Brand: Partagas
Line: Natural
Length x Ring Gauge: 7x54 (Double Corona)
Country of Origin: Filler: Dominican Republic; Binder: Mexico; Wrapper: Cameroon
Strength: Medium Bodied
Date: May 19, 2011
Notes:
Company, Location and Alcohol. These three factors greatly influence the taste and experience of a cigar. Sitting in Lexington Bar and Books among friends enjoying a smoke is just what the doctor ordered after a stressful week. Mind you, stress has many more adverse effects than an occasional cigar. I feel justified in advocating that form of “medication”.
Lexington Bar and Books (Lexington Avenue and 73rd street), is an oasis for cigar smokers in midtown Manhattan. Despite a dress code (you will be buzzed in if you are deemed appropriately dressed), this place has an excellent array of drinks (from a flambé Vespa, to a Brazilian sangria, to an impressive array of whiskeys, wines and scotches), cigars and of course James Bond movies playing almost continuously. The staff is friendly and very attentive. The music was not too loud and in good taste.
Smoking with a few medical school chums, we enjoyed Partagas Double Corona that aged in my humidor for 3 years. The draw was smooth, the taste was exquisite. Like wine, some cigars improve their taste with age. In a humidor, the tobacco leaf emits its oils in 70 degrees F and 70% humidity. These oils enhance the taste, and texture of the smoke.
The cigar was a long, enjoyable smoke with no harsh aftertaste (I attribute this to the aging). I normally steer clear of any tobacco from Mexico (I had bad experiences with Te Amo cigars), but this mix really works well. It was complemented with a Single Barrel Jack Daniels (among my personal favorites). A combination of a woody bourbon with a somewhat medium cigar seemed just right.
I would recommend these cigars to be aged before you smoke them. The Partagas cigars, in my opinion, taste significantly better after a good 6 months in the humidor (minimum). Then grab some friends and some drinks and enjoy the smoke.
Overall: 8 out of 10
