Cigar: Bolivar Tubos No.3
Origin: Cuba
Vitola: Placeras
Size: 4 7/8 X 34
Age: Unknown… This cigar was purchased at the JW Marriott gift shop in Caracas, Venezuela on June 23rd 2007.
This cigar was a gift given to me by my better half. She cracked the seal on the tube to remove the cigar and the label from it before traveling back to the states. It’s been kept in the humi at 68%, 68-70 degrees for the last month or so in the original tube with the cap off.
PRE-SMOKE IDEAS
I’m not really sure what to expect from this Habanos. For starters, I’m not sure my palate has become quite developed enough to do this review much justice. The only other ISOM I have had the opportunity to experience has been the Siglo III and I’ve never smoked a Bolivar, ISOM or non-ISOM. Other reviews that I have read on this cigar have varied considerably. Some say it’s a “not very well known treasure”, others wonder why they even stuck it out and finished it. I’m staying on the optimistic side…
PAIRING…
Several reviews of this cigar have recommended a strong coffee to go along with it. I just happen to have a bag of Anzoategui, Venezuelan café that I think will go nicely with it. This coffee is dark and strong… period!
PRE-LIGHT
Since this cigar is pretty small, I kind of just shaved off the cap with one slow clip. It was a pretty clean cut. My first impression of the pre-light draw was that this cigar was rolled pretty tight. Either that or it’s a bit over humidified for its size. There was also a rich tobacco flavor delivering on my palate. This cigar appears to be well constructed with a rich, light brown colored wrapper. There were a few scrapes here and there, most likely from more recent international travel.
LIGHT AND FIRST THIRD
When I torched up this cigar I was expecting bold and rich flavors. I got the opposite, mild with moderate spice and a tight draw. Not much smoke right off the bat. I went ahead and took the label off to reveal some peeling on the wrapper. After a couple of puffs the cigar was on its way. The lack of adequate smoke prompted me to clip off a little bit more of the cap. This was to little avail, as the draw was still too tight for my liking. The flavors were still pretty simple, tobacco and spice. I noticed right off the bat that the aroma was extremely pleasant. At one point I even stood up to get a little more of the drifting smoke. The aroma was sweet and creamy, much to my liking. This didn’t compensate for the lack of rich smoke though. I started to question my optimism…
I’m also thinking that I don’t really prefer this small of a sized cigar. It feels more like I’m smoking something that Snoop Dog rolled rather than Cuba’s finest tobacco.
SECOND THIRD
This cigar is trying like hell to open up. I’m getting more smoke by now, but still a pretty mild flavor. I have started to taste some creaminess and also something I tend to regard as a floral quality. Also a bit of nuttiness at times. Still really enjoying the aroma on this smoke… really it’s wonderful. But that doesn’t make up for the lack of flavor and cigar flesh that I’m really missing…
An exhale through the nostrils is full of that floral quality and a bit of zing…
The coffee that I was hoping to enjoy along with this smoke seemed a bit overwhelming. I would have been better off with a bottle of Ozarka. I let my cup go cold…
I’m having to double puff on this thing to get enough smoke to really taste this cigar’s profile. I’m giving in to the fact that this Bolivar is just going to be a mild smoke with simple flavors. There were moments of creamy smoke and tobacco notes… but that was about all she had to offer.
Here is one of me working on that tight draw. Can you see the sweat beads forming from the strain?
My girlfriend caught wind of that wonderful aroma I described and wanted in on the action. No complaints here!
FINAL THIRD
Well… lots of what I already wrote about. The flavors on this smoke never really changed or progressed. By this time I have declared an all out war on the insects that have gravitated toward my front porch. My fan died right before this endeavor started which really made the air a bit stag. Here in N. Texas you had better have some cool air blowing in your direction or you’re sweating your balls off at 11:00pm at night. Damn… I can’t wait for the fall!
This little cigar actually finished relatively well. I imagined this smoke was going to get harsh and hot on me. That wasn’t the case and instead she stayed pretty steady all the way down to the nub. And as the pictures indicate… there were no burn issues at all. Only draw issues!
As I tossed the nub I caught my last whiff of that nice aroma. Too bad that was the best part of this smoke. I also noticed that I was a little light in the head with that nicotine pit in my stomach. WOW! This little “Snoop Dog vitola” packed a punch.
Total smoke time was less than an hour. Well, I considered this one of the better smokes in my little desktop humidor. I was a bit disappointed as I have come to regard Cuban tobacco as something to really look forward to. Maybe my expectations are a little high… huh?
One thing is for sure… I look forward to trying a bigger, more full bodied Bolivar in the future. I’ve yet to taste that signature Bolivar flavor that I hear so much about. In good time I guess… :whistling:
Thanks for opportunity to share this review. It was fun! And thanks so much to Marc for his generosity in offering up this contest.
mac
