Partagas Black Clasico Review

Partagas Black Clasico Cigar Review

10/19/2022

 

Let me start by saying that I'm a huge Partagas fan.  My go to smokes over the last 2 decades have been the regular Cameroon line and the Spanish Rosado San Augustin, which the latter unfortunately has been discontinued for many years now.  Very flavorful cigars and a great value.  

 

Now, the Black series has a great reputation, but I've never cared for it.  It's about a $6 or $7 smoke. I bought a 20 pack that came with the sweet Partagas humidor in the picture.  I bought it for the humidor like 15 years ago and I still have some cigars left.  After 15 years, these cigars have maximum age.  Let's revisit one and see if it has improved. 

Well, it's cold out tonight, about 45 degrees, so will add more wood to the fire.  No wind though, so should be good smoking weather. 

 

This is supposed to be full-bodied.  It has a very dark, shiny Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper that is sun-grown.  Dominican binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers.  

 

This aged beauty is drawing well, lots of smoke.  Smooth at first, quickly developing a rich, dark earth flavor.  A slight sweetness, but strong earth taste, with a hint of spiciness.  

 

I do have to touch it up a bit to keep it burning evenly.  Not bad.  Strong for sure.  Leaves a little aftertaste, but not much. 

Great ash, right? Burning perfect now.  Now building same flavors, leaving much more aftertaste.  Good aftertaste, but a little heavy for me.  I can smoke strong ones, but I prefer medium to full with some sweetness.  This one is just full with slight pepper.  Finally dropped the ash after 15 minutes, leaving a nice cone.  

 

Easy draw.  Leaves a rich black espresso flavor on your tongue.  I like a cedary cigar, but this one is more like toasted cedar.  Can't say I'm fully enjoying it.  Seems too strong in the charred wood flavor.  You could say it's a smooth charred oak and wood taste, but not really my taste.  The aftertaste is now too much.  

 

It kind of reminds me when I was a young middle schooler, we'd pick thin, dried and hollow vines and try to smoke them.  Yeah, I was young and dumb kid.  You'd pretend you were smoking, but it was a harsh stick you were smoking.  This ain't that bad, but a little harsh in the flavors.  That's why I've had these for 15 years.  Not many occasions when you want to smoke a overly flavored smoke that doesn't really satisfy you.  I not really feeling the strength for having to taste so much rich flavors.  I like a smoother flavor that adds strong nuances, which this one is all in your face with one flavor. 

This old dog is smoking great, but it just doesn't taste good.  I smoke 3 or 4 cigars a week.  Maybe if you have already smoked 3 or 4 cigars today and you want to finish the night with this one, then this might be you.  If you're a new smoker, then you won't like this one, as it very strong and rough tasting.  It's pretty one dimensional.  

 

Please disagree with me, as I'm just being honest.  I'm sure someone out there loves this one, but that ain't me. 

I'm 45 minutes in, got a good inch to go and it's still pretty much same flavors as the first inch.  I hate to rate it poorly, as I said, I'm a huge Partagas fan, but just not this one.  Maybe I'll try to review one of the newer versions.  Maybe the 20 I got all all 2nd's, I don't know.  I still have 5 or so left that I'd gladly trade out. 

I'm going to smoke it til the end.  Delivering more peppery tastes on my tongue.  Still smoking without a drink or shot of bourbon, which I was drinking earlier.  This strong stick needs something to chase it down with.  I am starting to feel it now after all that strong flavor bombing it provides.  Not bad flavor punching, but just not good and not for me.  Too much charred flavors. Not harsh, just rich, dark charred flavors.  

 

Going on an hour now.  Very strong aftertaste.  Can easily smoke to the nub.  Getting a little hot, tickling the hell out of my tongue.  

 

Overall a good smoke, but the same dark, rough flavors throughout.  

 

Overall: 84

Flavor 82, complexity 87, burn 91, experience 84, value 86.