Partagas Serie du Connaisseur No.3 OSU-VC-3 October 1998 (DDRW)

[Bijan]

Before I started doing reviews I was somewhat sceptical of reviews filled with weird flavours and complicated transitions. But sometimes when you sit there paying the closest of attention you pick up on a lot you would miss when just relaxing at the end of the day.

This is my first time smoking the discontinued Carlotas vitola.

Weight just under the official weight of 6.39g.

Predraw of spicy tobacco.

First third: Lights up with mild paprika and pepper, same on the retrohale. Transitions to a floral perfume. Reminds me of a jasmine tea, with an extreme amount of jasmine I once had on a trip to China and  which I referred to as "soap tea" at the time. Moves onto a somewhat bitter black liquorice, which has me worried this is going to be bitter.

Second third: Fortunately the bitterness goes away and it transitions to wood and leather. Not the wood of Hoyo de Monterrey but closer to actual wood. Maybe the difference between fresh/green wood, and dry wood.

Final third: This was the most interesting part of the cigar. Starts out mint, but smoky mint. Then the mint fades and it is just smoky. Like lapsang souchong but a bit milder. Briefly goes to the liquorice again and then back to smoky but sweet this time, like hickory smoked barbecue. Then a little later becomes spicy instead of sweet, so a spicy barbecue. Halfway through the final third the flavour kicks up two or three notches and I can taste the smokiness right on my tongue. A few minutes later the smoke takes on a very creamy character, but still smoky.

51 minute smoke time.

Construction was good and burn was ok but required a few touch ups to correct uneven burn in the final third.

 

[PigFish]

Thanks for sharing. Sometime ago a few of us aligned on a “meat protein” taste in these cigars. Perhaps that is your BBQ flavor.

I thought of one of these today and instead went with a VC-2 Punch RS 12 PC. I have the pics but have been too busy to post a review.

Cheers! -Piggy

[westg]

Great review, thanks for the pics as well ?

[Markspring1978]

20 minutes ago, PigFish said:

Sometime ago a few of us aligned on a “meat protein” taste in these cigars.

Nice review, just makes me mad to read it though, stupid that these are discontinued. 

Piggy- funny that you mentioned this. I was smoking an SdC3 a couple months ago and picked up a venison profile. Thought I was imagining things.