Partagas everyday-cigar comparison

[Hohenthal]

I have thought for a long time about which one of the Partagas cheap cigars could be my chosen one as an everyday cigar. Formerly I have smoked many MFs, PCEs and SPs, but I have always been interested to check every possible choice and now I have finally managed to buy a box of each as the last box arrived yesterday.

So, the objective of this comparison is to find out which one of the cigars is my favourite and which ones to buy in the future.

I will smoke two of each in a relatively short period of time and will judge them as I am used to judge cigars overall. The age of the available cigars varies, the oldest is from 2006 and the newest from 2010, so there will be differencies between them because of the age. Anyhow, I try to be as objective as my skills allow me to and will try to count out the possible benefits of aging and the negatives of youth in the final judgement. I will also write a very short review of each smoking session. Drink will be Coke with every cigar and some toasted and salted peanuts always before and sometimes during smoking. It helps to balance my mouth and that's my way to go usually. The reviewed cigars will be stored in a same box within 70RH 19C.

Attendees in alphabetical order with box code and size:

Aristocrats PTS DIC06, 40x129

Habaneros ROU MAY10, 39x125

Mille Fleurs LRE ENE09, 42x129

Petit Coronas Especiales TEB AGO08, 42x132

Princess TEB ABR08, 35x127

Super Partagas GLP ABR09, 40x140

And some photos, of course...

Box ends:

Box codes:

Cigars in alphabetical order from left to right:

The smoking order will be: P1 - MF1 - SP1 - H1 - A1 - PCE1 - a little break - PCE2 - A2 - H2 - SP2 - MF2 - P2

I have learned something (really?) and will use the "standard" style to describe flavour (nose), body (mouth) and strength (nicotine). Please also note that I am a quite slow smoker, so the burning time may be much less with many people, I assume.

Now, let's go smoking!

Princess on Saturday 19 March.

Quite soft construction causing the draw to be a little bit too easy.

Typical nutty and peppery Partagas tobacco taste. A hint of toffee. Turns to very peppery. Some marzipan. Smoked bacon with pepper. Some cream. Hints of fruity sweetness a couple of times. Very strong tobacco in the end.

Very good cigar - fingers burnt. Quite complex cigar. The only negative thing was the open draw. I like these thin gauge cigars. Burning time 1:00.

Could be somehow compared to SdC -line.

Flavour 4/5, Body 3/5, Strength 4/5.

The former Princess I smoked was a way milder than this.

Mille Fleur on Sunday 20 March

Firm construction and draw, very good.

Tasty and rich nutty tobacco - quite mild though. Mild ginger. The taste has got a warm spirit. Mild sweet cream. Mild white pepper. Some herbal moments. Dark toasted tobacco. Coffee. Burnt wood. A small amount of dark cocoa. Pepper gets strong towards the end.

Good cigar, but not too complex. Started mild and got strong towards the end. Burning time 1:20.

The first half just like D4, the second half close to 898.

Flavour from 2/5 to 3/5, Body from 2/5 to 4/5, Strength 3/5.

This was an average Mille Fleur of my smoked ones.

Super Partagas on Monday 21 March

Firm construction. Very tight draw, but not impossible. Cold draw has remarkable amount of pepper.

Salty tobacco. Slightly nutty mild Partagas-flavour. Mild pepper wakes up slowly. Toasted whole meal bread. Dry toasted tobacco and white pepper. Nothing much happens in a long time. Sweet molasses-like smell in the room. Pepper strengthens a little. Hint of ginger. Light soil with pepper. Hint of cedar.

Not complex cigar at all. Quite mild. Burning time 1:20.

I cannot compare this to any Partagas "quality" cigar. (If must say something, the closest could be Bolivar Coronas Gigantes, but that's quite far away.)

Flavour from 2/5 to 3/5, Body 2/5, Strength 2/5.

This was one of the worst Super Partagas that I have smoked.

Habanero on Tuesday 22 March

Firm construction. Firm draw, very good. Some ginger and cocoa in cold draw.

Pepper and toasted tobacco. Dark flavoured. Very spicy. Coffee. Nuts come up slightly. A lots of white pepper. Somehow different Partagas. Cocoa. Dry sandy earth. Saltiness wakes up. Toasted and salty tobacco with some moments with coffee and light cream until the end. There was also some nice bright and sweet flavour in the end, but it was covered by the youth so I couldn't associate it.

Medium complex cigar. I liked this a lot and burnt my fingers. Powerful and "hearty" cigar. I could complain about the youth, but it was my own decision. Burning time 1:15.

I would say this is somehow close to Shorts.

Flavour 4/5, Body 4/5, Strength 4/5.

I have no earlier experiences of Habanero, this was my first one ever.

Aristocrat on Wednesday 23 March

Firm construction and draw, very good. Cold draw gives me a hint of brie cheese.

Very nice mellow start! Basic Partagas. Nutty tobacco. Very soft taste. Forest ground. Cheese-like flavour. Mild pepper sneaks in. Round toasted tobacco for a long time. Hints of cedar. Some coffee. Some cream. And coffee again. Nuts, coffee and cream keep playing each in turn in my mouth. Fresh wood, sawed pine. Tar. Heather.

Very nice cigar and quite complex. Four years have mellowed the flavours, but more time wouldn't be a bad thing I suppose. Burning time 1:15.

This reminds me just a little bit of Lonsdales.

Flavour 3/5, Body 3/5, Strength 3/5.

This was the best Aristocrat I have ever smoked.

Petit Coronas Especiale on Thursday 24 March

Firm construction, on the middle a little softer spot though. Medium draw.

Nuts, ginger and toasted tobacco, nice. The ginger is quite strong. Basic Partagas. The toastiness of the tobacco increases gradually. Pepper slides in and fades away after a while. Some mild cellar. Some mild toffee. Pepper comes in addition to the toasted tobacco and vanishes again. A lots of sweet cocoa - wow! The last third is quite dull, nothing much happens. Salty tobacco with a few mild hints of cocoa. In the very end some smoked wood.

Very good cigar, but overall not very complex. Burning time 1:15.

This could be somehow close to Lusitanias.

Flavour 3/5, Body 3/5, Strength 4/5.

This was an average PCE of my smoked ones.

First round ranking, ladies first when splitting:

1. Princess

1. Habaneros (+ some age compensation)

3. Aristocrats (- some age compensation)

4. Petit Coronas Especiales

5. Mille Fleurs

6. Super Partagas

It's difficult to rank these, but the four best are clearly my favourites out of this first round.

Now I will rest a little and smoke something else, but will definitely return after a while...

BREAK

On the second round I will not concentrate to examine the flavours so deeply, if I may say so, that I did on the first round. In another words, I just smoke the cigars.

Petit Coronas Especiale on Wednesday 30 March

Tight construction and draw.

1/3 Strong pepper and some nuts.

2/3 Strong pepper and tobacco. Hints of toffee.

3/3 Pepper and coffee. Some salty tar.

Not complex anyhow. Burning time 1:20. I felt almost bored, could be a wrong day to smoke a cigar though.

Flavour 4/5, Body 3/5, Strength 4/5.

Aristocrat on Friday 1 April

Tight construction and very tight draw.

1/3 Lightly smoked nutty tobacco and mild pepper.

2/3 Creamy toasted tobacco with pepper. A mango flavoured spot in the middle!

3/3 Toasted tobacco with some coffee.

Not very complex. Burning time 1:10. This was a nice and enjoyable cigar.

Flavour 3/5, Body 3/5, Strength 2/5.

Habanero on Saturday 2 April

Soft construction. Open draw.

1/3 Toasted nutty tobacco. Pepper.

2/3 Tobacco and mild pepper. Some toffee.

3/3 Tobacco, coffee and cream.

Not very complex. Burning time 0:55. Nothing special, just an everyday cigar.

Flavour 2/5 to 3/5, Body 2/5 to 3/5, Strength 3/5.

Super Partagas on Sunday 3 April

Tight construction. Very good tight draw.

1/3 Nutty tobacco. Earth.

2/3 Toasted tobacco. Brown spiciness. Sweet cream and cocoa.

3/3 Coffee-like tobacco. Some saltiness. A hint of orange. Cream. Burnt wood. Many different delicious flavours in the end.

The cigar grew from simple to very complex towards the end. Burning time 1:40. Wonderful cigar, WOW!

Flavour 3/5, Body 3/5, Strength 3/5.

Mille Fleur on Monday 4 April

Spongy construction. Medium draw.

1/3 Lightly spicy tobacco. Mild ginger and white pepper.

2/3 The same. Nothing much happens.

3/3 Slightly creamy tobacco and white pepper. Some toffee sweetness and cedar. Ends to burnt wood, salt and tar.

Not complex anyhow. Burning time 1:05. Nothing special.

Flavour 2/5 to 3/5, Body 2/5 to 3/5, Strength 3/5.

Princess on Tuesday 5 April

Spongy construction. Quite tight draw.

1/3 Toasted and nutty tobacco with a sound of fresh leaves of birch. Some ginger.

2/3 Mild white pepper with toasted tobacco.

3/3 Spiciness. Salty and toasted tobacco coated with toffee. Cream and cocoa.

Medium complex cigar. Burning time 1:00. A very good cigar.

Flavour 3/5, Body 3/5, Strength 3/5.

2nd round ranking:

1. Super Partagas

2. Princess

2. Aristocrats (- some age compensation)

2. Habaneros (+ some age compensation)

5. Petit Coronas Especiale

6. Mille Fleurs

Conclusions:

I decided today not to even try to write any objective conclusions, because it occasionally seems to disturb some persons and I don't want to cause any disturbance to anybody. I am terribly sorry if I do.

So, the goal of this experiment was to help myself to decide which cigars I am going to buy in the future.

All of the smoked cigars are good choices for an everyday-cigar, but I will choose Princess and Super Partagas. Aristocrats and Habaneros were also quite close to my personal favourites. Time may change my opinion, but at the moment I think I will not buy Petit Coronas Especiales or Mille Fleurs anymore.

I have noticed before, that I have started to like thinner and thinner cigars more and more. This experiment clearly supports that direction.

Are these really everyday-cigars? Well - no, I don't think so. I would rather categorize these as workday evening cigars.

They are not even close to bad, but I am still very happy that I don't have to smoke these every day and also that I may smoke something else next! Working in a cigar factory as a testsmoker wouldn't be a top-job. It's not fun not to be able to choose a cigar for your current feeling.

PLEASE NOTE:

This whole post is just and only my own opinion, which I decided to share with you. It is definitely not any "holy truth" or nothing like it. I am very novice with cigars and have smoked very few stogies in my life, so more experienced persons are able to give much more trustable recommendations. So, don't make any decision to buy these same cigars based only to this particular post, please. I will not be responsible if you make a false decision. After all, I must say that there is one thing that I am pretty sure myself: If you do like D4s, then Mille Fleurs is your choice for a cheap cigar (IMO). Please don't kill me if you don't agree!

Gentlemen, sorry about my bad English.

Photos of the winners:

Princess:

Super Partagas:

Great effort, mate! Bravo!

[stargazer14]

Now that time has passed I have come back to this thread and read it again. I mentioned earlier I didnt have any of the smaller Parti's but now I have gone thru a box of Aristocrats and a few Super P's. I really enjoy the Aristocrats and the Supers so far have been a 'cut the lawn' cigar, but they are young yet. Thank for this insightfull post, keep up the good work.

[lovesmallrg]

Interesting thread.

I have a box of Supers on the way, the places I can buy from are out of stock on the aristocrats now.

I think I'd better try to leave them alone as much as I can and let them rest for a while, a long while

[Habana Mike]

Very nice work sir, impressed with your fortitude. Food for thought.....

[Pedro2486]

Great write up mate. Definitely some good info here for me.

Do you think that the age differences between different smokes may skew the findings at all?

[OkieJoe]

Nice review

[nikonNUT]

Very comprehensive study I have to admit that the only one of the bunch that I have had is the Aristocrat (and I have loved everyone I've smoked) but I need to get a hold of the other 5 vitolas. For science

[BonVivant]

Thank you!

Partagas Tres Petit Coronas used to be the trademark for Partagas Shorts, yet, nothing compares to it - is't strange?

[Briand]

Great post really good read

[Easttide]

Bump this as I have a box of 13 Habaneros and 15 PCE's. Habs are amazing. PCE's have been at 69% for a month and the second one I had not ROTT was today and very nice. Quick (45 min) and easy, not as robust as the HABs but very nice. Can only get better.

[garbandz]

good read,would enjoy other reviews if you have time...........