The Skinny on Skinnies. Fundy V Lancero V Connie 1

[SmokinLightning]

Excellent comparison review Rob.

I happened to pick up a box of those '01 Fundys from you a while bacl, they are sublime... it's tough to keep my hands off them.

The Cohiba Lancero review surprised me a little, as I have a box of the same vintage and I've been enjoying them. They are definately towards the lower end of the medium spectrum, but they seem flavorful enough... all hay, citrus, and sweet tobacco.

I'll have to fire up another tonight, just to be sure of course. :cool:

[Colt45]

Great stuff as always!

[Professor Twain]

Nice to see these side by side reviews.

I have 06 Fundadores that are very good as well.

[big rusty]

You can bet your RASS...I love Connie 1, but I never had a Fundy that I thought much of. So if you find another 01 laying around, cracked and a little miss-treated!!

Send her my way, I'd love to give her another try!!!!!:-D

[Mr.T]

Great reviews!

I loooove the Skinnies...cigars that is:-)

I've got some Fundadores from 05 laying around. I've had one and it was smooth and classy. I've also got a box of Connie 1s from 06. When you open the box it is just like you described: pungent strong barnyard aroma, but the ones in this box have strong oils. I had one and it was great. Construction on both..perfect. I look forward to ageing both boxes some more because they will definitely get better with age.

[winelover]

Great reviews Rob. I have a box of connie 1's of the same box code your reviewed before: GSO MAY06 - was your latest review of this cigar from the same box code?

Agree with you that the finish is excellent - I had one at Christmas with an uncle and cousin - but just when I got into the final third they all went inside (too drunk) and I really regret not having finished it myself.

[El Presidente]

» Great reviews Rob. I have a box of connie 1's of the same box code your

» reviewed before: GSO MAY06 - was your latest review of this cigar from the

» same box code?

More than likely. With assorted singles in the "seconds" humidor I have a habit of simply writing the year on the back of the band.

[Wiley]

Okay Rob, how about finishing this comparison with a LGC MdO #1 and a Montecristo Especial #1?

[El Presidente]

» Okay Rob, how about finishing this comparison with a LGC MdO #1 and a

» Montecristo Especial #1?

Did the Montecristo Especial No 1 recently :-)

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/board_entr...id=67306#p67306

Will do the LGC Medaile D'or No 1 over the next week.

[cohiba]

great review rob

I have several of each cigar and havent tried any of them yet. Not sure witch one to go for now. I have really enjoyed the Party 3's the Party 2 i had left me a little disapointed. Cant wait for the mother of them both. How do you feal they compared against eachother?

Thanks

[Loki]

Nice review Rob.

I love them tall and skinny.

I remeber those 98 Trinis . I happened to be in Toronto pub crawling with the wife. Ahh the good old days. I smoked a couple fresh.

I saved one and smoked it last year. It rocketed to #1 on my best smoke list.

[El Presidente]

» great review rob

»

» I have several of each cigar and havent tried any of them yet. Not sure

» witch one to go for now. I have really enjoyed the Party 3's the Party 2 i

» had left me a little disapointed. Cant wait for the mother of them both.

» How do you feal they compared against eachother?

»

» Thanks

Of the three I prefer the Connie 3. For some reason a great Connie 3 is fuller...medium full and that is what I personally crave for in a short cigar. Some Connie 3's can be Medium but in the main they are fuller than the rest of the line. They share fare more similarites than differences.

Once I want a longer cigar but in the same style of flavour....I tend to jump to a Partagas 898 V. However when I am writing I enjoy a fine glass of Red or HC7 and Connie 1. Something about the feel of the Connie 1 in the hand which puts me in a contemplative mood. Like holding a great Pen.

[GoatLocker]

Great comparison. Smoked a 98 fundi and 98 lanceros with a friend last year, and while the lanceros was damn good, the fundidores was something special. Sadly, I have just one lonely sample left in the humidor.

[Smooth]

However when I am writing I enjoy a fine glass

» or Red or HC7 and Connie 1. Something about the feel of the Connie 1 in

» the hand which puts me in a cotemplative mood. Like holding a great Pen.

Amen to that. I have a handfull of 06' Con #1's left... You have inspired me to reach for one very soon...

[Tampa1257]

Great comparisons Rob, as well as some Great Cigars! Each of these deserve a place in the humidor and if everyone here bought a box or two of each and let them age a bit, then they could gain the appreciation for the thin ring Habanos that several of us here have.

OK, besides, you would sell a heck of a lot of thin cigars and have to reorder a big batch.

[beachcougar]

The 1998 Fundadores is my all time favorite smoke followed by the 2001 Lancero. Great reviews. Sorry for the disappointment with the 05.

[56Tweed]

Great reviews! I haven't bought many Fundis since I've only enjoyed the '98s. Perhaps I should revisit.

The Lancero is a real favorite of mine, but I haven't bought any of the newer ones. Perhaps I should try a box of those '06s you mentioned. ;-)

The Connie 1s with age have been tremendous cigars. I have a fresh box I haven't sampled from yet perhaps I'll try one soon. :-P

[shrink]

» Trinidad Fundadores (2001)

» Cohiba Lanceros (2005)

» Partagas Serie De Connoisseur No 1 (2006)

This was an interesting comparison, but it was an unfair one.

2001 was an excellent year for the Lanceros, and it's good to know that it was good for the Fundies as well. But 2005 was not a good year for Lanceros, and some other Cohibas as well. IMO, 2006 was one of the best years (if not the best year) ever for Partagas. But as you know, the Series du Conn need at least a few years to show well.

If we were to compare these three at their best, I believe that the results would say a lot more about the preferences of the smoker, than of the cigars themselves. Each is a classic, and is spectacular in its own way.

My personal preference is for the Partagas. I love it's spice and depth of flavor. I enjoy the Cohiba on special occasions; it's one of very few vitolas that I consider a 'dessert' cigar, and not just because of it's sweetness, but because of it's sophistication and delicacy. When these are mature, they remind me of nothing so much as a fine creme caramel, with those burnt sugar and vanilla flavors. For me, the Fundie comes in third.

A few years ago, I smoked a '98 Lancero and '98 Fundadore back-to-back. The Trinidad was excellent, rich and complex. But it lacked the subtlety and balance of the Cohiba.

That being said, I've got to locate some of those '01 Fundadores. ;-)

[El Presidente]

completely unfair Shrink :-)

I should have reviewed same vintage but I went with what I had readily available in my seconds desktop. Shame on me. I will have to repeat the test ;-)

[El Presidente]

The Skinny on some Long Skinnies.

I will keep these comparative reviews brief as I can tend to the verbose.

Since my little op I have had a hankering for some long thin cigars and over the past three days I have had the following:

Trinidad Fundadores (2001)

Cohiba Lanceros (2005)

Partagas Serie De Connoisseur No 1 (2006)

None of the cigars were visual perfection as they all ended up for one reason or another in “Robs Assorted Rubbish Humidor” Tears to the foot, a crack here a split there. Yet I have a soft spot for my “seconds” humidor as some of my favourite cigars have come from there. Before I place them in the “Seconds” humidor they are checked for construction flaws so that I know that they will draw. These three cigars were in very good shape.

Before tasting I new that the Connie 1 would win hands down. It has been a long time since I have had a stunning Fundadores. Lanceros from 06 show a lot of promise but 05 left me cold. Connie 1 has always been a lush rich dream regardless of year. Full of hubris I commenced.

Trinidad Fundadores (2001)

Construction: Good. Small tear to the foot. No hard or soft spots. Pigtail on cap looks like someone sat on it.

Wrapper: Very attractive chocolate. Good oil.

Aroma at cold: Light cocoa.

Clipped the cap and took a nice long draw at cold. Perfect. Slightly sweet on the lips. Clean aged tobacco. Fired up the foot…..Smooth with a capital S . From the outset it was mild to medium in body with a remarkable flavour of cocoa powder. Sweet, light medium but Rich. Classic case of mid body/full flavour. Glorious.

Ash: Good. Firm.

Aroma: mix of burning tobacco and chocolate chip muffins in the oven.

The second third increased in body to true Medium. There was no longer a pretence. Cocoa a little richer and joined by some short macchiato notes. I haven’t had a Trinidad Fundadores like this since the great 1998’s. What a marvelous return cigar from a few days puro free. Checking the humidor to see how many 01’s I have.

Final third is a continuation of the second. Glorious. I could take a point off here or there for limited complexity but when a cigar nails a profile so perfectly….why nit pick.

Aftertaste. Long and sweet.

Sensational cigar overall and one of the best I have had in a significant period. Solid 94 and Connie 1 has now come up with some serious competition.

Cohiba Lanceros (2005)

Construction: Good. The roll appears fine and I have high hopes of a good draw.

Wrapper: Pale even for a Lancero. Could be an English version ;-) . The wrapper is a little beat up. If this was a female you would have passed it over until late at night. Wrapper lacking oil. Actually looking at it again...I really am a tight arse.

Aroma at cold: Grassy.

Clipped the cap and the draw was again perfect. On the palate there are few notes of tobacco but plenty of long dry grass nuances. Fired up the foot and let it get into stride….I waited a little longer…and a little longer still. In racehorse parlance it was stuck in the gate. Grassy on the palate…..light tobacco. Still tastes a little green. Light bodied. Looked once at the garden below but decided to continue. Some strained lemon honey notes show through which give me some hope. Needs Ligero.

Ash: Average. Flaky.

Aroma: Quite aromatic in a health shop way. Grassy. A little sandlewood.

The second third and it finally reached a piss poor attempt at medium body. Grassy, little tobacco flavour. Some green citrus note. Lick a green skinned orange and you will know what I mean. Quite unconvincing as a premium cigar. An embarrassment to the Marque.

Final third is not much better than the second. Some weak coffee entered the fray. Overall however it is a shadow of the 06 03 and 01 (that draw).

Aftertaste: I feel like I have been grazing on pasture.

Highly disappointing. I haven’t had much luck with 05 Lancero’s. The only ones that I have enjoyed are the exceptional shiny vaseline like wrappers. Lack of Ligero has been a problem with many. This is simply another.

They may simply need more time. Then again how many times do you race a slow horse before you give up. I think I have 3 more in my humidor from this box. Have marked the band 2012.

83

Partagas Serie De Connoisseur No 1 (2006)

Construction: looks a lot better in the photo than real life (members who use online dating agencies know what I mean). Someone has taken to this with the ugly stick. Appears well rolled. No hard spots.

Wrapper: Looks good but dry and sandpapery to the touch.

Aroma at cold: Quite pungent in a barnyard way. It has a dark menacing presence which promises a wild ride.

Clipped the cap and the draw….perfect. That makes three form three in this format….should buy a lotto ticket.

Fired up the foot and it was as if the cigar whispered “Welcome home”. I know this cigar intimately. Savoury/sweet Partagas paprika spice. Smooth, good quality tobacco, medium bodied. The smoke wisps around me and I feel a million dollars. This is a comfort cigar, this is a wife. Well structured, classy, it knows you as much as you know it. One problem however…I am thinking of that Trinidad Fundadores.

Ash: Average /poor. All over the place.

Aroma: Simply Partagas. Savoury Spice, light wood.

The second third is still medium and for all its classic flavours they are not yet fully developed. There is a slightly charred wood element, paprika, dark coffee. In a few years these will evolve into a sweeter darker profile. It has all the elements of an excellent cigar. Right now it is well above average but not at its best. A little one dimensional, a little uncertain.

Final third and some darker coffee notes shine through. Dark beans freshly pressed. Very nice finish and it certainly left its best for last.

Aftertaste: A little bitter. Simply a sign of youth. Don’t hold it against her.

I have had better 06 Connie 1’s. Deeper richer more evolved flavours. I feel that the lack of oil in the wrapper let this one down a little. Yet, if in pristine example I know that 99% of members would love the cigar.

88

Summary.

The Fundadores was in a class of its own. Keep in mind it was aged (01). The Partagas Connie 1 with similar age will give it a run for its money but this example is not likely to reach a 94.

The Lancero could quite possibly suprise us all in 2012. Then again I still think that I look fitter and more handsome every year. If the remaining Lancero's I hold were racehorces (costing me money to maintain)...I would put them down now.

[Tino]

They may simply need more time. Then again how many times do you race a slow horse before you give up. I think I have 3 more in my humidor from this box. Have marked the band 2012.

I picked up a single Lanceros 2005 recently and smoked it today. Just checked through a few reviews and saw Rob's comment quoted above from 2008.

Based on this showing, it should have been shot in the paddock. Had a draw like a straw and tasted of, well, straw. And grass, and a bit of hay. Barely developed over an hour and a half except for the slightest hint of coffee in the last third. Instant coffee at that. Pretty disappointing.

I'll have to pick up another one at some point, they must be able to do better than this one!

[dangolf18]

Well Cohibas I've had from '05 have all been very underwhelming. '05 is one of the worst years for cc's in my opinion,