Last night was an experience, and as my friends know, I am totally into experiences. Met a new friend and his wife last night. We went over to their beautiful home with one half of a meal and some beers and proceeded to get to know one another. This was a great setting to start off with, that would end up with this awesome cigar.
Pre-dinner was spent playing darts, talking about the leaf and generally getting to know one another. Dinner was grilled cheeseburgers and some rabbit food that left our stomachs full and the palette ready for a good smoke. It should be mentioned that I attempted to pass along some cigars that I like and in return I received a bomb and the instructions that I had to save myself for a special cigar. After dinner I got to light up that special cigar. A Partagas Lusitania ISOM, 1997 vintage.
Long and fairly slender (official measurements were 7 5/8 x 49), and I say slender only in the context of how long this baby was and felt oily and had the texture of satin to it’s feel. I knew from the outset that I was in for a long night of smoking. Finding a comfortable rocking chair on the back porch amongst candles and the noises of the woods, the atmosphere was very relaxed and sedate. Small talk and a continuation of our conversation was pleasant and throughout this I prepared for smoking this baby, carefully removing the band and using my Xi2 cutter (which is finally loosing up by the way and cutting evenly) I tested the draw and inhaled the odor of the cigar. Earthiness and a vegetable quality prevailed my senses and I tested the draw, which was just right for me. Easy but with a slight “pull” needed.
The Lusi lighted well and my first inch I was having trouble deciphering the tastes that started off very mild. I did finally put my finger to it, leather and cedar. These flavors in varying degrees lasted throughout the cigar along with the obvious tastes of earthiness and a slight vegetable taste. The burn on this baby was incredible, it burned evenly for the entire length of the cigar and the ash remained firm and straight as well, with no real rounding of ash, it remained crisp and square for the most part.
The first third I have to say didn’t impress me all that much. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but fairly mild. The smoke volume was less than expected and seemed to me a medium body smoke. Totally what I didn’t expect. Which was a kick-ass heavy body smoke with volumes of smoke. But then I did get ahead of myself, because as I started the second third of this cigar, the volume started to come along. So did the body of the smoke. So did the flavors. So did the headiness that I was starting to feel. Along with the before mentioned flavors, I started to detect a dark sweetness just barely noticeable, as the taste of leather start to predominant the cigar, along with cedar and the bare hint of peppery spiciness.
By the time I smoked it down to the last third, I was in nirvana and in total relax mode, my nerves tingling with the nicotine that this Lusi was full of and marveling at yet more subtle tastes coming to me. Gone was any illusion that this was anything but a kick-ass smoke as the heavy body smoke, strong tastes started to really pour out of this cigar. The earthiness flavor gave way to dark soil, the leather flavors turned hard, the peppery spiciness started to make itself known and the cedar taste intensified.
By the time I finally let the cigar go, I was washed up. At this point it was time to call it a night, which though I missed the company, I also knew that I wouldn’t of been able to enjoy another cigar that night. Even this morning, I woke up with the tastes of that cigar in my mouth and my nerves still feel energized.
In a nutshell last night was about good things in life. Good people to hang out with. Good food to eat, great beer to drink and what I have to dub a true classic cigar to enjoy.
I rate this cigar a 95-96, with the warning that this isn’t a cigar for lightweights. With another warning that this isn’t a cigar to smoke when you just want a casual smoke. This is a cigar you want to smoke when you have a couple of hours and in the mood to enjoy something that will leave you reeling and simply sitting back enjoying life. Because during the smoking phase of this cigar and definitely afterwards, you won’t have the energy or willpower even, other than to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
If, I ever get a couple of these, they would be that special occasion cigar, that you had the time to enjoy and would either be the only cigar of the day, or the closing cigar of the day.
A special shout out and thank you to Leonard for sharing his home, his hospitality and this cigar.
Sam
Pre-dinner was spent playing darts, talking about the leaf and generally getting to know one another. Dinner was grilled cheeseburgers and some rabbit food that left our stomachs full and the palette ready for a good smoke. It should be mentioned that I attempted to pass along some cigars that I like and in return I received a bomb and the instructions that I had to save myself for a special cigar. After dinner I got to light up that special cigar. A Partagas Lusitania ISOM, 1997 vintage.
Long and fairly slender (official measurements were 7 5/8 x 49), and I say slender only in the context of how long this baby was and felt oily and had the texture of satin to it’s feel. I knew from the outset that I was in for a long night of smoking. Finding a comfortable rocking chair on the back porch amongst candles and the noises of the woods, the atmosphere was very relaxed and sedate. Small talk and a continuation of our conversation was pleasant and throughout this I prepared for smoking this baby, carefully removing the band and using my Xi2 cutter (which is finally loosing up by the way and cutting evenly) I tested the draw and inhaled the odor of the cigar. Earthiness and a vegetable quality prevailed my senses and I tested the draw, which was just right for me. Easy but with a slight “pull” needed.
The Lusi lighted well and my first inch I was having trouble deciphering the tastes that started off very mild. I did finally put my finger to it, leather and cedar. These flavors in varying degrees lasted throughout the cigar along with the obvious tastes of earthiness and a slight vegetable taste. The burn on this baby was incredible, it burned evenly for the entire length of the cigar and the ash remained firm and straight as well, with no real rounding of ash, it remained crisp and square for the most part.
The first third I have to say didn’t impress me all that much. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but fairly mild. The smoke volume was less than expected and seemed to me a medium body smoke. Totally what I didn’t expect. Which was a kick-ass heavy body smoke with volumes of smoke. But then I did get ahead of myself, because as I started the second third of this cigar, the volume started to come along. So did the body of the smoke. So did the flavors. So did the headiness that I was starting to feel. Along with the before mentioned flavors, I started to detect a dark sweetness just barely noticeable, as the taste of leather start to predominant the cigar, along with cedar and the bare hint of peppery spiciness.
By the time I smoked it down to the last third, I was in nirvana and in total relax mode, my nerves tingling with the nicotine that this Lusi was full of and marveling at yet more subtle tastes coming to me. Gone was any illusion that this was anything but a kick-ass smoke as the heavy body smoke, strong tastes started to really pour out of this cigar. The earthiness flavor gave way to dark soil, the leather flavors turned hard, the peppery spiciness started to make itself known and the cedar taste intensified.
By the time I finally let the cigar go, I was washed up. At this point it was time to call it a night, which though I missed the company, I also knew that I wouldn’t of been able to enjoy another cigar that night. Even this morning, I woke up with the tastes of that cigar in my mouth and my nerves still feel energized.
In a nutshell last night was about good things in life. Good people to hang out with. Good food to eat, great beer to drink and what I have to dub a true classic cigar to enjoy.
I rate this cigar a 95-96, with the warning that this isn’t a cigar for lightweights. With another warning that this isn’t a cigar to smoke when you just want a casual smoke. This is a cigar you want to smoke when you have a couple of hours and in the mood to enjoy something that will leave you reeling and simply sitting back enjoying life. Because during the smoking phase of this cigar and definitely afterwards, you won’t have the energy or willpower even, other than to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
If, I ever get a couple of these, they would be that special occasion cigar, that you had the time to enjoy and would either be the only cigar of the day, or the closing cigar of the day.
A special shout out and thank you to Leonard for sharing his home, his hospitality and this cigar.
Sam
