Bolivar Supremas Churchill (1980)

Produced: 1980
Made by: Julieta 2
Shape: Parejo
Ring Gauge: 47
Length: 7 inches

Date: August 18th, 2006
Time: 4:45 pm Pacific Time
Location: Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga, California
Conditions: Sunny skies, 80 degrees
Purchased: Davidoffs, London, UK, 2006


The Purchase
This was purchased at Davidoff's off St. James in London. I obtained two of these from the back humidor in the store. They were the last two in a box that had been in the store since 1985. Apparently the original box had been acquired at auction.


The Locations
It's the eve of my 6th wedding anniversary and Leslie has made plans for us to spend the weekend in Napa. The three of us (including Amber) jump in the car and head north to Calistoga. On the way we stop at a couple of wineries in Napa.

The best of which is the private tasting at Far Niente. Not only were the wines great, we also wandered amongst the collection of incredible Ferrari's in the barn. At the tasting we sampled the following incredible wines along with some great cheese pairings. Ofcourse it didn't take much to make some acquisitions and waive our tasting fee.

We visited two other wineries: Miner and Sinskey. We were not impressed with either of them. Sinskey's wines are mediocre and tailor to the tourist buses, and our experience at Miner was nothing short of horrific. A young in-experienced sales woman (Salesperson NP) obnoxious, abnoxius and attempted to overcharge us for a half-case of their Pinot. We decided to retreat to our accommodations for the weekend, The Calistoga Ranch. For more on our experience at The Ranch, checkout this special review.

The Smoke!
This was a tubed cigar re-packaged in the UK by the then distributor Joseph Samuel & Son (taken over by HunterÂ’s and Frankau in 1993). It was distributed in a silver tube with Spanish cedar inside.

I have come to expect a spectacular smoke with these older cigars in tubes. And I was not to be disappointed with this one. I unscrewed the tube and the aroma that wafted out was distinct yet subtle, a very woody and aromatic smell. I carefully tipped the tube and the 25 year old Habanos emerged.




As you can see the condition of the cigar is almost flawless. It has a tan brown wrapper with a few bright yellow veins. The cap has a triple ring and is smooth and even. Pressing the tip I notice a fair amount of "give" indicating the draw will be easy. The cigar is firm and somewhat elastic to feel. The wrapper is oily and very smooth to touch.

I apply a traditional cut and light the smoke with a stick of cedar. The first few puffs are effortless and there is no need to relight. The burn starts evenly and the ash is a silver beige. At the beginning, the flavor is distinctly earthy where I can taste leather and even coffee. As I settle back I notice the flavors start to change and become more aromatic and woody. I start to sense cedar and even some pine in this smoke. Within 15 minutes the character and experience has totally changed.

I was reading the latest issue of Baseline magazine, and after 30 minutes with this Bolivar I have laid the magazine to one side entering an almost zen-like trance.

This is an amazing smoking experience. As I reach the last third of the Churchill the taste becomes stronger (but not bitter). I have only lost ash once getting to this point and realize I will be enjoying this right down to the very end.

The sun is starting to set behind the hills of the Napa Valley. As the twilight starts, this beautiful Bolivar comes to an end. Oh well, I now need to get dressed and head down to the Lakehouse for a gourmet dinner with the wife.

Rating: (4) OUTSTANDING
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother

Humidor: SMOKE NOW
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years