2003 Bolivar Petit Corona

From the first light this Bolivar Petit Corona delivers exactly what I expected.  I expect a finish on the tongue.  I want to feel the lip-smacking tang of my favorite tobacco.  And it did.  But not for more than 3/8 of an inch.  It was misbehaving like a sick or off-the-truck cigar.

Perfect cut off of my worst cutter. Lit with my new faux-ping.  There is a fullness to this smoke that comes from the box age that it has.  But there is also a thin-ness in the highlights of flavor that fresh Bolivars have.  I get hints of coffee and very fleeting vanilla, but mostly just woody and leathery taste,  It sure is burning like an 'aged' cigar.  Moving through the first inch and is is straight as an arrow.  It is slightly twangy with a nice roasty flavor after an inch.  I think I heated it up a bit.  This seems to be stage two.  Light espresso with twang.  I know I am going to wear this ash, but I am tempting it.   

After a perfect drop break that I could almost stand vertically on it's coal, we enter the second half.  You know you have a well aged smoke when you get no trouble from the burn ring after an ashing.  The second half is kind of a coconut flavor mixed with the roasty taste.  It's smooth and strong instead of smooth and nuanced.  I think I should have smoked it in two years hence for the nuance.  As much as I like this, I think these are better fresh.  I left it where I shot it last. 

This was a good cigar, but I think they should have been smoked earlier.  One of the constant examples of how aging is a crap-shoot every time.  The 'every 6 months til you can't keep your hands off them' is a good rule of thumb.  But again, this could be one cigar out of the 50 that didn't have the right leaves packed inside for flavor.  And I WAS charmed by the dark leaf it was wrapped in.  But on the score, mmm, not so great.  78.