Medium full, great ageing ability etc etc". At some stage they would have tasted an array of blends and selected the final. They can do this because the PSR is essentially a new format.

The Gold Medal has a pedigree that the blenders would have wanted to emmulate. Full cigar, long ageing ability. They would have sifted through bales and bales of warehouse ligero from the Vuelta Abajo region (each bale tagged with different districts noted) until they found the characteristic they wanted. They may have sacrificed early smokeablilty for mid to long term potential....I can only speculate.

The BGM has a reputation as a cigar which ages particularly well. It is a connoisseurs cigar and remember that it was released only to La Casa De Habanos outlets...not average retailers, not airports...but rather in an environment where purists visit, smoke and store cigars.

[El Presidente]

» Received a couple boxes of these today... one box from POS NOV06, the other

» TEB JUN07... I guess it took a while for the manufacturing of these

»

Gold foil was the hiccup for an earlier release date. Tobacco, cigar and box production was not a problem but my information is that they simply could not get consistent production/delivery of Gold Foil.

[Colt45]

» They may have sacrificed early smokeablilty for mid to long term potential

»

This was another aspect of this thread I found very interesting - the intentional

blending for long term aging. I'm trying to equate it to wine making, but obviously,

the processes are a bit different. Any thoughts on what criteria they might use in

choosing the raw materials? Might they even use a somewhat different process to try

and achieve the goal of long term aging?

[CIGARMASK]

I can't wait for this too......... :-P

[Ken Gargett]

» Come to Papa...

»

» Rob, if these are DIC 06, why are they just now coming out? Did they wait

» until there was sufficient stockpile to give a share to all authorized

» dealers? Do all of yours have that box code? Surely some of the other

» box codes on this initial round must be well into 2007.

»

» Hoping that you folks got the pick of the litter.

my thoughts would be that there was a delay as they simply are not yet ready and the longer they could give them the better. but not long enough.

[pnutbutrsangwich]

I just got a box with the same code. Perhaps mine were in a different part of the bundle in the aging room... or maybe something happened on the plane ride over, but the one (emphasis on ONE) that I tried was fantastic. Super earthy, very strong, nicely chocolatey and tannic throughout the middle, no harshness whatsoever! If you gave me one and said it was 10 years old, I would have believed you. This is going to be dangerous for me :-|

[Tampa1257]

Rob,

Quick question, how come I don't see all the Lung Stickers and stuff all over the pretty box?

[Jimmy2]

Smoked one to the way to work this cigar is very good cigar.

There was no ammonia to be noticed any where it was a little bland at the start but awoke in the 3 rd.

Color oily golden brown wrapper

Smell strong sweet tobacco

Earthy,nice med tobacco flavor and sweet hints of fruit and the I did nub it as the flavor intensified when about 2 inches left and was full bolded.

This cigar will be even better with age but in my honest opinion it is good now to smoke or at least sample one from your box to see how they are smoking.

Sorry about my short review but I was driving to work so I could not take notes.

Can not wait to see what they offer with a month time in the humidor.

[El Presidente]

» Rob,

»

» Quick question, how come I don't see all the Lung Stickers and stuff all

» over the pretty box?

They rushed these out and put the stickers in the mastercase for self application ;-)

[pnutbutrsangwich]

» » Rob,

» »

» » Quick question, how come I don't see all the Lung Stickers and stuff

» all

» » over the pretty box?

»

» They rushed these out and put the stickers in the mastercase for self

» application ;-)

Hopefully this is a new trend with PCC. I was elated to see that box sans stickers :-)

[Matthew]

Surprisingly, I've found that the initial boxes (Dec '06) are not as good as the later ones. The mid-07 boxes are fantastic. Unquestionably the best young cigar I've had in years.

[Trevor2118]

» » Rob,

» »

» » Quick question, how come I don't see all the Lung Stickers and stuff

» all

» » over the pretty box?

»

» They rushed these out and put the stickers in the mastercase for self

» application ;-)

Yes, well........ that worked well.....

[Belicoso_Fino]

» Bolivar Gold Medal POS DIC 06

»

» Well I have had a chance to smoke two of these and that makes me no expert

Ahem!

It's good to see that SOMEONE has THEIR boxes of BGM's...

:-P

[kjellfrick]

Yes indeed nice to see that.;-)

Lisa?

[CigarManofKent]

I've now noticed a few people commenting on the difference between the 06 boxes and the 07 boxes. I have Nov06 and Dec06 so maybe I lucked out here. The one I have had was pleasant enough but was clearly a young stick. Dont plan on touching these again until the spring.

Was anyone else dissapointed with the 'foil'. More like gold coloured paper really! I've never seen an original BGM in the flesh, where these half-covered in actual metal foil with a separate Boli band?

[Miami101]

Good review:

Wow these look great!

[Zaphod42]

I have this same box code and haven't touched them yet. Any thoughts on how these are coming along after 2 years?

[jdbrown]

Yes Rob Give us your thoughts..I purchased multiple boxes of initial; re-release in 07. I have had two and they both screamed the same thing yours did last year..Stay the F--k Away!!!

Now I have heard from others that some early 08's are very good. Have not purchased any so who knows!

[El Presidente]

» Yes Rob Give us your thoughts..I purchased multiple boxes of initial;

» re-release in 07. I have had two and they both screamed the same thing

» yours did last year..Stay the F--k Away!!!

»

» Now I have heard from others that some early 08's are very good. Have not

» purchased any so who knows!

Tried two last week both from 07. Solidly good cigars but not great. They still have not opened up in terms of flavour.

[El Presidente]

Bolivar Gold Medal POS DIC 06

Well I have had a chance to smoke two of these and that makes me no expert

Visualy they look a million dolars. Kudos to HSA on a fine package.

Aroma at cold is all hedonistic tobacco. Earthy, slightly herbaceous but overwhelmingly Vuelta Abajo tobacco. Construction is good though concerns that it may be a touch on the tight side. Quality of wrapper is sublime. Slightly silky to the touch with a sexy red hue.

Clipped the cap...ever so slight tight draw but very acceptable. The type of draw that you know will open up before long but also one which will accentuate flavours. There is a sweet green tea note on the lips which is a little disconcerting.

Fired up the foot and noticed two things....plenty of smoke letting off a fruity aroma...and a whiter ash than normal. The draw was fine...I can be anal retentive.

What can I say about the flavour? I will be honest. This cigar is not ready to smoke....not for a looooooong time. Medium bodied (no powerhouse) but at this point of its development very closed in its delivery. It has the ingredients for long term ageing...quality tobacco, good white pepper spice through the nose, plenty of earth and some black pepper notes, wet wood. But it also has a greeness to it and an amonia edge which yells at you "Stay the F""K Away" The further I smoked this cigar the more sour notes registered on the palate until it became unpleasant. Serves me right. There were some lovely earth and shortbread passages but as soon as you discerned a certain line...wave after wave of fermenting grass would spoil the palate.

I felt bad smoking these two examples because I should know better that they were nowhere near ready. My nose told me from the beginning and I have been burn't before. But here is the rub. The aroma was strikingly similar to a cabinet of Punch Super Selection No 2 that I purchased in 1999 (1998's). They were poison when I purchased them but have evolved into the definition of Habanos perfection. It took them the best part of 7 years.

So...this is in reality a non review. What we have is the raw ingredients to a future classic but it is an average cigar today. I wouldn't reach for another for at least 2 years to assess development (2009) and don't expect them to be anywhere near approachable until 2012.

If you cannot wait until then....cancel your order. Honestly, I think if you wanted a go to cigar in your immediate rotation then you will be very disappointed. However, If you want a box or two or three (when available in good numbers) to put away for the longterm....you will be rewarded in spades.

[brian1]

Rob,

Smoked my 3rd of a Dic 06 box accquired from your goodself. These are fantastic right now IMHO...I did not get any sourness whatsoever or even the faintest hint of amonia. These are incredible for such a your cigar like every 2006 I have add. I got a great melange of different flavors from the get go. Typical boli earthyness with hints of nuts and some other flavors that I cant describe but they was good:-)

If these are this good with 6 months I wonder how they will age, hopefully only get better. One of my of my top 3 cigars in 2007 so far.

» Bolivar Gold Medal POS DIC 06

»

» Well I have had a chance to smoke two of these and that makes me no expert

»

»

» Visualy they look a million dolars. Kudos to HSA on a fine package.

»

» Aroma at cold is all hedonistic tobacco. Earthy, slightly herbaceous but

» overwhelmingly Vuelta Abajo tobacco. Construction is good though concerns

» that it may be a touch on the tight side. Quality of wrapper is sublime.

» Slightly silky to the touch with a sexy red hue.

»

» Clipped the cap...ever so slight tight draw but very acceptable. The type

» of draw that you know will open up before long but also one which will

» accentuate flavours. There is a sweet green tea note on the lips which is

» a little disconcerting.

»

» Fired up the foot and noticed two things....plenty of smoke letting off a

» fruity aroma...and a whiter ash than normal. The draw was fine...I can be

» anal retentive.

»

» What can I say about the flavour? I will be honest. This cigar is not

» ready to smoke....not for a looooooong time. Medium bodied (no powerhouse)

» but at this point of its development very closed in its delivery. It has

» the ingredients for long term ageing...quality tobacco, good white pepper

» spice through the nose, plenty of earth and some black pepper notes, wet

» wood. But it also has a greeness to it and an amonia edge which yells at

» you "Stay the F""K Away" The further I smoked this cigar the more

» sour notes registered on the palate until it became unpleasant. Serves me

» right. There were some lovely earth and shortbread passages but as soon as

» you discerned a certain line...wave after wave of fermenting grass would

» spoil the palate.

»

» I felt bad smoking these two examples because I should know better that

» they were nowhere near ready. My nose told me from the beginning and I

» have been burn't before. But here is the rub. The aroma was strikingly

» similar to a cabinet of Punch Super Selection No 2 that I purchased in

» 1999 (1998's). They were poison when I purchased them but have evolved

» into the definition of Habanos perfection. It took them the best part of 7

» years.

»

» So...this is in reality a non review. What we have is the raw ingredients

» to a future classic but it is an average cigar today. I wouldn't reach for

» another for at least 2 years to assess development (2009) and don't expect

» them to be anywhere near approachable until 2012.

»

» If you cannot wait until then....cancel your order. Honestly, I think if

» you wanted a go to cigar in your immediate rotation then you will be very

» disappointed. However, If you want a box or two or three (when available

» in good numbers) to put away for the longterm....you will be rewarded in

» spades.

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