Tom's Cigar Reviews » Cuban

Trinidad Fundadores – Guest Review

Tom — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Good ole Timm is back for another guest review. If you aren’t familiar with him, he did this review awhile back. The writing on the box is in German, and says “The EU Health Ministers – Smoking harms you and the people in your environment.” Most of us share Timm’s view, and I quote
“I think NOT smoking a cigar stresses you out and stress shortens your life Faster.” I agree Timm! I am not saying cigar smoking is good for you, but I can think of worse things to do. One way or another, we all gotta go. Might as well relax while we are here. Anyway… Let’s see what Timm has to say about this cigar. I always enjoy his reviews, so let’s get to it!

Wrapper/Binder/Filler: Cuban

Size: 7 1/2" x 40 Laguito Especial, a lonsdale

Price: ???

Appearance

The wrapper had virtually no flaws. It seemed to be a little out of balance for me due to its length – I tend to prefer Toros. The cap had a cute little pigtail while the body and foot was nice and tight with no signs of cracking. The aroma coming from the wrapper/foot seemed to have a slightly sweet smell, reminding me of nuts and Rum.

Pre-light

The pre-light draw was easy, almost too easy, and had a flavor that reminded me again of nuts and a light rum. When I squeezed the cigar’s entire length, it wasn’t firm, but not spongy either. A few soft spots were noticed, but nothing I would see as a concern. The sweet nutty aroma seemed to demand I make the cut and find a torch.

Lighting

Lighting the cigar, I was met with a bold nutty taste and a slight hint of rum. The Trinidad lit easily but started to have a burn issue about ten minutes in. I would later have a difficult time with the correction of this issue. In hindsight the side of the cigar that was sitting in the box is the side that had the trouble.

Smoking

Even with the burn being so “off,” the cigar smoked wonderfully. The taste was amazing, bringing to mind images of old Havana and Morro Castle. Puff after puff, I could just picture Fidel enjoying one of these along with a rum and a tropical sea breeze. I was forced to return to my own reality and correct the burn as it continued to be a problem. About midway into the cigar, I was forced to re-cut the cigar below the lowest burn point and relight it.

The dreaded Re-cut and Last 1/3

After re-cutting the cigar I was quite pleased to find the great taste remained, as did the burn issue. I was forced into a routine of several puffs followed by an ashtray adjustment to the ash. Even with the trouble this cigar had become, it still had a wonderful aroma and great taste, perhaps one of the most consistent from start to finish as I have ever smoked.

Partagas Serie P No. 2 & Icelandic Glacial Natural Spring Water

Tom — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:59:00 +0000

I figured I’d pair the Partagas with some Icelandic Glacial spring water. This stuff is bottled at Olfus Spring in Iceland. I know it’s easy to say water is just water, but this stuff has a very clean taste to it. It does a great job of cleansing the pallet. I’d easily put it up against my standard Fiji brand. It just has a cleaner feel and taste. But you didn’t come here to read about water, so let’s get started.

I’ve had mixed results with Cuban cigars. For example, the Bolivar I had recently was horrible in every way. I’ve had several brands of Cuban cigars, and so far, the Partagas Serie P has not let me down. Let’s see how things go tonight.

Onto the cigar…

Partagas Serie P No. 2
Size: 6 X 52
Wrapper, Binder, Filler: Cuban
Shape: Torpedo
Body: Full
Price:$15 – $20.00

Pre-Smoke:
This thing was tightly packed, but the draw was free, with just the right amount of resistance. The wrapper had a slight “Toothy” look to it, but looked great with no flaws. When sniffing the cigar, I was greeted with wood and pepper notes.

The first third opened up with hints of earth (IE a rich soil, almost grassy). There was a nice sweet taste that overtook the earthy notes. Passing through the sinus revealed a fairly strong, almost sharp feeling pepper and spice. With any good Cuban cigar, there is a very unique flavor that I can’t quite pin down.

The second third pretty much remained the same as the first. The only difference I could notice was the pepper really smoothed out and became less “Sharp” if that makes sense.

During the last third, this cigar really came into it’s own. Although the flavors I’ve already described still existed, things changed. The earthy flavors faded a bit, and the pepper/spice smoothed out even more. I’d venture to say slight coffee notes would come and go. When exhaling, there was a cooling effect on the lips and nose. All the while, that unique Cuban tobacco flavor reminded me why I love this cigar.

Conclusion:
Hands down, this is my favorite Cuban cigar. It has never let me down, and this was no exception. The burn was almost perfect, requiring only a couple of touch ups. If you run across the Partagas Serie P No.2, by all means give it a try.

As always, on to the amazing slide show:

Bolivar Habana

Tom — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:06:00 +0000

I’ve had this since December of last year, and figured it was time to light it up. I’ve had mixed experiences with Cuban smokes, ranging from great, to horrible. As a whole, I think Cuban cigars are overrated, but when they are good, they are REALLY good. As of now, my favorite Cuban cigar is the Partagas Serie P. Let’s see if the Bolivar changes that…

Size: 5.5 X 52
Blend: Cuban tobaccos

Pre-smoke:
I’m pairing up with water, and The Balvenie 17 year scotch. As for the cigar…

Construction was perfect. I couldn’t find any flaws in the wrapper. The cigar was firm when squeezed, and the draw was perfect. When I sniffed the foot, there was a nice aroma unique to Cuban cigars. A smooth pepper sensation was left in my nose afterwards.

The Flavor:
I was greeted with pleasant earthy notes. The pepper I had in the pre-smoke was present, and tasted great. Also present was a familiar flavor I can’t describe. All I can say is, it is unique to Cuban cigars. The smoke easily passed through the sinuses, and the cigar showed a lot of promise, until…

Construction:
The burn was unacceptable. The filler and binder burned at a faster rate then the wrapper. I constantly had to correct it. Eventually, the flavor fell flat. I became so distracted by the burn problems, that I decided to put this cigar down. I can’t enjoy a cigar with these issues.

Looks like my go to Cuban cigar is still the Partagas Serie P.