Partagas Serie D No. 4 Cigar - 1 Single

Date Added: Tuesday 07 June, 2016 by Staff

Reviewed by Shawn Leventhal (November 2000)

I can't tell you all how psyched I was when I opened my mail box and found three beautiful Partagas Serie D No. 4. I definitely don't feel qualified or experienced enough to be doing this, but I welcome the challenge with very open arms and great thanks to Cgars Ltd for giving me the chance. Ok, on with the reviews:

First: After a nice steak dinner, I went to a great cigar lounge with some friends and broke out my first tester. The robusto had a very smooth feel, but not too oily. A nice rich chocolate color, and the construction was very good with some veins being apparent throughout the body. Unfortunately, during shipping most likely, the cap was slightly cracked, which only worsened when I applied my bullet punch cut. This tends to be the cut I like the most, especially with a robusto. I had been enjoying the aroma of the cigar since I received it. It had a great "cuban cigar" scent, that just screamed to be smoked. I took a few pre light draws and noticed a very spicy flavor. To pair with this smoke, I ordered a Glenmorangie 18 on the rocks. Upon lighting, I noticed a slight toughness to the draw, which was a bit disappointing. Not too tough a draw that I felt it was plugged, but enough to notice with each draw. This cigar immediately imparted a very medium to full bodied flavour (spelling for our British friends :) ), with a spiciness that continued throughout the smoke. It went well with the scotch, which was a great treat unto itself, but that's another review. The ash was a dark grey and burned well and mostly even throughout. Towards the middle, I noticed hints of leather with increasing nuttiness towards the end. Overall a good cigar, but not among the best I have smoked.

Second: While I was enjoying my robusto, my friends were smoking churchill sized cigars, so there was ample time for me to light the second. I had a glass of cool water in between, and once my palate seemed cleansed, I took out the second. This one also had a beautiful aroma and great, smooth feel. Very similar if not exactly like the first one, in colour, and apparent veins. This one also had a split cap. The pre-draw again imparted flavours of spice. With this, I decided to go with a cognac, and ordered a snifter of Delamain, Vesper. A great cognac, and went much better with the Partagas then the scotch did. Much to my delight, this one had an easier draw. The same dark grey ash and even burn as the first, but noticed a bit more earthiness as it smoked down. The spiciness was the same. I don't think I mentioned it above, but both cigars had a long finish, and got much stronger as I smoked it. The spiciness definitely stayed on my palate each time.

Third: After dinner with my girlfriend, we went back to the same cigar club I had smoked the other two at (might as well be consistent with setting I figured :) ). This last cigar was much smoother to the touch than the other two, and had a slightly darker chocolate color. There were no veins on this one unlike the other two. The construction was near perfect, and the cap was exceptional. not a single crack or chip. This time I let the waiter cut it with a scissors. Great pre-draw flavors, which imparted the same spiciness as the others, but also had a much sweeter taste, of which I think currant comes closest to describing. Subtle, but very noticable (does that make sense?). I decided to go with an Armangac this time, and ordered a snifter of Busnel. I used a cedar splint to light this one, and the draw was exceptional. By far the best draw of all three. Perhaps it was the cut, perhaps the cigar ( I think the later). This one also proved to have the best combination of flavors. A bit more complex then the other two, it added a nice creamy finish, with hints of cocoa and possibly coffee. The ash of this one was a lighter shade of grey and burned perfectly even. As it smoked, the cigar imparted earthy and wood flavors with undertones of nuttiness. Spicy throughout, but the earthiness and wood became more overpowering towards the end, and about 1.5 inches above the band, became a bit harsh. I put it down shortly after. The Armangac has a great spicy/sweetness that went absolutely wonderful with this cigar. This was hands down the best of the three.

There you have it. I hope I did not make a fool of myself :)