Palate Wheel

This Regata is a unique figurado not made in any other Habano brand. It follows the tradition of the brand’s most iconic size the Montecristo Nº2 but takes only around half an hour to enjoy. The Montecristo flavor is primarily bitter oak with a spicy backbone. But this is my first Open Series cigar and I’m excited to taste if they are anything like it’s Montecristo siblings.

A beautiful figurado with a wonderful thick smoke and a great draw. There is a lovely sweet fruit on the draw, tea on the tongue, a wonderful oaky aftertaste and a sweet nutty scent. In short, a light bodied sweet fruit/oak smoke. I rate it 89 from a box date dec 2009.

I got this piramides in a sampler box of 5. Thought I would check out the Cohiba and Partagas for this special release.

A beautiful cigar with a wonderful think smoke and a great draw. There is sweet cedar on the draw, sour citrus on the tongue, oak in the aftertaste and scent. In short, a medium bodied toasted smoke with a lovely sweet and sour woody flavor. I rate it 88 from a single stick dated 2003.

A petit edmundo exclusivo paises nordicos. Brought this little “light” home from Copenhagen the other day. I am not a big fan of the Punch family but I do love to try the limited editions.

There is cedar on the draw, a faint licorice on the tounge, a lovely toasted oak aftertaste and a roasted scent. There are moments of tangy flavors. In short, a strong dry toasted smoke. I rate it 87 from a box dated oct. 2009.

Okay, quite excited about this little figurado. Heard a lot of interesting things about the Divinos.

Very sweet in the opening. A really tight draw, almost too tight, with a lovely thick smoke. There are sweet fruit on the draw, salty tang/vinegar on the tongue, bitter oak in the aftertaste and a fruit aroma in the scent. There are moments of sour ammonia and coffee flavors. In short, a strong little flavor bomb of sweet’n'salty vegetal notes. This smoke needs alot more rest. I would give it 4 more years in the humidor before giving these a chance. I rate it 85 from a selection dated 2009.

Let’s take a look at the absolute best my humidor has to offer in regular production cigars at the moment…

5. Partagas D #4
A lovely strong and spicy cigar. Perfect after a barbeque or with a bottle of Pinot Noir.

4. Trinidad Robusto Extra
In Denmark we are blessed with some of the most delightful licorice made by old traditional methods. The Trinidad Robusto Extra is a really close substitute with a lovely creamy aroma. Far superior to the Montecristo No. 2 which has a similar flavor profile.

3. Vegas Robaina Famosos
Imagine the best roasted cup of coffee you have ever had. This cigar is the essence of the imagination. Enjoy it with a shot of dupo espresso. Don Alejandro, what a legend, Rest In Peace!

2. Bolivar Royal Corona
This cigar can challenge any cigar out there on the sweet’n'sour flavor profile. Try it with a bottle of demi-sec Spumante.

1. Partagas P #2
A rich creamy smoke like no other. A symphony of nutty, coffee and oaky flavors. I allways pare it with a hot cup of Pukka “Three Berry” tea.

This is a vintage cigar from 2000. Bought a single stick from my favorite shop in Copenhagen. The taste is somewhere in the middle of the Bolivar Royal Corona and the Bolivar Belicosos, but with a twist of bland flavors.

There is sugar on the draw, citrus on the tongue, oak in the aftertaste and a roasted coffee scent. There is a hint of sour coffee and sweet cedar flavors. This is really a lovely medium bodied smoke and I must have a box, for aging, on my next shopping spree. In short, a spicy, dry and sour cigar. I rate it 94. Superb.

I bought this single stick from my favorite shop in the Copenhagen. I am not an aficionado of the non-cuban cigars, but I do find myself curious from time to time.

There are dried fruit on the draw, grass on the tongue, oak in the aftertaste and sweet wood in the scent. This is a symfoni of potpourr in a light-medium body with hints of grass and cedar in moderations. In short, a sweet, bitter, dry and fermented smoke. I rate it 90.

This cigar has a wonderful set of unique flavors, and really is, in a league of its own. The first puff just hits you with a salty spicy aroma, reminiscing of raw licorice, it’s soo good it’s addictive. It’s similar to the Montecristo flavor profile, but with a rich creamy nuance. This might be the ultimate poker cigar.

There is almond on the draw, licorice on the tongue, sweet cedar in the scent and oak in the aftertaste with a hint of coffee and toast in moderations. This is a lovely light-medium bodied cigar on the spicy flavor spectrum. I rate it 93 from a box dated 02/2008.

The Cohiba brand has always been known as something special, but the quality of the cigar doesn’t always match the “quality” of the price. Bought a pack of 3 dated 02/2009 and the construction of these cigars are just beautiful.

There is cedar on the draw, bitter oak on the tongue, leather in the aftertaste and sweet cedar in the scent. A dry woody smoke with a full body. I rate it 90.

This is the last of a box dated 11/2007. The best San Cristóbal is definitely the Anniversary Series which has become a regular prodution with the release of the Oficios, Muralla and Mercaderes.

This is a lovely dry medium bodied smoke, with an even burn. There is some citrus on the draw, leather on the tongue, oak in the aftertaste and cedar/almond in the scent. There are small nuances of fruit, coffee and pepper in moderations. I rate it 89.