An old love visits.......Partagas Robusto Dominican Republic

When I first started smoking, before I realized that there were other cigars out there that rewarded the bold and reckless, I used to smoke a few Dominican cigars, a lot of H. Upmann and a few Partagas: the stellar Sabroso Tubos, the mild but roasty No.10.  But I never had any illusions, these are pedestrian cigars to satisfy a public sleepwalking through an embargo.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with them, but they don't seem to rise above the mildness of their ingredients by letting any one flavor be bold.  You get the delicious taste of the Cameroon wrapper, the slightly chocolate and sweet mexican binder, and the marrier, the dominican filler.  But while they are well made and reasonably worth the money they charge, they are boring to me, I'll just say that out right.

At a herf earlier in the year, I was handed an old Partagas Robusto, likely at least 8 years old, very yello in the cello, and smelling quite aged and mild.  I wanted to taste what I had been missing.  I had no expectations, and was going to allow it to be good.  I poured a glass of Victory Baltic Thunder, which was dark with chocolatey notes and very light licorice, but bursting with a brilliant fruitiness.  Great beer.  The cigar I made a bit of an error on, I cut it with a wedge and while it drew fine, it never really performed, I got air through it, but not a draw that I thought would add much to the flavor.  So why didn't I re-cut it with a guillotine?  Well, that's easy...I am an idiot.

The smoke was much as I remember it, good taste from the wrapper, but boring inside.  A slight metallic, pencil lead flavor with a grassiness that overall was just not impressive.  But I do not really rate non-cuban cigars, and I handicapped the smoke with my lazy cutting.  A more open draw would have worked out better.  I am confident of that.  It's hard to take much away from a cigar that just is what it is.  It's not their fault that they can't get tobacco from the fobidden zone.

But in general, this is why I left these cigars years and years ago.  It's like the old Wendy's ad that has returned...Where's the BEEF?  If I had no access to the better cigars in the world and had only these to smoke forever, I would resign myself to enjoying these, much as I used to 15 years ago.  But in 2011........Ehhh.