Made by: Partagas
Size: Belicosos
Ring Gauge: 52
Length: 5 1/2 inches
Purchased: Cigars Unlimited, London UK, 2006.
Date: August 14th, 2006
Time: 4:30 pm GMT
Location: Hayfield Manor, Cork City, Cork, Ireland
Conditions: Clear skies, Warm 75 degrees, light breeze
The Purchase
This cigar was purchased at Cigars Unlimited, London, UK. To learn more about my buying experience, please refer to this post. Adrian strongly recommended this cigar.
The Location
I finally escaped the Hell at Heathrow and arrived in Cork. It seemed like touching down in Heaven when I arrived at the brand new Cork airport. The weather was uncharacteristically sunny, warm and frankly, so un-British and far-away from the security nightmares back in Britain.
After conducting my business meetings I made my way to the Hayfield Manor, a delightful old world establishment near Cork City and tucked away in it’s own secluded garden. It’s a balmy afternoon and sunset will be late this evening…. A perfect opportunity to have a single malt, check my email and….. light up a smoke.
I made my way to this delightful garden setting and was immediately assisted by Ann, a friendly Polish gal who delivered my drink and the largest ashtray on the planet…. I think it doubles as a salad bowl!The Smoke!
I must warn you that this cigar is NOT aged. In fact, it is rather young. However, I couldn’t wait to try it. It is especially rare and you will have a hard time finding this one outside of the UK. These belicosos were made exclusively for the UK market and Adrian was instrumental in getting them produced when he was last in Cuba. The production has been very limited and is available only in a select number of locations in London.
So why am I reviewing this in the public domain? These cigars are styled after the old world Habanos that the English used to enjoy when the Empire was, well, an Empire (apologies to my Pommie friends).
As I listened to Adrian’s description of these cigars, I realized that these quite possibly are the blend of cigar my maternal grandfather (Sydney Kaufman) used to smoke back in the day. The thought that I could be smoking something that Syd may have enjoyed in his billiard room in the old house in Brighton really peaked my curiosity. They looked very close to a handful of dried out puros my Grandmother gave me after Syd passed away some years ago.Adrian warns me that these have a subtle taste and one needs to sample a few to really start to appreciate them. The cigar is a dark brown and a very comfortable size somewhat between a Torpedo and a Churchill. I make a traditional cut and light it up. The draw is smooth and the aromas mild, subtle and somewhat eloquent. This cigar has great constructions and balance.
As stated earlier, it is a young habanos and would benefit from some ageing. I plan to acquire a box and put it away for at least 5 years. I enjoy this smoke for approximately 2 hours as I watch a beautiful midsummer sunset in Cork.
Rating: (3) VERY GOOD
(5) Classic, (4) Outstanding, (3) Very Good, (2) Average, (1) Don’t Bother
Humidor: VAULT: 2010-2015
Smoke Now, Smoke Soon:1–3 Years, Put Away:3–7 Years, Vault:7-12 Years, Inheritance Gift:12+ Years
