Bolivar Coronas Extras POS Nov 06

[tigger]

I haven't had one from this cabinet in awhile, and am guessing that they're still quite young.

Nice sheen to the wrapper, which has a couple of blemishes and "sunspots" on it. Wrapper smells a little "green" with an earthy/funky note.

Nice heft in hand, and a gentle squeeze shows the right firmness.

There's a dimple apparent at the head after a cut it. Doesn't mean much, but it shows that someone had pride in his or her work. A good sign.

Draw at cold is a bit firm, and tastes like strong tobacco.

Upon lighting, I'm met with classic Bolivar flavor - sweet fruit, spices and earth. Peppery finish. Not a watered-down blend at all - it's quite strong.

First 3rd:

Again, there's plenty of ligero in the blend. Rich, deep riffs on the flavors noted from the initial draw. Ash is good and firm. There's a youthful bite on the finish. Firmness of draw loosens up nicely at the end of third #1.

2nd 3rd:

Continued subtle changes to the "Bolivar core," with some toasty nuttiness appearing. The youthful bite on the finish diminishes greatly. Burn is a little off, but there's a pretty steady breeze blowing, and the cigar may not be at fault.

Last 3rd:

More of the same, but slight differences continue to make themselves known. Toward the end, as is often the case, strong herbal flavors develop. It's a good time to purge, which I do, and get another 10 minutes or so of Bolivar.

This was a very enjoyable cigar. With a couple of points deducted for youth and minor wrapper imperfections, I think this is a solid 90 cigar (a pretty high rating from me), with the potential to pick up another 4 or more points after a few more years box time.

[Colt45]

Thanks for the review. I have a similar cabinet in storage, and I'm looking forward

to trying them in the future.

[bassman]

Love them! Burning through my DB, then on to the cab. And plenty of 07s waiting too. Haven't smoked any yet, but I keep hearing the 07s are even better.:-P

[anacostiakat]

Good review! These have fantastic ageing potential in general. My '97s are magnifico!

[shrink]

Nice, accurate assessment, tigger!

Yep, add me to the list of admirers. I rank the BCE's from '06 and '07 among the very best habanos from this era.

[El Presidente]

Excellent review Tigger.

I smoked one of the Aged Boli CE (25's) Monday and my experience mirrored yours. The opening was almost brutal before settling down into a wonderful complex medium bodied cigar. The only difference was no youth on the finish.

One of the worlds great Corona Extra's

[jdbrown]

I have had a couple from my Nov 05 Cab. They are just now becoming a very good cigar. I have heard others complain about 05 BCE but late 05's are excellent.

[toasterhead]

Hey tigger,

I had one from the Christmas Sampler (POS May 07) about a month ago and I thought I was riding a wild horse. Like Prez said, a brutal opening assault which really never settled down. Long nap time.

Dave