Sancho Panza Belicosos Cigar - 1 Single

Date Added: Tuesday 07 June, 2016 by Staff

Reviewed by Jack Schonhaut (June 2001)

I didn't know I was going to be a taste tester until these beauties arrived with my order from MO. I have smoked this vitola before and found them to be pleasant with a mild to medium flavor. These looked darker than any Sancho Panza I have previously seen with almost a maduro hue. There was also a beautiful oily sheen that made them look like they were going to try out for the Mr./Ms Universe pageant. I grudgingly put them in the humidor to rest for a week before I started my tasting.

The first candidate was smoked after lunch. It was a nice sunny day, perfect for a leisurely smoke on the deck. There cigar looked perfect. Smooth, no veins and firm to the touch. The cut was clean and the pre-light aroma was a smell of cedar.

Upon lighting there was an easy draw with a medium to full flavor that included tastes of cedar and coffee. I'm not talking about a latte, I mean fresh ground Columbian, in a big cup. This was not the taste of the Sancho Panza I've had before. This continued through the first third of the smoke as a firm dark gray ash developed.

After the first third there arrived a definite taste of honey with more of a sweet cedar flavor. The coffee flavor subsided at this point and the flavors just mellowed out. Clouds of smoke, smooth draw, never harsh or dry all the way to the finish. This was a great way to spend an afternoon.

Candidate Number two was smoked after dinner the following evening. There was the same oily sheen but the cigar seemed soft to the touch. As I feared this one was too loosely rolled. The coffee flavor was there in the beginning and some cedar at the end. It just wasn't a smoke you would linger over because it smoked hot and harsh towards the end.

The had the third the following evening. It mirrored the first in appearance and flavor. I would not suggest this pyramid for enjoyment after a heavy dinner. It does seem best to help while away a spring or Summer afternoon.

Thank you MO for these wonderful smokes.