Partagas Naturales

The Partagas line was first developed in 1845 in Cuba, a history that suggests any Partagas cigar is going to be a great smoke. Long before Fidel Castro came into power in Cuba, Partagas cigars were hand crafted in Havana under the supervision of Ramon Cifuentes and his father. Ramon Cifuentes was one of the last of the legendary cigar-makers to leave Cuba. He did so in the early 1960s when he discovered Santiago, Dominican Republic and deemed it the ideal place to manufacture the line. There he continued to produce Partagas and contribute greatly to this nation’s reputation as a producer of fine cigars. The Dominican versions of his famous Cuban brands feature spicy Cameroon wrappers and use a blend of Dominican and Mexican tobaccos as filler. The binder leaves are grown in the San Andres Valley in Mexico. As you may know, Mexican tobaccos are known for being bold and spicy. Dominican varieties, on the other hand, tend to be a bit smoother. The brilliant combination of soft and spicy gives this cigar a unique split personality. Look for your Partagas to burn nice and easy, long and slow, down to the nub. It begins quite mild, but you’ll notice that the flavor suddenly picks up and then finishes like a different cigar entirely. We gave it a strength rating of 7.5, which is an average of sorts, taking in to account the mild beginnings (what we’d normally consider about a 5.0) as well as its robust spicy nature which comes alive about two inches into the smoke (what we’d consider about an 8.5 or so). Look for more spiciness, notes of honey that peek in and out and a trace of burnt cedar in the aftertaste. Precisely rolled and chock full of tobacco, this well-aged cigar is a real pleasure to smoke. The draw is perfect, free and easy, producing a good amount of cool flavorful smoke. We were impressed with its strength and complex flavor. Try it with Laguavulin, Oban or another peaty scotch.