Cigar:            Bolivar Fuerte Delmonico

Size:             50 x 6 1/4"

Country:          Hon

Wrapper:          ECSU, E

Binder:           CT

Filler:           Hon/Nic

Flavor Strength:  Full

NicotineStength:  Mild

Date Received:    2005-07-24

Suspected Age:    3.5 years (a guess, based on age of the SROs it shipped with)

Vendor/Price:     Free, JR bonus with old stock SROs, same yellow cello.

Beverage(s):      water, Bridgeport ESB

Smoke time:       2 hours

Date:             2005-08-28

Posted to ASC:    2005-08-29

Overall score:    4.7/5.0

Overall:    A great cigar - a Wow! cigar.  Sweet leather, licorice, leather, and cocoa flavors swirling around themselves and intensifying over the smoke.  The spiceness waxed, and waned, within the leather and cocoa fundamental, waxxing strongly at the nub.  A good-looking, dark, shiny, sweet smelling stick.  Worth a box to put up for a while.  I am wondering what a fresh one is like.

Ambience:   In the livingroom watching an evening thunderstorm, packing for the move, and tracking the hurricane Katrina into New Orleans.  Thankfully my buddy and business partner fled NOLA to San Diego.  Property can be replaced.  Friends can not.  Need more boxes.

Appearance: Very yellow cellophane.  Although the wrapper is listed as EMS, it looks more like a maduro to me, very dark and shiny with small veins.  Sweet leather aroma with an oily feel.  Firm except spongy at the foot where the roll is obviously loose. 

Cut & Prelight:   Good cut yielding an open draw and a sweet, mint/licorice with cocoa draw flavor. 

First third:      Initially sweet with a hint of licorice and a sweet leather and cocoa finish.  It tastes much like the unlit draw flavor.  ( Wow! - at the 1/2" point).  Light gray somewhat flakey ash.  More leather and more spice.  Held 1.5" of ash.

Second third:     More licorice and a bit less sweet.  Finish is more leather and cocoa.  The coal tended to damp down rather quickly, so it needed stoking every minute.  Generally the burn was fairly even, though with spit and fire I never let it get away.  As it softened from the heat it felt like a bunch of stems were on the lagging side at about the halfway point.  Once through that region the burn evened out nicely. 

Third third:      More leather and cocoa, with some sweetness and licorice.  Slight nicotine buzz.

Nub:        Very aromatic, full of licorice, cocoa, leather, and some coffee.  Long sweet licorice and cocoa finish - yumm.