Partagas Lonsdale November 00

[aavkk]

Great review Pres! Fantastic description of flavors and profile. I wish I had the chance to say that i agree and its spot on. Maybe one day.

[Fuzz]

Another top notch review! One of these days I'm gonna have to post a review... just have to find some free time I guess.

[jdbrown]

Nice one Rob. I have November 00 Cab's myself. Have not had one in some time but they are very similar to your description. They truly are a smoke that demands one's full attention.

[Mike33]

Great review Rob! I have about a cab and a half left of the '00s and I have loved every single one I have had :-D

[stever]

Great review.

Need to score one of these for myself!

[Moglman]

Thank you very much, Rob, for the review and the revival of my faith in a cab of the same month. Only five are gone, and yet I only recall one that wasn't a chore to smoke as they are all very tightly rolled. The flavor is superb but I repeatedly pass on these expecting an ordeal of dryboxing, poking, prodding and manipulating, and in the end, getting annoyed. I'm a bit more comfortable now in taking on the mission again.

[BigSlick]

Great review Rob!

Only had the opportunity to smoke one of these and enjoyed the hell out of it. Unfortunate that they are extinct outside of personal collections. TD

[shrink]

The Partagas lonsdale. When you think of the words 'classic', and 'lonsdale', this is the vitola that comes to mind. A cigar so good that I am reluctant to smoke it. Because every one that I fire up is one less that I will ever have.

But, sadly, when I read the boxdate of this cigar, I wondered how it would draw. Late 2000 through mid-2001 is the danger zone for small ring cigars, and especially lonsdales. Many, many are tight or downright plugged. But if I clip one and find it tight, it doesn't go over the rail. No, it goes right back into the cab. One day, many years from now, that cigar will open up, and it will be tremendous.

If there was ever a cigar that should be reissued as a Regional Edition, it's the Party lonsdale. If it's blended correctly, Habanos will sell every single cab of 50 produced. Every single cab.

[bassman]

These are fine cigars. I have a cab from SEP 00. But if you're looking for more power seek out an 02 cab. Those have much more strength & flavor.

[greenpimp]

Nice review. Real yeoman's work you gotta do, there, El Rob.

I have some 2002's I have been hoarding, and I would agree they are quite strong and full-bodied.

[Mr.T]

» If there was ever a cigar that should be reissued as a Regional Edition,

» it's the Party lonsdale. If it's blended correctly, Habanos will sell

» every single cab of 50 produced. Every single cab.

Great review of a classic in the range

Great idea Shrink...I second that suggestion. These would be a great cigar to reissue in cabs of 50. Let's bring back some of the thinner ring gauge smokes. With the positive reviews of the Trinidad Ingenios this could be a possibility?

Maybe the Prez can drop a hint to the folks in Habana at the festival.

[Claudius]

» If there was ever a cigar that should be reissued as a Regional Edition,

» it's the Party lonsdale. If it's blended correctly, Habanos will sell

» every single cab of 50 produced. Every single cab.

Yes, they should make cabs of 50 of these, and yes they would sell them all because I would buy them all :-)

[Claudius]

» These are fine cigars. I have a cab from SEP 00. But if you're looking for

» more power seek out an 02 cab. Those have much more strength & flavor.

Funny how you mention the 02s. I happen to have a cab of 02s I'm smoking through and I was going to post how my Lonsdales are full-flavoured from the start and not the weak lollipop Rob describes. Maybe he got a fake one LOL ;-)

[broozer]

i've smoked a couple of '01 partagas coronas that were excellent and if the lonsdale is ANYTHING like it it's a winner for sure. i will always regret not picking up a cab of these when i had the chance back in late '04/early '05. i'm such an idiot!! :-D

bruce

[El Presidente]

Partagas Lonsdale November 00

Fantastic gift from Gordon brought back by Lisa…..thank you!

Cab Partagas Lonsdales are considered by many to be one of the must haves. I don’t disagree. I have not tried one for over a year so I was looking forward to re-acquainting myself. This example had a light/ pale wrapper with a slightly soft feel. Upon closer inspection the softness had much to do with the wrapper being so supple….velvet like. It is not overly attractive…. I would call it as Corojo but I am not 100% sure. Aroma a cold is tea and light tobacco.

Serrated the cap and the draw presented was perfect. Some sweetness on the pre light draw but mostly clean light tobacco. Gently fired up the foot. My immediate thoughts were that this is a lot lighter in body, strength and flavour than I recall. Milk coffee and sweetness on the edges dominate the palate. light medium in body. This is a careful, calculated and refined opening. Super smooth cigar. Smoothness that can only came about with age. Here is where my barbarity comes to the fore. I appreciate the cigars lineage and maturity, its controlled delivery and restraint, its smoothness. However I am wanting a little more body….a little more flavour…a little kick. I berate myself knowing well that the continuous tasting of younger cigars has dampened my ability to appreciate fully aged tobacco. Have I become a fraud…a ruffian…a seeker only of immediate gratification in the most base manner? The Lonsdale responds almost immediately with a transformation.

The second third is now medium bodied in profile. The smoke is thicker on the palate and hangs in the humid air like an early morning mist after a night of rain. The flavours are deeper…richer. Savoury Partagas spice with a shortbread core which brings a bready note and with it some underplayed sweetness. Partagas Lonsdale was teasing in the opening third. This is a mature woman who only opens up when she is ready. The aroma is malt mixed with quality aged leaf. Enticing. I am at that point where a cigar is so good that it demands I leave the laptop and sit back in the rocker and simply enjoy the experience. It is a rare experience but when it happens it is the reason you come back to cigars time and time again. The falvours are controlled….balanced…smooth….rich. Exhaling through the nose brings no bite as if the cigar castigates me for such a brutal attempt at forcing a performance it has no intention of heeding. This cigar is maturity and class.

The final third only gets better. Richer still…fuller spectrum of Medium…sweet paprika, shortbread, baked ricotta. Reminds me so much of the 97/98/99 Lusitania cabinets. There is an existential element to this cigar that I cannot describe but it comes with age, quality leaf and a blender who knows his craft. This quality is not a flavour but a sense of surreal peace and relaxation. That in itself rules it out being a woman.

An excellent cigar of the highest order. To be honest in a blind taste test I would have unlikely picked this as a Partagas Lonsdale in the first third. Yet only Partagas delivers the sweet/smoked paprika…baked ricotta notes the last two thirds delivered in spades.

Thank you Gordon for the experience!

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