Partagas Lusitanias Cigar - 1 Single

Date Added: Tuesday 07 June, 2016 by Staff

Reviewed by Nathaniel Fandino ( October 2000)

A Flavorful Flagship As an avid cigar aficionado, special occasions have become even more meaningful with the inclusion of a cigar with close friends and relatives. In this particular case, we were celebrating the birth and baptism of my son, Sebastian Augusto (Sebi for short). What better occasion to smoke the Partagas Lusitanias I had received from C.GARS Ltd was the thought that went through my mind. After dinner of garden salad, Angus Roast Beef, paella and ratatouille, my friends and I were seated around the lanai enjoying the warm, tropical, night air. In the corner of the lanai, my favorite, teakwood, lounge chair beckoned. After distributing Cohiba Esplendidos and Romeo Y Julietas Churchill Tubos to the rest, I settled down with my Lusitanias.

Excellent specimens that they were, the garden lights showed off the oily sheen of their smooth, dark colorado wrappers, just a few shades from maduro and veined ever so slightly. Accented by an elegant red and gold cigar band, it felt like a sin to cut it. Satiny and supple to the touch, I made a cut using my double-guillotine cutter and tested the draw. Just the way I prefer it, not too loose with just the correct amount of restraint. Its leathery, earthy aroma, though unlit, whispered promises of more than an hour's reverie. I slowly and carefully toasted the edges and watched the thick swirls of smoke slowly curl upwards through the humid air. More leather and a hint of sweet cocoa foreshadowed its flavor. As I smoked the first third of the grand Lusitania, its smoke generously released subtle, bittersweet chocolate, leather and spice into the air, then onto my tongue. Medium bodied at the start with the merest hint of sweetness at the finish, its flavor lingered on the palate. A perfect draw and an even burn ensured consistency that would last until the end.

The burn stayed very even throughout the second third of the cigar, it's firm ash a musty, brownish gray consistent with the island on which the Lusitania was crafted. So even was the burn, that when the ash fell, the end was almost as straight as when I had first lit the foot. The ash itself, studded with fine tooth, was a testament to the wonderful oiliness of the cigars. Going into the last third, each and every perfect draw, yielded a luxurious mouthful of thick, rich, creamy smoke. Then the flavors exploded. As I closed my eyes, well rounded, extremely full, savory flavors filled my senses. Thereafter, it was all leather, earth and cedar, the combination providing an elegant, most seductive contrast. Gone was the hint of sweet chocolate that predominated the unlit bouquet and in its place was a leathery finish that seemed to last a lifetime. Unlike some of its other cousins in the Partagas line, the Lusitania retained its balance throughout, coming close to, but never becoming overpowering even as its flavors built up to a full crescendo during the last third.