Mark Twain
Call me Ishmael.
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,626
Padilla 8/11 Churchill
Anejo #55
Anejo #77 “Shark”
Lusitanian from ‘98
Cuesta-Rey Stanford’s Reserve Cameroon Churchill
It has been a warm winter here albeit for one freakishly large storm that buried the county in almost two feet of snow. This unseasonably warm weather has given me the opportunity to fully enjoy several large vitolas to their fullest potential.
Padilla 8/11 Churchill
A gift with no band originally. My first Padilla and it was a woody treat during a slow afternoon in mid-December of last year. The body was medium and the taste was fairly consistent, not very complex, but solid throughout. The smoke carried the wood tones well and the finish held a nice sense of hickory to it that made my mouth drier than usual with a cigar. I think the size of the cigar demands a slow smoking experience to fully realize any extra flavors within and I believe that an hour and a half smoking time may have been too fast to find every flavor. I can’t wait to try the lancero.
Anejo #55
My first 55 and it was smoked right after lunch in late November. My initial impression was quite different from the 49 I smoked earlier this year. The taste was remarkable. A mostly vegetal/ earthy base that left some notes of fruit on my palate with a finish that was exceedingly mellow. The strength of this cigar is in not in its nic-kick as some would describe it, but rather in its subtle flavor pattern that develops into a steady rise which fades into a finish that is semi-sweet with overtones of earth and leather that your palate slowly experiences.
Anejo #77 Shark
I smoked it around Christmas and found it to be similar to the 55 but better, how so you might ask? The taste seems to be much more refined and somewhat smoother. The notes of fruit are more pronounced while the earthy nature of the cigar seems muted and more humble. The earthy taste remains, but it is matched with the complex fruity nature and becomes wonderfully balanced because of this. This was a true joy to smoke.
Partagas Lusitania from ‘98
I always wonder how a cigar smoked when it was young. Too bad I’ll never know from this batch of Lusi’s from 1998. This is my third one and it was noteworthy. I smoked it just after the first of the year. I noticed some interesting consistency issues with the first two that ranged from the color of the ash to the rather bland nature of the second smoke. No such problems with this smoke. The amount of pleasure I got out of this cigar was immense. The flavors are wonderfully balanced with the strength inherent to this famous vitola. The overall flavor is vegetal and pronounced from the opening draw and there is a nice core of wood that appears and stays steady to the finish, which is remarkable in and of itself because it remains so prevalent between draws. The flavor pattern is very comfortable with my tastes and I highly recommend it to all who enjoy a subtle smoke that lasts two hours.
Cuesta-Rey Stanford’s Reserve Cameroon Churchill
I hadn’t heard much about this cigar beyond the fact that it is a limited release. Needless to say, I was very interested in trying it and since a major cold front is moving in, I thought today was the prefect time.
The presentation is impressive and really peeked my interest with its detailed packaging and nearly perfect construction.
The taste is a magnificent achievement. The body is mild to medium bodied and the flavor is startling sweet and refined with a dense fruity base with very light wood undertones that I just noticed on the finish. This is a wonderful departure from full-bodied spice bombs that all to often overwhelm the senses. A refined cigar that demands the smoker’s attention to fully gauge its complexities. The bottom line, hunt for them as quickly as you can because it’s my understanding that they were a one time limited release
Overall
Some great smokes, most of which should improve with age and I hope to come back and review my findings after a time has passed. I hope you all enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. :thumbs:
Anejo #55
Anejo #77 “Shark”
Lusitanian from ‘98
Cuesta-Rey Stanford’s Reserve Cameroon Churchill
It has been a warm winter here albeit for one freakishly large storm that buried the county in almost two feet of snow. This unseasonably warm weather has given me the opportunity to fully enjoy several large vitolas to their fullest potential.
Padilla 8/11 Churchill
A gift with no band originally. My first Padilla and it was a woody treat during a slow afternoon in mid-December of last year. The body was medium and the taste was fairly consistent, not very complex, but solid throughout. The smoke carried the wood tones well and the finish held a nice sense of hickory to it that made my mouth drier than usual with a cigar. I think the size of the cigar demands a slow smoking experience to fully realize any extra flavors within and I believe that an hour and a half smoking time may have been too fast to find every flavor. I can’t wait to try the lancero.
Anejo #55
My first 55 and it was smoked right after lunch in late November. My initial impression was quite different from the 49 I smoked earlier this year. The taste was remarkable. A mostly vegetal/ earthy base that left some notes of fruit on my palate with a finish that was exceedingly mellow. The strength of this cigar is in not in its nic-kick as some would describe it, but rather in its subtle flavor pattern that develops into a steady rise which fades into a finish that is semi-sweet with overtones of earth and leather that your palate slowly experiences.
Anejo #77 Shark
I smoked it around Christmas and found it to be similar to the 55 but better, how so you might ask? The taste seems to be much more refined and somewhat smoother. The notes of fruit are more pronounced while the earthy nature of the cigar seems muted and more humble. The earthy taste remains, but it is matched with the complex fruity nature and becomes wonderfully balanced because of this. This was a true joy to smoke.
Partagas Lusitania from ‘98
I always wonder how a cigar smoked when it was young. Too bad I’ll never know from this batch of Lusi’s from 1998. This is my third one and it was noteworthy. I smoked it just after the first of the year. I noticed some interesting consistency issues with the first two that ranged from the color of the ash to the rather bland nature of the second smoke. No such problems with this smoke. The amount of pleasure I got out of this cigar was immense. The flavors are wonderfully balanced with the strength inherent to this famous vitola. The overall flavor is vegetal and pronounced from the opening draw and there is a nice core of wood that appears and stays steady to the finish, which is remarkable in and of itself because it remains so prevalent between draws. The flavor pattern is very comfortable with my tastes and I highly recommend it to all who enjoy a subtle smoke that lasts two hours.
Cuesta-Rey Stanford’s Reserve Cameroon Churchill
I hadn’t heard much about this cigar beyond the fact that it is a limited release. Needless to say, I was very interested in trying it and since a major cold front is moving in, I thought today was the prefect time.
The presentation is impressive and really peeked my interest with its detailed packaging and nearly perfect construction.
The taste is a magnificent achievement. The body is mild to medium bodied and the flavor is startling sweet and refined with a dense fruity base with very light wood undertones that I just noticed on the finish. This is a wonderful departure from full-bodied spice bombs that all to often overwhelm the senses. A refined cigar that demands the smoker’s attention to fully gauge its complexities. The bottom line, hunt for them as quickly as you can because it’s my understanding that they were a one time limited release
Overall
Some great smokes, most of which should improve with age and I hope to come back and review my findings after a time has passed. I hope you all enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. :thumbs:
