Reviews by Brandon S

I must say, it’s been some time since I’ve last enjoyed the wonder that is the Partagas Black and I owe it all to an email I received from Angela who requested that I provide some thoughts on this blend. I think we all have tendency to write reviews on cigars we enjoy on a regular basis so when I received this request to review the Partagas Black, I was all too happy to oblige! For my review I choose to smoke the 6X54 Magnifico size. Generally speaking, I prefer cigars with ample ring gauges to those with thinner rings because the smoke is typically cooler which allows more of the nuances and flavors to present themselves. This is doubly important in my opinion with a cigar that is as full-bodied as the Partagas Black.

As is usual procedure, I scampered into CI’s cavernous humidor and nabbed myself a 5’er of the Magnifico. Arriving back at my desk I opened the bag and pulled all 5 samples to compare them for construction. What I found was pretty typical of many cigars produced by General Cigar. Each stick was solid yet not overfilled and gave slightly with a little pressure from my fingers. I couldn’t find any “knots” that would indicate an issue with the draw so I cut two of them and found both to draw well. I grabbed my trusty torch, lightly toasted the foot and was greeted by a pleasant aroma followed by a slight peppery sensation in my nose. Upon lighting the cigar I found the flavors to be quite smooth and almost buttery in texture. At approximately the one inch mark I noticed a distinct change in the overall character of the cigar. The smooth and buttery texture that was so pronounced in the first few draws gave way to a more robust flavor that was accented by a slightly peppery finish. No doubt this is attributable to the sungrown wrapper and generous helping of Cuban-seed ligero filler! At the half-way mark the cigar has graduated entirely from smooth and buttery to a full-bodied and spicy powerhouse that almost leaves your eyes tearing and your head dizzy with delight! The Partagas Black may not fit the bill for your first smoke of the day but, after a good dinner or accompanied by a stiff drink it has all the makings of a very enjoyable experience. For those of you who slobber all over yourself when you see or hear mention of the fabled and overrated Opus X, I urge you to give the Partagas Black its due diligence. I think the Black is a very comparable alternative and is readily available to you at an affordable everyday price. Sure it may not have a colorful or ornate a band as the Opus but then again, it doesn’t have that ridiculous price tag that accompanies that band either.

Bottom Line – Bang for the buck the Partagas Black will deliver by the truckload. General Cigar has been in the cigar game for a very long time and is a company that prides itself on quality and its ability to produce consistent and well-constructed cigars year after year. As a side note – if you fall in love with the Partagas Black, make sure you try the 5 Vegas Series ‘A’. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed!

El Mejor, literally translated means “the best one’ or, “the great one”. Truly a fitting moniker in this case because the El Mejor Espresso is an excellent cigar no matter how you “cut” it. Nicaraguan cigars are most often likened to the Cuban cigars of old. They are typically stereotyped as being medium to full-bodied and spicy with a rich and robust flavor profile. While these kinds of smokes are still readily being produced and exported from Nicaragua it is, in my opinion, unfair to blindly label all Nicaraguan cigars as full-bodied and peppery because it just ain’t true. Case in point, El Mejor…

These gorgeous smokes are indeed rolled in Nicaragua but they are anything but spicy. Comprised of a select blend of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers and finished off with one of the most oily Mexican maduro wrappers you are ever likely to see, these cigars just scream “smoke me!” Pick one up and you’ll see what I mean. I’ve become very accustomed to the 6.5X54 Torpedo size which starts off with a mellow, chocolatey burst and then quickly transforms into the roasted coffee-like flavor not unlike a heavily roasted espresso bean. I’ve come to enjoy this particular flavor very much and as a result it has become my new “go-to” cigar. Interestingly enough, the El Mejor is not an overly complex cigar. At the half-way point and even approaching the nub, the flavors are very much the same as they were an inch in. The ash is as solid as cement and requires a firm strike to break it loose; clear evidence of the quality and care put into the creation of each cigar. Lastly, at between $2 and $2.25 per stick these cigars are nearly addictive….but in a good way I assure you!

Bottom line: If you’re a fan of rich and creamy maduro cigars, El Mejor is a “must try”. Shake up your magic 8-ball if you must but even it will agree that “all signs point to yes”.

Boy Howdy! If it could ever be possible to infuse a chocolate bar into a few leaves of tobacco and roll it into a cigar, it would unquestionably be called a Torano Exodus 1959! Now don’t get me wrong here because I’m not saying that this is a flavored smoke in any way. Instead, what I’m trying to get across to you without actually handing you one is the fact that this cigar truly has something unique to offer.

Take one from the box and the first thing you will notice is the chocolate-brown Habana-2000 wrapper which, upon close inspection hints at the care and quality poured into the creation of each cigar. Generally speaking, a cigar laden with bumps and veins is not particularly appealing and often leads to soft spots that ultimately promote a poor burn. However, you’ll find none of that here...from cigar to cigar and from box to box each Exodus 1959 is as smooth and soft as a piece of fine silk. Underneath these gorgeous and oily Habana-2000 wrappers lies an unparalleled blend of tobaccos from five (count’em…5!!!) countries. Farms from the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Costa-Rica all contribute long-filler tobacco to the Exodus blend and when combined yield an amazingly complex yet smooth and rich flavor. Toast the foot and fire one up and you will first notice the rich and earthy flavor accompanied by a subtle chocolate-like note. Continue on and the complexity afforded by the five-country filler blend becomes more and more evident as the flavors change from subtle and rich to slightly spicy with creamy undertones. The chocolate nuances are now more pronounced and, as with all Torano products, the burn and draw are impeccable. Simply put, the list of factories with the ability to produce cigars this consistent in both flavor and construction year after year is very short. What’s infinitely more mind-boggling is the fact that a cigar like this can be had everyday without breaking your wallet. At less than $4 each Torano proves that you can have your cake and eat it too!

Truly an excellent value for the dollar, the Torano 1959 brings you quality, complexity and a robust array of flavors at a price that makes it a top candidate for an “everyday” smoke. My personal advice is to kick back and light one up, let it burn for an inch or so to acclimate your palate to the flavors and then set yourself up with a strong double-espresso for a cigar-smoking experience like none other. Trust me on this one, you won’t be disappointed!