Start Up Short - (2007 Partagas Short)

Eventually, even the most jaded of you would admit, I was going to have to start up the smoking part of this blog again.  And so it began today that I eased back into it with what is actually just another photo walk.  I had been testing so many used, ole skool lenses, and I began to think that maybe my cameras were so old as to be virtually useless.  I mean I rarely came home with anything that made me say, "Dang, this camera was a real upgrade to my years of point and shoots."  I HAD better lenses, but they were a known quantity, they were "quality glass".  I had no reason to test them on photo walks.  But that known part was mostly in my mind.  I had not really tested them outside of the bar shots I had with the girls from last month.  

So tonight I pulled out a damaged-wrapper Partagas Short, cut it and lit it.  I slapped on the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 and took a shot of it indoors with the flash for the before shot.  

Almost too little depth of field...the foot of the cigar is out of focus, lol.  But this is a cigar review, let's not get caught down in the weeds.  I took my short walk route down the Greenway, past the flower beds that are stunningly late in being cranked up this year, considering it is 80 degrees out there.  There were only a few flowers up, tulips they were, and a precious few of them to boot.

The cigar was strong and creamy, with plenty of spice and nuance.  As most of you know, I do not think a walk cigar is very good review cigar.  It is hard to get subtle flavors hidden in the smoke when you are exerting, and a good walk should always be an exertion.  But for the early part of the cigar, things were going pretty good

It was only when I got down to the middle of the smoke that it began to show the harsh and tarry notes that characterize a walking smoke in my experience.  Until that happened, I was able to pick out some distinct cherry notes, a strong belt of leather and red pepper with some jalapeno starkness, and occasional notes of cream and mint.  I realized quickly just how long it had been since I smoked a cigar.

But after that point, it was mostly downhill.  Wind, huffing and an exercisers general lack of ability to hold in a breath long enough to detect nuance led to a cigar that did not really have any pleasure associated with it.  I am sure that had I sat down on a bench for the second half, things would have been very different.  But that was not to be on this particular evening.  I held onto it and smoked it to the band, but the last third was not very good.  Still, under the circumstances this was a very good smoke.  Perfectly aged, very well behaved, and lets face it, a welcome change to the new 'photography blog' this has become of late.  All in all, a worthy smoke for a warm and pleasant evening.

IGNORING the fact that it was only half good, I will give the first half an 85, and let the second half be what it was.  And lest you think that I have totally reformed, here is a pretty flower.