Another Delicious Partagas!

Cigar Reviewed: Partagas Heritage Rothchild

Covered in a gorgeous Honduran wrapper, the Partagas Heritage Rothchild, a 4.5 x 50, standard shaped cigar, is my second entry into the world of Partagas. JR Cigars has this to say about the Heritage line:

"Paying homage to the brand's legendary Cuban pedigree, Partagas Heritage cigars are premium handmade beauties with the look, feel, and taste of those great pre-embargo smokes from old Havana. To create this one-of-a-kind blend, General Cigar procured some of the highest quality tobaccos from the world's top growers and covered them with a reddish-brown Honduran wrapper from the fertile valley of San Agustin... A throwback to those great pre-embargo Cuban smokes of yesteryear, the ultra-premium Partagas Heritage Rothschild cigar takes the palate on a journey back to old Havana."

I can’t say that I know what a pre-embargo Cuban Partagas tastes like, but if they were anything like this one, I imagine they were quite popular.

The pre-light wrapper’s aroma was wonderful with a bright barnyard note. Upon lighting, the Heritage smacked me in the face (although not unpleasantly) with black pepper combined with cedar notes. I thought perhaps this stick would be a pepper bomb, but the pepper soon diminished enough to provide very smooth retrohales throughout the remainder of the cigar.

Using a straight cut, the draw was perfect. Upon lighting, flavor notes included the aforementioned pepper and cedar, combined with sweet dark fruit, chocolate, and nuts. The second third provided additional notes of earth and bread, with the cedar taking a back seat, but still present. Those flavor notes continued into the final third, when subtle notes of leather were added. Complexity and flavor transition were quite apparent and most enjoyable.

Except for one minor instance when the burn line got slightly wonky (it corrected itself), it was razor sharp throughout. I found the strength to be medium-full, with a medium-to-full body providing copious amounts of smoke production.

It paired wonderfully with a Guiness Extra Stout beer, followed by an equally good pairing of a Heineken 00 (non-alcoholic beer) in a salt-rimmed glass with a splash of lime and dash of salt to bid this delicious cigar farewell. And yes, I used my nub tool to get the very last bit of enjoyment from the Heritage that I could.

The only drawback I can think of is that the cigar’s finish was rather brief. However, its room note was long lasting and extremely pleasant. My wife loved its aroma.

Would I buy this cigar again? You bet I would! I’m sure glad I purchased a 5-pack of these little beauties for times when its 4.5 x 50 dimensions fit perfectly into a shorter timeframe available than that needed for a robusto or larger cigar. Either that, or when I’m simply in the mood for its wonderful smoking experience. I definitely see more Partagas cigars in my future!

Cheers!