Bolivar Belicosos Finos

Camapana, 5.5" X 52, Habano

More info and alternate reviews of this cigar HERE!

I would like to start this review off with a disclaimer. I am a United States Citizen. And evidently, in the United States, it is not legal to import things from the Island Country of Cuba (I just found out about this SECONDS AGO!). Under some statute called the "Trading With The Enemy Act" The law that gives the President the power to oversee or restrict any and all trade between the U.S. and her enemies in times of war. Which evidently we still are with Cuba. Anyway, in compliance with that law I would like to state that the cigar I reviewed did not come from Cuba. It appeared by magic. I opened my humidor and BAM! it was there. I do not know how, but I figure since it was there, I should smoke it (i mean it would be a shame to throw away a PERFECTLY GOOD CIGAR), and then review it for all you kind folks.

Appearance: this was one sweet looking cigar, firmly packe and wrapper tightly in a nice mocha shaded leaf that save for one small vein, was as smooth as can be. Another thing that struck me was that this cigar was fragrant from the get go, with that barnyard classic cuban smell (that some cuban national must have told me about once, because I HAVE NEVER smoked a cuban cigar before! That would be illegal!) emenating from it.

Pre-Light Draw: the cigar clipped easily, and the draw was firm, but forgiving, with pre light notes of tangyness and more of that beautiful only to a cigar lover barnyard!

Draw/Burn: The drawwas fabulous producing just the right amount of blue grey smoke. the burn was even, and cool and the ash (which had that nice mottled dark light contrast thing going on) held for quite a while before falling, more than on most of the cuban cigars (I clearly imagined that I have) smoked before.


Flavor: This cigar is a textbook excample of how a cigar can be fairly strong ad yet rich and have great depth of flavor at the same time. It definately was built on that barnyard, uniquely Cuban (again, so I am told) taste. But other notes came wafting in and out the whole time. Sweet notes of maple and honey, spicy notes of white pepper and sage, earthy notes of hay and cedar, and the oak smell of a bourbon barrel, even the leather of my old baseball glove from high school (overall more wood and spice than sweet, though, and lots of earthiness). And the notes do not do this cigar justice. If someone hadnt telepathically infused me with the experience of smmoking a Cuban Montecristo #2, this might have been my favorite cuban belicoso type stogie. Recommending this is besides the point. If you find one of them (you know, if you are a foreigner or something, or traveling abroad, because thats the only way you will find one!) savor it.


TomC