Por Larranaga Montecarlo FEB07

[greenpimp]

Por Larranaga Montecarlo, FEB07

I love the Por Larranaga profile. It often has much of everything I like, really, earth and coffee and a bit of sweet and floral and more. Complexity and power and balance. To me it has a Le Hoyo-Bolivar-Cohiba mixture.

Is it my favorite? I can no longer answer that question about a Marca. Like the bit of Don Juan still in me, I have no favorite kind of woman either. I like them all. Different types, moods. Depends on the day and the one. And some days I’m real picky. Some days I’m a ****. You know you know you know.

Anyway the cigar. Slightly darker than medium Colorado. Thin but well-constructed. Somewhat veiny but attractive. Like on of those long pencils that were half again longer than a #2 and always screwed up your standardized tests. Aroma unlit of sweet spice, draw slightly sweet as well.

First draws, cinnamon porridge. A bit of dank earth creeps in. Mild-medium, fuller when nasally expressed. Burnt caramel, a bit of sage. Rapidly becomes a good medium bodied smoke. Not a mild cigar by any means, in nicotine or body. Rich, young, smooth but with a bit of bite. Bit of cream, hint of citrus. Stronger coffee presents itself.

Roasted nuttiness, and a piquant nature evolving. Strength increases to medium-full, peppery finish of ligero. Youth showing, but so is it’s guts.

Becomes quite strong halfway to the last third, at least to me, blowing some through my nose and really savoring the darker coffee and earth notes. I would equate the strength and body to my Partagas serie du connoisseur #3, unbelievably. Quite tangy. Then the Por Larranage shows up again, with cream and burnt (young) caramel. Ratchets back down to a smooth, sweet medium. Floral elements show for the first time, odd at the end of a smoke. Finish has the bean of a Cohiba. Heavy bean finish persists until I lay it down. Good hour of a smoke.

Maybe I got a lucky box. But this cigar, the second with this profile from the box, verged on outstanding to me. I would probably give it a 91 due to its complexity and quality of flavors. Smoking performance was quite good as well. Wonderful burn and draw, ample smoke.

I wonder what age will do to this smoke. Seems to have the stuff to go a bit. I admit I have not smoked other vintages of this smoke, but cannot imagine based on other reviews I have read that it used to be this good.

Extremely enjoyable. Or perhaps today I am just a ****.

[tigger]

Very nice review.

[Claudius]

WTF are you doing?! Stop it! Let people smoke PLPCs, I want to buy these for myself!

;-)

Incredible review.

[shrink]

You pen one mean review, Matt.

I've smoked a few gifted examples, but none were anywhere near as good as this. Maybe the 2007's are the ticket.

As to whether or not you're a ****, I don't know...

but I did see a copy of your High School yearbook recently. Someone had drawn horns on your picture, and wrote "E-Z Lay" over it.

[n2advnture]

excellent review bro!

~Mark

[El Presidente]

You nailed it Matt

Your review is of a Mnotecarlo at its best. Warning however...these cigars have a significant percentage of variability box to box and need to be inspected carefully. Under and overfilling is common.

[greenpimp]

» You nailed it Matt

»

» Your review is of a Mnotecarlo at its best. Warning however...these cigars

» have a significant percentage of variability box to box and need to be

» inspected carefully. Under and overfilling is common.

I was frankly not expecting much from this cigar. Just some good Larranaga flavors, kind of a super sized panatela for writing during the day.

It would be great if this is the new them, though. Rob have you tried any 07's?

[El Presidente]

» It would be great if this is the new them, though. Rob have you tried any

» 07's?

07's are fine. Taste exactly the same as 06. Wrapper colour and correct filling needs to be inspected.

[Professor Twain]

» You nailed it Matt

»

» Your review is of a Mnotecarlo at its best. Warning however...these cigars

» have a significant percentage of variability box to box and need to be

» inspected carefully. Under and overfilling is common.

Great review, thanks!

Hey Rob, when you find under and over filled cigars on inspection, do you send them back?

[El Presidente]

» Hey Rob, when you find under and over filled cigars on inspection, do you

» send them back?

We have a policy of returning cigars which do not meet benchmarks. We have to be fair to PCC. If we can move them through the wholesale markets (bottleshops, pubs, casino's, tobacconists) we will.