Review Notes: Unwrapping the foil packet, like the appetizer at a classy Chinese restaurant, I knew I was in for something a bit exotic. The experience was enhanced by unraveling the serpentine cigars that were wound together in that chrysalis, preparing the unusual and deformed stick for sacrifice. The wrapper was nondescript, slightly wrinkled and papery to the touch, and the seams gapped slightly. It clipped cleanly and provided a perfect draw as if begging to be sacrificed. Yum! Medium bodied and possessing all of the spicy richness the Partagas line is revered for, this stick came across immediately with a rich palette of flavors that included earth, malt, and a hint of fresh cut oats that was satisfying and portrayed non nonsense country comfort. The ash was medium dark and followed the contours of the cigar, and the burn, once I broke the code, was even and regular. This cigar built in flavor and continued to layer on the complexity as it burned, teasing me by pretending to be a simple rustic sharecropper and then stunning me with a burst of refined insightful flavor. The stick started springy to the touch and softened considerably as it burned, finally becoming distractingly spongy in the final inch. I smoked this cigar outside in the Jacuzzi with the night air heavy and humid, and it took me a while to realize that the steam was inhibiting the bottom from burning as rapidly as the top. Turning the cigar as I smoked it produced the straight burn I sought. The finish was dark and tarry, tasting of lacquer and loam, and very satisfying. And the aroma – damn – it should have borne a flashing neon Habanos logo for the classic characteristics it displayed. I found this cigar to be very pleasant overall. Far from being the novelty that one would presume from the sideshow format, the cigar was a true example of classic Habanos richness and flavor. The value is tremendous and now I can’t imagine ever being without a box in the humidor. Recommended.