Chuck Memory and Vertical Partagas SdC no 3 Review

[Sir Diggamus]

I haven't really been active on the forum or online cigar community in a while. I recently joined a Discord channel with some BOTLs I met on Reddit and getting into a new place online to talk about cigars reminded me of Chuck. While Discord doesn't have the same feel as a traditional forum like this one (there is NO place like this one!), any place cigar smokers meet there seems to follow a camaraderie that is a hallmark of the cigar community as a whole. 

I met Chuck in a MySpace group dedicated to people in the Tampa Bay area who liked cigars, it was shortly after I started getting into cigars. After we met in person for the first time and he shared a few habanos with me I was bit by the Cuban bug and wanted to try more and learn more. Chuck was a very generous smoker and loved to introduce people to new cigars they hand't tried. I got a lot of my early experience with the best of different marcas because of Chuck. He also introduced me to FOH and a few other places online where I learned TONS about cigars and met a lot of great people. 

Chuck was a big advocate of the "skinnies" and my first Partagas SdC no 1 was a gift from him. Just as he told me, I watched Chuck tell several other people that he had given a thin ring gauge cigar to that to get the best experience and flavors out of these type cigars they must be "sipped" and savored, unlike many 42+ ring gauge cigars that can be puffed at a brisker pace and enjoyed. Such great advice! 

So recently when I found that I still had the '07 version of the Partagas SdC no 3 cigar and the '99 to match it thought a vertical tasting would be a fun thing to do and one that Chuck would encourage and jump into if he was still around. I had the day off and the house was quiet for the first half of the day so I got a chance to really focus on the experience of the cigars and construct a write up. Chuck wrote fantastic reviews of cigars, so much so it made my wallet hurt after reading some of them, so I tried to do my best to honor Chuck here. 

 

 

 

 

CIGAR: Partagas Serie du Connaissuer no 3 

DATE: 10/18/19

SIZE: 35 ring X 5 5/8 inches 

SHAPE: Carlotas 

ORIGIN: Cuba 

AGE: April 1999 (EAT CCUA) 

Paired with some golden monkey tea. The cigar's wrapper is a medium colorado in color and has excellent construction and just a little beat up from years in my humidor. Pre-light smell is tobacco and not much else. I clipped it and the first puffs were loaded with earthiness. There was that "Partagas spice" prevalent on the retrohale. The draw has a little resistance which is perfect and smoke production is on point. Sipping away... 

 

The first third flavors continued with earth and hints of espresso. I also began to pick up rich bready (brioche?) flavors and green pepper notes close to the end of the first third with that Partagas spice on the finish. The burn is nice and even. Savoring every puff. 

 

The second third begins with a refined black pepper flavors and a slight tartness that makes the espresso flavor come more to the fore. Also beginning to pick up cocoa flavors on the finish when mixed with the spice coats my palate and makes me want to wait longer between puffs to enjoy the flavor. By the end of the second third the cocoa flavors move from the finish to front and center. Not the rich chocolatey flavors you get with a Monte but more like dark chocolate all over a croissant when mixed with the fading bready notes. More refined black pepper on the finish. 

 

The last third begins with the cocoa and Partagas spice both taking center stage and battling with the spice more prevalent on the retrohale. Nutmeg notes dancing in and out with the spice. The spice wins by the middle of the last third and now more baking spices added in and dark chocolate notes around the edges and on the finish. 

Nubbed it! This cigar rewarded me for holding it so long and was the best out of the box with one I smoked around '07-'08 being a particularly close and memorable second. Unfortunately, it was the last one. A stellar smoke and definitely a refined flavor bomb! 

Six out of Six smoke rings 

 

 

CIGAR: Partagas Serie du Connaisseur 

DATE: 10/18/19 

SIZE: Carlotas 

ORIGIN: Cuba 

AGE: March 2007 (POS MAR07)

Paired with a little OJ and some golden monkey tea. The cigar has a colorado colored wrapper and construction is superb. A nice oily sheen on the wrapper. A little squish lets me know it is firm but not a tight roll at all. Pre-light smell is honey and a little barnyard. After clipping the cigar, the draw is a perfect balance with just a little resistance. After lighting the initial flavors in the first few puffs and loads of sweet Partagas spice and floral notes. 

 

 

The first third starts out with flavors of the Partagas spice and cream. About midway through the first third white and black pepper noted become prominent; the cream stays put as well. Smoke production is fantastic as I just sip a little at a time. The flavors morph into more a baking spice note, a little clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon. All these spices are there, but the cigar is not "spicy" at all. These notes are all refined with a creamy taste making them very pleasant, just black pepper on the finish. This cigar is a medium-full in body right now. 

 

The second third sees the spices and cream flavors start to fade except for the Partagas spice and hints of a wood note emerge. The burn on the cigar is perfect and I have only had to relight it once so far. 

 

 

 

At the beginning of the last third the cream and spice flavors return with a little more umph to them. Almost like a great cup of masala chai with honey and lots of cream. A fantastic sweet-spicy-creamy blend. Cinnamon on the finish now. 

It was a fantastic experience smoking this cigar. Just a notch below in scoring compared to the '99 (sooo close to a six) but I would take this cigar most days over many others. I wish I had a ton more of these. Nubbed it 

 

Five out of Six smoke rings 

 

While there were core elements of these two cigars that were the same, the Partagas spice and black pepper notes specifically, they were a different experience with the second cigar with way more sweet notes and the first one with a more richness to it. But both were fantastic. 

 

[Colt45]

[rckymtn22]

Well done! Thanks for posting the review

[JohnS]

Thanks for this review. I think of Chuck often, even though I never met him, his impact in our community lives on and it gladdens my heart to read this review. Great stuff! ?