Bolivar Immensa 1997

[greenpimp]

Bolivar Immensa 1997

Smoked with water and coffee in the backyard. Beautiful Central Coast spring day.

Attractive Dalia, milk chocolate color, slightly lumpy with light veining. Smell at cold funky light tea, and earth. Prelight draw slightly musty, firm but acceptable.

Good smoke volume upon lighting. Bit more presence to the smoke’s character than previous examples. Smooth but flavorful, slightly sweet earth and nuts. Roasted meat quality to the smoke’s smell. Quite excellent delivery of the core Bolivar flavors in a medium bodied start. Strong tea flavor on the finish, like overbrewed English breakfast. Well kempt, focused core of flavors. Reminiscent of the 1997 Bolivar PC’s I finished some time ago, with the same profile, but expanded.

2nd 3rd---Spice, like a sweet paprika, and chocolate emerge for the first time. Earthiness and strength amplify quickly. Even spicier.

3rd 3rd---Close to full bodied. Hint of dried fruit. Large smoke volume. Almost too strong, some bitterness. Still a good deal of development to come. Smoked it to 1”.

Overall excellent. Still some to come, as I noted. Smoking characteristics were excellent. I would probably give it a 91-92. The other Immensas I have smoked are from early 2006, and these are very similar in their profile so I expect great things from them as well. Perhaps even better. However I think these still need a bit of aging to smooth out the final half a bit. Glad I have a few left to sample for awhile.

Will have to unearth the box to find the exact code if anyone is interested.

[El Presidente]

Great review GP

It is good to know that these have years to go in terms of development while still being excellent now. Perhaps even more impressive is that recent examples have the same flavour lineage.

[SONNY1]

» Bolivar Immensa 1997

»

» Smoked with water and coffee in the backyard. Beautiful Central Coast

» spring day.

»

» Attractive Dalia, milk chocolate color, slightly lumpy with light veining.

» Smell at cold funky light tea, and earth. Prelight draw slightly musty,

» firm but acceptable.

»

» Good smoke volume upon lighting. Bit more presence to the smoke’s

» character than previous examples. Smooth but flavorful, slightly sweet

» earth and nuts. Roasted meat quality to the smoke’s smell. Quite

» excellent delivery of the core Bolivar flavors in a medium bodied start.

» Strong tea flavor on the finish, like overbrewed English breakfast. Well

» kempt, focused core of flavors. Reminiscent of the 1997 Bolivar PC’s I

» finished some time ago, with the same profile, but expanded.

»

» 2nd 3rd---Spice, like a sweet paprika, and chocolate emerge for the first

» time. Earthiness and strength amplify quickly. Even spicier.

»

» 3rd 3rd---Close to full bodied. Hint of dried fruit. Large smoke volume.

» Almost too strong, some bitterness. Still a good deal of development to

» come. Smoked it to 1”.

»

» Overall excellent. Still some to come, as I noted. Smoking

» characteristics were excellent. I would probably give it a 91-92. The

» other Immensas I have smoked are from early 2006, and these are very

» similar in their profile so I expect great things from them as well.

» Perhaps even better. However I think these still need a bit of aging to

» smooth out the final half a bit. Glad I have a few left to sample for

» awhile.

»

» Will have to unearth the box to find the exact code if anyone is

» interested.

Jesus Christ..........11 ****in years and it STILL isnt ready yet???

Honest to God, I just dont get it. If a box from 2006 is very similiar to that of a 1997, what the hell is the point of letting them "age"?

At some point, isnt the whole concept of aging either futile or just bullshit that Habanos SA concocted to forgive their production deficiencies?

[greenpimp]

»

»

» Jesus Christ..........11 ****in years and it STILL isnt ready yet???

»

» Honest to God, I just dont get it. If a box from 2006 is very similiar to

» that of a 1997, what the hell is the point of letting them "age"?

»

» At some point, isnt the whole concept of aging either futile or just

» bullshit that Habanos SA concocted to forgive their production

» deficiencies?

I didn't say it wasn't good. I said it was excellent. But I think it will be even better later. And the 2006's overall profile is similar, but they are very different tasting cigars now, IMO. The 1997's smoother, with more cohesive flavors, longer finish.

Smoke em now. They're good now too. Some cigars are better later. This was one of them. I imagine it was extremely strong when it was young. And that has a lot to do with why I think it hasn't reached its full potential yet.

But hey do whatever the **** you want. Tastes vary and the more I smoke the more I find I like cigars with some age under them. But what the hell do I know. Not much, I'm told.

[shrink]

Gentlemen...

Matt knows what he's talking about. Both Matt and I have been enjoying some 1999 Partagas de Partagas No. 1 that are quite good, but without doubt, still have room for improvement. It's all about the blend.

[bassman]

One of the most irregular cigars I've ever smoked. I had a box of 97s, recently finished. Some were just fantastic, some totally flat. The proverbial box of chocolates.

[greenpimp]

» It's all about the blend.

You got that right. More succinctly said.

» One of the most irregular cigars I've ever smoked. I had a box of 97s,

» recently finished. Some were just fantastic, some totally flat. The

» proverbial box of chocolates.

Have you tried any 06's? I've smoked a bunch from a couple early 06 boxes and they've all been really good.

[jdbrown]

I smoked my first Immensa a few weeks ago. It was a gifted 06 and I thought it was very good. Excellent draw and combustion. One that not too many people seem to review.

[Colt45]

GP, great review!

[greenpimp]

BTW, as far as the whole aging thing goes, I don't believe that one has to age their cigars to enjoy them "properly." As if there was such a thing! I think it is personal preference. I have good friends who think they are better right off the boat, and on some I agree. My Dad, for instance. Do I think he's wrong, misinformed, of poor taste? Well yes, but not about cigars. That's just how he like em.

It is all personal taste and who am I to say that what I like is the right way. I hate it when someone tells me what tastes good, too. I like finding out myself, deciding for myself.

[Smallclub]

» I had a box of 97s,

» recently finished. Some were just fantastic, some totally flat. The

» proverbial box of chocolates.

I have had the exact same experience with a box of '97 ( FPG NOSC).

[shrink]

» One of the most irregular cigars I've ever smoked. I had a box of 97s,

» recently finished. Some were just fantastic, some totally flat. The

» proverbial box of chocolates.

I've never had a '97 Inmensa. But I did have an '01 box that I thought was pretty good... until I tried the '06s. After sampling one particularly tasty example, I put the rest of the box away until sometime in the distant future. In comparison to the '06 Bolivar Coronas Extra, the Inmensa was not as strong, but I think it may ultimately be more aromatic and maybe even more complex. Time will tell.

[El Presidente]

» Jesus Christ..........11 ****in years and it STILL isnt ready yet???

»

» Honest to God, I just dont get it. If a box from 2006 is very similiar to

» that of a 1997, what the hell is the point of letting them "age"?

»

» At some point, isnt the whole concept of aging either futile or just

» bullshit that Habanos SA concocted to forgive their production

» deficiencies?

Going via your line of thought you have just destroyed the whole aged wine market as well :-P

Cigars may get better or worse over time. In the main better as long as the blend has the legs for the long term. In effect they evolve. You can't stop it.....it is just a natural transition.

[SONNY1]

» » Jesus Christ..........11 ****in years and it STILL isnt ready yet???

» »

» » Honest to God, I just dont get it. If a box from 2006 is very similiar

» to

» » that of a 1997, what the hell is the point of letting them "age"?

» »

» » At some point, isnt the whole concept of aging either futile or just

» » bullshit that Habanos SA concocted to forgive their production

» » deficiencies?

»

» Going via your line of thought you have just destroyed the whole aged wine

» market as well :-P

»

» Cigars may get better or worse over time. In the main better as long as

» the blend has the legs for the long term. In effect they evolve. You can't

» stop it.....it is just a natural transition.

GOOD POINT. (PUTS GUN TO MOUTH.........."IM SOOOO CONFUSED!!!!)