YFRS: San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe EAR OCT 01

[tjblue]

Were they from 1001?

[servebig]

» Were they from 1001?

man those are old

[mr.harten]

» Were they from 1001?

Yep...

[servebig]

» » Were they from 1001?

»

» Yep...

i thought you meant 1000 years....i never age mine that long;-)

[El Presidente]

You are working overtime

Great review and I really enjoy the Principe. It has always shown true Marque characters. Again just a question...I assume you have smoked from this box over the years. Have you seen a noticeable drop in "body"? Did,at any time in the past, the cigar hold those chocolate characteristics?

[mr.harten]

»Again just a question...I assume you have smoked from

» this box over the years. Have you seen a noticeable drop in "body"? Did,at

» any time in the past, the cigar hold those chocolate characteristics?

Hey Rob, I have only had the box for about a year and have smoked about a 1/2 dozen from it. Based on earlier notes there was some chocolate present when I first got them but it seems to be fading with each review. :-( The body has always been noted as somewhat reduced.

[mr.harten]

San Cristobal de la Habana El Principe EAR OCT 01

(I tried to mimic Rob's photos as best as possible. Hope it doesn't backfire on me if Ken sees the railing and decides to fly to Texas to take a whiz of my balcony :-D )

This little cigar has always been a favorite and it has been quite a while since I last had one so it seemed the natural choice for me this AM. I poured a cup of black coffee, grabbed my stocking cap and headed for the front porch.

A lovely cinnamon brown wrapper with a slight oily appearance. No overly prominent veins but a bit of a roughness to the texture. Just the right amount of give when pinched and it has an excellent cap.

Pre-light aroma of the wrapper is of mild barnyard and caramel and the scent at the foot is of light cinnamon and nutmeg.

The draw and burn are both flawless producing tons of thick, chewy, aromatic smoke. The ash remains firm throughout.

Smooth flavors from the very beginning without the slightest hint of harshness. Predominant notes of the 1st 1/3 are leather and sweet sour cream with a spiciness beginning to show itself.

During the 2nd 1/3 the profile shifts and is dominated by coffee beans and toasted tobacco with a white pepper bite resting in my throat. A subtle floral element comes and goes.

The final 1/3 is all coffee bean and spice with an increasing amount of cinnamon on the lips.

All in all one of the more refined El Principes I have smoked. No brashness whatsoever. Very balanced and smooth. None of the chocolate notes typical of this cigar are noted and it is notably milder in body than the ones I have had from 2005 and 2006. It still packs a pretty good nicotine kick though. Definitely not a bad way to start off the morning.

90/4