Partagas 160 Robusto Minor Review

[Addiction]

[SIZE=3]Yesterday we had a little cigar orgy at Leesburg Cigar and Pipe with over 10 BOTL from CS and a goodish number of other cigar smokers. I smoked four cigars, a Cohiba (Dominican), a La Aurora Prefidios Robusto, a Camacho Corojo Diploma Maduro and a LCP Torpedo Maduro. In a buying spree that saw me leave with 13 singles (and 8 singles that I got for free from the rolling event) and 3 boxes I asked for something “special” that I actually intended to smoke right at the moment and I was sold the Partagas 160 Robusto Minor and given instructions that this should be smoked “clean” if you will, not in a day crowded with other cigars. So I packaged it up and took it home.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]As I thought about the holidays purpose and cleaned my grill from a couple of weeks of hard use I wondered what was a suitable holiday smoke and my mind immediately drifted to this baby. I broke it out and sat down on the deck with a tall glass of water to enjoy it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Great looking stick as it should be for $20, feels solid to the hand. Smells great outdoors and earthy. The prelight draw is pretty good, but I’ve written this line in every review so maybe I don’t know how to judge it. The wrapper leaf is slightly torn and I think I can see the binder tho I’m not sure.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]It lights up easy and smokes easy making plentiful puffy clouds of the stuff. The tastes are delightful but sublime and I decide that my advisor was correct; you don’t want to smoke this in the midst of others, you want to enjoy it solo. It never settles on a flavor, and I mean that in a good way. It’s a smorgasbord really. There is nuttiness, woodsy taste, a little leather even. It really feels as complete and refined as a single barrel bourbon say Basil Hayden. But it also has little hints of vanilla. And its very understated. It smokes bone straight and it it ashes pure white and stiff.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]I thought this was a great smoke and the only place it fell down was it compares pretty poorly to other high cost cigars that I’ve smoked. At as much as $8 to $10 I’d rate it much higher because value wouldn’t kill its scoring. But at $18 - $20 I expect It to stand shoulder to shoulder with a Padron 64 or a RP Vintage 92 and for me it just doesn’t.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Appearance – 9[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Construction – 10[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Flavor – 8[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Value – 4[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Overall Experience -8[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Overall Grade – 7.8[/SIZE]

[SIZE=3]Final Verdict – If cost is no option this is a must smoke but otherwise you can skip it as it just doesn’t give the same value as other sticks in its price range.[/SIZE]

[texasbadbob]

Having smoked several of the 150's a few years back I thought the 160 not as good.