At last, a new cigar - 1998 Le Hoyo du Depute'

It's been a while since I smoked a cigar that has not been smoked here before.  I am not very swift with the updates, and I don't smoke many cigars in a year, so oftentimes you will find that I have reviewed a cigar that I have tried 2, sometimes 3 times before.  Tonight I grabbed a old and beautiful cigar out of a fresh cabinet of 25, seemed a shame to break up the set. 

It provided a breezy draw from the slightest cut.  To me that spelled trouble, but I have had more trouble lately from stingy flows, so I lit it up quickly and drew the first, tasty puff.  At first I thought, man, this is a 13 year old cigar and it tastes like it came off the roller's table yesterday.  But after the first half inch, I realized that was just the power talking.  These are strong and woody cigars without much complexity.  Tasty, but not extremely interesting.  I had a hard time determining what intricacies I was experiencing in the taste.  I tasted crushed weeds and a mentholated cool, vegetal taste with a body of white wood.  The cigar burned extremely straight and reasonably fast.  Within a half an hour, I was pretty much done with this one. 

There was a full inch to go when I put it down, but I couldn't see much sense in continuing.  The cigar was good, but not compelling enough to take it to the nub.  On this cigars best days, they are really refreshing and mouth-watering.  I love em.  It's sad to see this one be a little blah.  If you can find a box of these you should really pick em up.  Don't be put off by this one.  80 points.