Sancho Panza Belicoso UTL MAY 18 smoke and drink pairing review

[slowsmoke]

Well as usual, El Pres has some uncanny timing.  I just last night sat down with my brother and burned a couple Sancho Panza Belicoso from a recent 24:24 sampler, paired with a Pikesville Rye.  Considered doing a little review, but convinced myself it wasn't worthy of its own thread, and ended up just posting it to the daily smoke thread.  But now that there's a contest, well, hey... ?

The cigars were Sancho Panza Belicoso UTL MAY 18, from a 24:24 sampler of just a couple months ago I believe.  It was one of those "two of each, split it with a mate" samplers, which I have really come to appreciate because it has let me include a few friends on my beginner's journey into CC.  It is definitely more fun to see if we both get the same flavors and experience.

The wrappers, while a bit veiny, had a very supple almost silky feel to them.  They smelled of very nice leather and barnyard.  The foot was also leathery and a bit of earth.  Construction was firm and even.  The draw was definitely on the tight side, but they seemed smokeable so we pushed ahead without any reamer tools.

The first puffs were immediately salty, and coffee.  No leather at all.  We both looked at each other and said wow, haven't had that before!  It was quite nice.  Near the end of the first third, both of us required a touch up to prevent some tunneling, but it worked.

In the second third, unmistakeable cream.  The salt lessened, but was still there.  And still strong coffee and tobacco.  All of the flavors seemed distinct, so it wasn't like a salty creamy cup of coffee, but more like a black coffee, with some salt and cream on the side, if that makes any sense.   A really great balance and combo.  Mine required another touch up,  his burned fine.  Near the end of the second third, we both agreed that the strength had stepped up to a touch over medium.

In the final third, the flavors stayed much the same, with the salt getting weaker, and the coffee getting stronger, almost espresso.  But it never got bitter or hot, which surprised me for such a young cigar.  There was no pepper or spice.  The strength also stayed the same. The draw stayed tight the entire time.  The tunneling and draw could be because they were on the wet side, they came out of my humidor at about 65%. 

The whiskey was Pikesville Rye 110 proof, with a single large ice cube.  I am a dedicated rye head, and this is one of my standby favorites.  It gives all the bite you expect from a rye, but with some caramel and vanilla flavors that are just bright enough to make you say wow, without overpowering anything.  Unfortunately, I have not found many rye/CC pairings that I would recommend.  But this one changed that.  The caramel/vanilla flavors ended up being an awesome match for the salt and coffee flavors of the Sancho Panza.  As the ice melts with a couple more splashes of rye, it becomes very refreshing in the final third of the cigar.

Overall, this is not yet a cigar that I am going to rush out and buy a box.  But I would definitely try it again.  If it was this well behaved so young, I bet it would be reaaallly good with some age.  And it turned out to be a match made in heaven with the whiskey.  Both are highly recommended.

 

[Chucko8]

Nice review. thank you

[unclepauly25]

Nice review, that looks like a great quality cigar, I’m gonna have to try some of that rye also! ?