Cigar:            Cuba's Famous Brands Partagas Serie D #4

Size:             50 x 5.13"

Country:          Hon/Nic ?

Wrapper:          ?

Binder:           ?

Filler:           ?

Flavor Strength:  Medium

NicotineStength:  Medium

Date Received:    2005-06-30

Suspected Age:    Unknown, smoked OTT

Vendor/Price:     Mr.Bundles / about $3

Beverage(s):      Water, Maritime Islander Pale Ale

Smoke time:       1:30

Date:             2005-07-02

Posted to ASC:    2005-07-03

Overall score:    3.5/5.0

Overall:    Well constructed, pleasant smoke.  A fine bundled cigar, but nothing like the real deal.  Starts with green nut and pepper, evolving quickly to leather and earth.  Long, dry finish. 

Ambience:   None.

Appearance: Compared side by side with the real deal: CFB is slightly longer and slightly narrower.  The wrapper is slightly darker, and similar in medium veining and even smoothness.  No tooth on either.  The rolls are similar, fair bit of give near the foot and tightening toward the head.  Both caps are similarly long with CFB a bit more ragged.  The aromas are surprisingly similar.  Put a red band on the CFB and it could pass for the real deal on looks and aroma. 

It appears to clear to me that the CFB Monte #4 and the PSD#4 are different cigars, not just different rolls of the same recipe. 

Cut & Prelight:   Cut well.  Wide open draw.  Lip tingling and rather peppery draw flavor.

First third:      Initial green nuttiness with lots of pepper.  Huge volume of smoke.  Shortly settled down and lost the pepper and most of the green.  Dry finish.  Gray flakey ash.

Second third:     Nuttiness and pepper gone.  Now slightly sweet leather that fades to a long dry finish.

Third third:      Very nice leathery/earthy flavor with a long finish.  As it approaches the nub it begins to taste like a GPECC.  Abandoned at 1".