Bought this in a 5er from a great brother on Cigar Weekly (thanks Dr. Evil). The band on this thing were as loose as could be, which has always indicated a good amount of rest time to me. Pre-light draw was pretty full bodied for just being air. Just the usual Bolivar flavors there.
After toasting for a bit, I took my first puff. WOW. This thing tasted like I just got a loaf of French bread out of the oven (I tasted some bready notes in the Sancho Panza I posted about, but this was amazingly on point). The breadiness calmed down quick though and was replaced by muted pepper and spice. 10 years have done this cigar well in my opinion. It seemed to have lost a lot of the spice intensity I notice in younger Bolivars, but it was more refined and mature.
Ash didn't hold much more than half an inch or so, but that never bothers me. I kept the cigar in my mouth the entire time I smoked it, so my saliva soaked the first inch or so and kept me from nubbing it as much as I would have liked to.
At first I was a little turned off by the Bolivar spice, but now I've learned to love it and rank this brand up among my favorite from the Island.
After toasting for a bit, I took my first puff. WOW. This thing tasted like I just got a loaf of French bread out of the oven (I tasted some bready notes in the Sancho Panza I posted about, but this was amazingly on point). The breadiness calmed down quick though and was replaced by muted pepper and spice. 10 years have done this cigar well in my opinion. It seemed to have lost a lot of the spice intensity I notice in younger Bolivars, but it was more refined and mature.
Ash didn't hold much more than half an inch or so, but that never bothers me. I kept the cigar in my mouth the entire time I smoked it, so my saliva soaked the first inch or so and kept me from nubbing it as much as I would have liked to.
At first I was a little turned off by the Bolivar spice, but now I've learned to love it and rank this brand up among my favorite from the Island.
