Partagas Spanish Rosado Review

[HRPuffinStuff-cr]

Partagas Spanish Rosado (5.5" x 52)

Wrapper: Honduran San Agustin

Filler: Dominican, Mexican, Honduran

Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf

Presentation: Handsome golden stick with classy gold, cream and red band. Labeled "Partagas 1845 Cifuentes y Cia Flor Tabacos De y Compania". Part of a three stick sampler purchased locally at Ray's Tobacco World in Milwaukee. $11.95 / three samples = $3.98 per stick.

Flavor: Banana. Immediately after lighting the cigar, with those first cautious puffs, I caught the fleeting flavor of banana. Followed by roasted coconut. Banana coconut cream pie. That was my first thought. Of course, this is a burning stick of tobacco, so the banana coconut cream pie flavor did not linger. But what did linger was a delightful smoke consisting of mixed nuts and burning twigs, still got some coconut, with hints of lime citrus at times. Spectacular.

Smokability: The gorgeous Honduran San Augustin wrapper did have one large vein that worried me. And sure enough, the cigar burned unevenly along this seam. A few minor picky adjustments dislodged the unburned section and evened out the stick, but it never did burn truly evenly. And near the end, at around the two inch mark, the cigar "plugged up", and became very difficult to draw. Tapping the cigar (particularly when it is so short) was ineffective at clearing the draw. So overall, the smoke was a little disappointing. Not the FLAVOR, certainly, but the fact that I had to **** around with the stick almost continually to keep it burning evenly. And then it plugged up.

Overall: Certainly above average in flavor. I'll give it a generous B- since it was so tasty. I think I just got a bum wrapper that fouled the whole thing up. I still have a Series S (red label) and a Black Label and I'm really looking forward to them.

Cautiously recommended.

[olsaltybastard]

That is one of my top ten smokes, though I certainly do not taste banana, coconut, or banana coconut pie. My review of anything would be, "a tobacco-ee taste that turns tobaccoish around the midway point and the last third having a slight scent that was reminiscent of aged tobacco." (pretty original, eh??)

[Python]

Originally Posted by olsaltybastard

That is one of my top ten smokes, though I certainly do not taste banana, coconut, or banana coconut pie. My review of anything would be, "a tobacco-ee taste that turns tobaccoish around the midway point and the last third having a slight scent that was reminiscent of aged tobacco." (pretty original, eh??)

[riverdog-cr]

Originally Posted by olsaltybastard

That is one of my top ten smokes, though I certainly do not taste banana, coconut, or banana coconut pie. My review of anything would be, "a tobacco-ee taste that turns tobaccoish around the midway point and the last third having a slight scent that was reminiscent of aged tobacco." (pretty original, eh??)

Very glad to have given this stick another chance. No comparison whatsoever to the acrid thing with the same label I smoked a month or so ago. Started out woody and very mildly cedar in taste and aroma. Through the first third overall impression was just of a clean, and pleasant smoke with the least hint of sweetness (tobacco bulk barn sweet not sugar sweet). At around the 1/3 point I started to pick up mild to moderate spice (cardamon?) that faded to just a rich, very nice tobacco for the duration. Did not see the severity of wrapper issues that HR Puffin' had but as it approached "nub" began to get some splits and swelling that was probably due to the 100% humidity on the deck with misting rain falling. Overall a very, very nice stick that will lead to a few resting an adequate period in the coolerador. Many thanks Salty B.

Still have no idea where the banana creme pie filling in my beard came from. I'm thinking it was that same fat scottish chick that introduced me to summer musk.

[olsaltybastard]

You're welcome. The PSR is one of those that gets better with age. Grab a box, throw 'em in the coolerdor and let 'em sit for a while. Next year, they will provide you with immense smoking pleasure.

[riverdog-cr]

Sounds like the makings of a plan to me.