THE PARTAGAS SPANISH ROSADO IS A LOSER

My how the mighty have fallen! I tried this during an afternoon escape from the Houston heat. It comes in a nice tube and wrapped in a darkish wrapper. The first taste is earthy and toasty. Later it becomes earthy and toasty. But the final third is earthy, toasty, and a little harsh. It's not as toasty as the Hoyo de Monterrey and a little more flavorful, but not by much. On the plus side, the draw is good, the burn is even and it produces lots of smoke, so it doesn't totally suck. The Partagas is, of course, one of Cuba's legendary labels, but this Dominican stick would need to improve considerably to become a shell of its former self. Too bad. The current Cuban Partagas is inconsistent and overpriced, so there's a void in the market for a classic smoke. Unfortunately, this reincarnation isn't up to snuff. Fortunately, I was able to take a page from Diamond E's book, chase it with a Padrón 1964 Principe and return to the Havana summers of my youth. If you want the classic Cuban corona smoke that the Partagas used to deliver for under ten bucks, instead try the Man O' War, Padilla 1948, 5 Vegas Miami, or even the uber-cheap Finck 1895. As for the Partagas, we'll always have Havana.--Mamey

CS Rating- 2.5