Bolivar PC, unknown, (VVRW#2)

[Mrcpt]

I got this as a single last summer from our gracious host, so I’m not sure of the factory or year. The wrapper is light, maybe colorado claro. Draw is perfect, with a sweet hay cold draw.  Right at the opening, I get a black tea with some leather. Medium to full in body. So there’s this one flavor note that I’ve been trying to identify for quite some time. It’s somewhere between condensed milk, caramel, and a sweet almond oil; I find it most often in Partagas and Bolivar, and I think it’s sometimes present in the non Cubans that strive to describe themselves as “Cubanesque” (e.g., anything bragging about its Cuban seed or being the “original corojo”). Anyways, it’s present in spades here, so I’m happy.

In the second third I get a bit of pepper, not a black pepper, but more of a red, flavorful pepper. That leather transitioned to an earthy tone, and the finish is short to medium.  Surprisingly, I noticed another transition going into the final third.  That almond caramel comes back stronger and there’s now a dry peanut note.  

I like to use a one to five scale to rate cigars: 1 - would not smoke again; 2 - would smoke again; 3 - would buy singles; 4 - would buy a box; 5 - go deep on boxes.  I would rate this cigar a 5: this cigar had amazing flavor, complexity, and transition. Not to mention a convenient size that makes it an anytime smoke. I could see this being a daily smoker, or at least a solid staple in a rotation. Id definitely go deep on boxes here.