This is a new cigar from Partagas celebrating the career of their master blender Benji Menendez. The cigar presents well with a dark wrapper that shows lots of tooth, but seems a bit dry. The wrapper also shows some flaws and there is some prominent veining. The construction seems to be ok, but might be a bit firm. The pre light aroma is sweet and has notes of hard candy and fruit. The pre light draw is tight, but shows notes of leather and brine.
The cigar opens with a profile that has heavy notes of salt and rich tobacco. The draw is too tight, but there is not any undue labor involved in the smoke. The burn is solid and produces a nice white ash. At the back of the palate there are some leathery notes, but some bitterness is taking away some of the enjoyment.
The first half of the cigar maintains a profile of salt and rich tobacco flavors. At the back of the palate there is a nice mix of leather and roasted nut flavor. The draw opens slightly and the burn stays solid. Near the end of the first half some bitterness surfaces in the main body of the profile and it causes me some concern.
The second half of the cigar transitions slightly. There are leathery notes with some flavors of roasted nuts. At the back of the palate there are some peppery notes that are present, but some bitterness still persists. The draw is now acceptable and the burn still performs well. There is a significant lack of depth and complexity in the profile throughout the experience.
The finish is bitter, but has notes of pepper and leather.
Appearance- 83 veining and flaws hurt the score
Taste- 84 bitterness and lack of depth and complexity hurt the overall impression
Construction- 82 the tight draw in the early stages hinder the cigar
Strength- 85 a very average medium
Overall- 83.5 a below average cigar with a ten dollar price tag
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