Bolivar Coronas Junior
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Chronography: Thursday 6th January 2011, 6:15PM - 7:45PM
Weather: Outdoors, Partly Cloudy, 22C, 75% RH
This cigar is on the firm side when giving it a good pinch between the fingers. No soft spots.
Wrapper is light milk chocolate without an oily finish, but I can see some plume on the surface as the stogie has been resting in my humidor for about 12 months now (see photos). There are a few veins, but theyre not protruding and ugly. Seems like it gives the cigar a bit of character.
The wrapper smells clean and fresh with a strong scent of cedar and earth at the foot. I can already tell that this is going to be a smoke to remember!
Today, I reach for my Palio. I didnt want to restrict the Cuban classic of anything by using the punch. The cut was the cleanest I have ever achieved with this cutter and Im attributing that to the cigar and not the cutter.
The pre-light draw is a little hard, but manageable. Cold draw tastes of cedar and woodchips with lashings of leather. Imagine a brand new leather wallet. Now open it, close your eyes and take a deep sniff with your nose right in the middle crease. There, thats the taste!
Lighter used is a Colibri single flame torch. Lights up with a bit of effort. Once lit, the cigar gives off a medium amount of smoke and, believe me, its beautiful!
The first few puffs immediately indicate that, despite the small size of the cigar, its a full flavoured, hard hitting powerhouse! This cigar is a classic Cuban. For those who have smoked a few Cubans in their time, you know what I mean.
Even though the draw on this cigar is a little tight, its still producing a lot of flavours when the smoke fills every crevice of your mouth. Im greeted with a toasty wood and I think rasin. Its light enough to retrohale and pick up an espresso after taste. This is a stunning cigar.
If you were to judge the cigar upon the first third, you would give it an easy 85-90 points. The burn, sitting smoke, and taste are excellent.
The second third begins and the strength increases. The smoke is fuller and thicker. A retrohale is less comfortable but still gives a flavour of damp cedar. Ever had a humidor thats too wet? Thats a wonderful, but dangerous, smell. Thats that taste Im talking about. Great in a cigar. Bad in a humidor!
So far, the ash has held on and its now an inch and a half long. Id rather break it off in the ashtray than have ash-pants. I put a little pressure to see if I can break the ash, it stays solid and breaks with a *CRACK* like a concrete stick. Thats a hard ash!
The final third has begun and I taste a significant change in the cigar. The taste is harder and the smoke more pungent. Theres now a distinct smouldering wood taste and the retrohale is razor sharp and full of campfire heat. Its a magnificent sight to watch this cigar resting between puffs. Its talking to me. I can hear it calling to me to puff again. It wants to be smoked. It yearns for it. The BCJ knows it was created for one conclusion only; to leave you satisfied. Thats what its doing to me now.
As normal, I have slowed my smoking towards the end to prevent smoking a hot cigar. No problem, just gives me more time to enjoy :cbig:
Theres a spicy heat thats intensifying with each puff. Unfortunately Im brought back to the issue of the medium-tight draw as I feel my lips heating. I think I might have to end the cigar early for fear of scaring my lips. The retrohale of damp cedar is still there and is encouraging me to push through the heat.
Till now, the burn line has been thick but consistent, not needing any touch-ups. Im feeling a bit light headed due to the weight of this cigar and have increased the frequency of sips of my cold beverage to combat the nicotine. I dont think its working, but that doesnt matter. Im gonna nub this bad boy!
Conclusion
The BCJ is a favourite of mine. Theres always a space in my humidor for these sticks and till this smoke, theres always been one in there. :sadcry:
Ill now need to start saving my moolah to buy more. Theyre a great afternoon smoke, but this one lasted an hour and a half. I usually polish these off in 45 minutes but took a lot longer due to the tight draw. Never had a draw like thin on a BCJ, so it might be just a bit of bad luck.
I believe this cigar would be a great, quick winter warner, so get your hands on a 5er when you can.
Would I buy a box? Without a doubt.
Notice on the ash there's a red-brown burn mark. Never seen this on ash before.
The plume I was talking about.
Location: Sydney, Australia.
Chronography: Thursday 6th January 2011, 6:15PM - 7:45PM
Weather: Outdoors, Partly Cloudy, 22C, 75% RH
This cigar is on the firm side when giving it a good pinch between the fingers. No soft spots.
Wrapper is light milk chocolate without an oily finish, but I can see some plume on the surface as the stogie has been resting in my humidor for about 12 months now (see photos). There are a few veins, but theyre not protruding and ugly. Seems like it gives the cigar a bit of character.
The wrapper smells clean and fresh with a strong scent of cedar and earth at the foot. I can already tell that this is going to be a smoke to remember!
Today, I reach for my Palio. I didnt want to restrict the Cuban classic of anything by using the punch. The cut was the cleanest I have ever achieved with this cutter and Im attributing that to the cigar and not the cutter.
The pre-light draw is a little hard, but manageable. Cold draw tastes of cedar and woodchips with lashings of leather. Imagine a brand new leather wallet. Now open it, close your eyes and take a deep sniff with your nose right in the middle crease. There, thats the taste!
Lighter used is a Colibri single flame torch. Lights up with a bit of effort. Once lit, the cigar gives off a medium amount of smoke and, believe me, its beautiful!
The first few puffs immediately indicate that, despite the small size of the cigar, its a full flavoured, hard hitting powerhouse! This cigar is a classic Cuban. For those who have smoked a few Cubans in their time, you know what I mean.
Even though the draw on this cigar is a little tight, its still producing a lot of flavours when the smoke fills every crevice of your mouth. Im greeted with a toasty wood and I think rasin. Its light enough to retrohale and pick up an espresso after taste. This is a stunning cigar.
If you were to judge the cigar upon the first third, you would give it an easy 85-90 points. The burn, sitting smoke, and taste are excellent.
The second third begins and the strength increases. The smoke is fuller and thicker. A retrohale is less comfortable but still gives a flavour of damp cedar. Ever had a humidor thats too wet? Thats a wonderful, but dangerous, smell. Thats that taste Im talking about. Great in a cigar. Bad in a humidor!
So far, the ash has held on and its now an inch and a half long. Id rather break it off in the ashtray than have ash-pants. I put a little pressure to see if I can break the ash, it stays solid and breaks with a *CRACK* like a concrete stick. Thats a hard ash!
The final third has begun and I taste a significant change in the cigar. The taste is harder and the smoke more pungent. Theres now a distinct smouldering wood taste and the retrohale is razor sharp and full of campfire heat. Its a magnificent sight to watch this cigar resting between puffs. Its talking to me. I can hear it calling to me to puff again. It wants to be smoked. It yearns for it. The BCJ knows it was created for one conclusion only; to leave you satisfied. Thats what its doing to me now.
As normal, I have slowed my smoking towards the end to prevent smoking a hot cigar. No problem, just gives me more time to enjoy :cbig:
Theres a spicy heat thats intensifying with each puff. Unfortunately Im brought back to the issue of the medium-tight draw as I feel my lips heating. I think I might have to end the cigar early for fear of scaring my lips. The retrohale of damp cedar is still there and is encouraging me to push through the heat.
Till now, the burn line has been thick but consistent, not needing any touch-ups. Im feeling a bit light headed due to the weight of this cigar and have increased the frequency of sips of my cold beverage to combat the nicotine. I dont think its working, but that doesnt matter. Im gonna nub this bad boy!
Conclusion
The BCJ is a favourite of mine. Theres always a space in my humidor for these sticks and till this smoke, theres always been one in there. :sadcry:
Ill now need to start saving my moolah to buy more. Theyre a great afternoon smoke, but this one lasted an hour and a half. I usually polish these off in 45 minutes but took a lot longer due to the tight draw. Never had a draw like thin on a BCJ, so it might be just a bit of bad luck.
I believe this cigar would be a great, quick winter warner, so get your hands on a 5er when you can.
Would I buy a box? Without a doubt.
Notice on the ash there's a red-brown burn mark. Never seen this on ash before.
The plume I was talking about.
