I know what some of you are thinking when you read the name of the cigar being reviewed here. WTF! Has the Czar gone mad? This cigar is neither new, nor is it a boutique. I know you are all used to the reviews from me covering new cigars, mostly from boutique manufacturers, and the mostly unheard of or untried smokes of the present day. Well folks, I have decided to take a little detour through some of my aging drawers for this one.
A little story. Some years ago, about 8 years ago to be exact, I bought a box of these and smoked smoked some as the powerhouse in my then mundane lineup. See, smokers back then just did not have the selection that we have today. I smoked many La Gloria's, Hoyos, Punch etc... It was just very hard to populate a cigar lineup back then. The Partagas Black became my powerhouse bomb for after a big meal, or with a strong drink or as a closer to my cigar day. Somewhere along the line I just kind of grew out of these cigars and the few I had remaining got shuffled into the aging bins of humi's for years and years. My brother was in town for the holidays and he was feeling frisky cigar wise and said to me I want something strong! I pawed about the humidor for a bit and came away with two of these cigars which I remembered as being very powerful in their day. I was skeptical about how they may have aged and whether or not they would still have any character or punch, but I decided to give them a whirl with my bro.
The cigar itself is less oily than I remember, it still has a nice sheen to it, but it is definitely looking less aggressive than it used to. There are some prominent veins in the nearly black wrapper on this specimen, but I don't think they will be problematic. An examination reveals some tightness in the bunch, but I recall this attribute from most General products of the day and they still always seemed to smoke without issue back then, something that can't be said of General now. The pre light aroma is full of earth and licorice notes mixed with some nice cedar undertones. The pre light draw is showing some nice hints of cocoa, but there is a tarry quality here that is not pleasing.
The cigar opens with depth and complexity that is completely unexpected and nearly overwhelming. The profile shows a very nuanced, yet forceful array of flavors. There are some excellent notes of chocolate, coffee, earth, dark wood and licorice dancing across the palate in the early stages of this smoke and I am wondering if all the aging has actually paid off in what will be a remarkable smoke. If the early signs are any indication this could be an epic experience. At the back of the palate there is a peppery tone that is providing a nice complement to the early flavors. The draw is a little too tight for me, but I am not laboring in any overt way. The burn is a touch off, but I don't think a touch up will be required.
The first half of the cigar really declines rapidly, I knew the opening moments were probably too good to be true. The profile continues to show some coffee and dark wood notes, but the tarry flavors noted in the pre light are racing back into this picture like the drunken uncle at the family reunion that doesn't hear it is time for the family photo until last call and then the fully involved drunk run takes place across the yard with him ultimately knocking over grandma but saving his red plastic cup of beer. OK so maybe that is a little over the top but you get what I mean, this is a flavor that, like the uncle, no one wants to experience. At the back of the palate the peppery flavors become more sharp and there is a metallic undertone creeping in here that will derail the experience if it continues. The draw is opening up just at the time I wish it would close down completely. The burn is evening out here and I am thinking there will be no further issues.
The final half of the cigar is really a disaster. The profile just becomes a mess of tar like flavors with some wisps of charred wood in the front. The back part of the profile degrades further into a sour earthy presentation that has some metallic character that is becoming more and more pronounced, blessedly the cigar is nearly done. The draw is still OK and the burn stays strong throughout.
The finish was acrid, tar like and charred.
The opening moments showed so much promise, it is really too bad that this happened to these cigars which I remember really enjoying at one time.
Appearance- 88 bold and aggressive looking
Taste- 77 some really poor moments in the end take away all the positives from the beginning
Construction- 86 some early draw tightness and burn issues take away from this score
Strength- 80 still full and very strong, but not in a good way
Overall- 82.25 a very sub par experience, proving that nostalgic remembrances should remain safely locked away for ever
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