Bolivar Royal Corona: LES DIC 01: Bolivar Review Competition 2016

[miurajus]

Thank you to Rob for putting on this competition.  I am looking forward to all of the amazing, mouth-watering reviews to come.  Be well!

Edit: 8/21 - In a fortuitous turn of events, my name was drawn for this particular contest.  Thank you again to @Elpresidente and his fabulous staff for working to create an environment which both welcomes and educates smokers of all levels who share in a passion for Habanos. 

 

Primero:

Very smooth - smooth..  Rich roasted coffee beans, not a kick/peaky coffee.  Well goodness, if that isn't just lovely.  In reference to the aroma the cigar was putting out.  Draw is a little tight.  Starting off slightly uneven, not really worried.  Smoke is velvet on the palette.  Waft of smoke threw me as the wind shifted.  Seriously, perfume.  Jasmine perfume with a smidgen of wood.  Really love this, a memorable experience. 

Update: Ethernut also had a similar experience when smoking his BBF w/ 9 years on it (his BOTL sommelier Tom referred to it as Honeysuckle).  Perhaps another 6 years has yielded a similar note in this stick?

Slightly inhaling the smoke waft, a nasal draw if you will, til it burns.  Just haven't had this before.  What a trip!?!  Flavors coming through are without fog.  Cocoa & hazelnut.  Short peekaboo finish.  Still tight, getting more worried.  Maybe i should have froze it?  Sweet corn note, water from a can of corn, not rich, tad less sweet.  Cigar might be opening up slightly.  Earth, coffee, touch of tobacco and stewed fruit.  15 minutes in, wasted a some of the cigar trying to coax the burn.  Way out in front of schedule.  Trying to slow down.  Leather, stewed fruit, almost to a raisin sweetness.  Giving this cigar the business like a masseuse mixing uppers and juice.  19 minutes and 1st third is ending.

Medio:

No signs of spice on the palette, retro; zilch.  Dark, earthy w/ a sweet finish.  Volume of smoke still relatively light.  Faint touch of woody spice.  I found it funny that I hadn't had any up until I made note of it.  Next draw?  Trickles in..  Cinnamon went left on the scale, just as light, but w/ some wood nuance to it.  Burn is straightening out.  Please open up?  Faint spice and coffee.  Rich leather & coffee.  Interesting tasting them alone in a room.  Midway through the 2nd, earthy flavors now for a few draws, constant, clean.  Ash is nice.  Getting stewed fruit almost to raisin on the finish.  Draw is opening up some.  Pepper starting to come through, subtle licorice.  Good rhythm.  Burnt raisin and coffee.  Call 2nd done, 46 minutes.

Fin:

Start of the 3rd I got a lot of draws that while not spicy through the nose, were quite ashy.  In my mind I questioned if this was due to some build up from the earlier tight draw.  Charcoal for a few draws.  Lots of leather.  Now fruits and caramel on the finish.  Again.  Little meat, some salt, no pepper on the retro.  Great unexpected mellowing.  Coffee, white pepper, touch of cocoa on the finish.  Burnt wood and coffee.  Red line taste, but without the spice on the retro, how odd.  Lonely coffee.  Still burning pretty cool.  Smoky, woody, barbecue.  My personal favorite draw, retro was slightly salty, the palette already had some char and spice.  I just walked up to the grill and kinda chomped the air w/ a steak on.  Rich cocoa.  Back to redline teeter.

I'm really curious if some of the experiences (both good and bad), could be attributed to the draw issues?

 

Final smoke clock: ~1 hr 15 min