Partagas Añejado Corona Gorda

Overall Score

1 review for Partagas Añejado Corona Gorda

  1. M****** B

    Partagas Corona Gorda Añejados

    Origin : CubaPartagas
    Format : Corona Gorda
    Size : 143 x 20 mm (5.625 x 46)
    Released in : 2015
    Box Date : OBE – June ’07
    Hand-Made
    Price : I paid $450 for an early box and subsequently seen them priced as low as $340 (under $14/cigar)

    This is the 4th in the new Añejados line. As Inspector noted in his review of the HdM Añejados, the Añejados program have all been aged for five to eight years in their original packaging. At that point the packaging is opened and the cigars are checked for quality. Then the original band is placed back on the stogies and a second Añejados band is attached to each. The boxes are stamped with the word “revisado,” which means “checked.” Each Añejados offering is a unique vitola for the particular brand; so, this is the only Partagas currently offered in a coronas gordas vitola.

    The Habanos, S.A. press release noted, “Through the aging process, the cigar has developed, becoming rounder and mellower to the palate with touches of delicate and sweetish taste and, above all, obtaining shades of woody taste because of being placed for all those years near the cedar from which the boxes were made.” I’m not sure what boxes the copywriter was looking at, because the Partagas Corona Gorda Añejados comes in a cardboard dress box.

    Appearance : [rating:4.5/5]
    Natural (Colorado Claro), very uniform brown color, speckles of crystalline plume. Very attractive wrapper. I typically don’t like secondary bands, but the additional “Añejados” band actually enhances the presentation. Black and white ash.

    Partagas Corona Gorda (Anejado)

    Construction : [rating:4.5/5]
    Feels well-constructed, consistent throughout, although perhaps a little loose or underfilled. Once clipped, I realized the draw was snug and perfect. Excellent volume of smoke. Burn was sharp, and just a little uneven. No touch-ups required. Lasted over two hours, but I think would typically burn for closer to 1 hour, forty-five minutes.

    Flavor : [rating:4.25/5] (4.25)
    Opens medium strength, very smooth and pleasant. Lots of flavors come through, but none dominate. A little earth, a little salt, some leather, light black pepper, a little oak char, a hint of milk chocolate… Really a lot going on. Very nice. Smooth and flavorful, no bite on the retrohale. Unfortunately, not much of a finish. About halfway, some of the softer flavors fall to the spice and astringency.

    Overall Rating : [rating:4.5/5]
    The question many people are asking: Are these really specially rolled Partagas coronas gordas that Habanos planned to put in an añejados program back in 2007 or are they simply rebanded cigars from another marca? Well, in a blind test, I don’t think I would have said Partagas. I’d have guessed these were a much better Punch than I’m used to (I don’t smoke Punch very often). This question bothered me so much, I cracked open a box of discontinued Partagas Coronas (GSO – Oct ’06) and smoked them side-by-side to compare. The Partagas Coronas was a little more peppery and a little more raw, but similar enough. The Partagas band on the Añejados is the newer type, but I can’t say that they weren’t available in October 2007; however, the band seems new. In my opinion, the cigars may have been rolled in 2007, but they were banded and packaged this year. Does any of this matter? Probably not. For those curious, the Añejados was better than the Coronas: more flavorful, better draw, nicer smoke; although less of the classic Partagas flavor profile.

    Partagas Añejado Corona Gorda vs Partagas 2006 Corona

    The cigar is a delight, but the Añejados price point seems slightly high. The unique vitola ensures that it doesn’t directly compete against cigars personally aged, but how much of a premium is five to eight years worth? In this case, is eight full years of aging worth double the price one would expect for a Partagas coronas gordas? That partially depends on how many boxes are available for release and if the releases are limited to just one year. Habanos S.A. needs to clarify this if they want to create demand for the Añejados program.
    Overall, while I’m not convinced that the Partagas Corona Gorda Añejados is exactly what Habanos represents, the cigar scores a very good 4.5 of 5.

    Helpful?
    0 0
    • C****

      This being gifted to me a few weeks ago and being my first Cuban I have to say my first draw was very pleasant, a sweetness came across that surprised me! It’s a very even burn, tight draw that eased up an inch into the cigar. I am smoking it right now and am halfway through when I got curious about reviews. So far I’m loving it. Thank you my friend for such a good smoke!

    • C****** H

      None of the Anejados taste aged…

    • M******

      The trouble,the way I see it at least,is that the more quality tobacco that’s diverted towards the “must have” limited investment cigars,the more regular production will suffer in both quality and supply,we’re already seeing a scarcity of Cohiba this year,for example,something that people are understandably not at all happy about!

      People are tiring of the price gouging and HSA’s bread and butter customers are being driven away! I worry for what will be left once this bigger,fatter and multi-banded horse has been flogged to death! But then maybe there are enough people around the world with deep enough pockets and an insatiable desire for this sort of thing to sustain it,I don’t know.But they’ll certainly lose people like me,there’s more than enough quality and flavour in a box of Padron 2000,for example,to keep me as an “ordinary” cigar smoker/enthusiast satisfied.

      I agree with David also insofar as there’s also the worry of what this could do the prices within the NC market, although the recent FDA nonsense may already have caused yet to be seen but significant damage there already!

    • B**

      All the recent LE’s and RE’s have been fantastic. Anyone who has actually tried them can testify that.

      Nicaraguan cigars better then Cubans?! That’s a laugh.

    • D****

      Michael makes so many good points that I almost didn’t bother. But in the interests of providing some cover fire, I too have to wonder just what is the point of these over-priced sticks coming out of Cuba? Are there that many Europeans/Canadians/South Americans/Asians willing and/or able to shell out this kind of money? Are Americans eager enough to get their hands on them such that they’re placing orders? More importantly, will the price of these cigars begin to push up the prices of already excellent (and fairly priced) Nicaraguan, Dominican, and Honduran counterparts? If this is Cuba’s way of preparing its cigar industry for the lifting of the embargo with America, they seem to be going about it wrongly.

    • M******

      Well my comments are realistically irrelevant given that the point of the comment section is to provide a review.I can’t do so because I haven’t smoked anything from The Añejados program,nor will I be.

      In my humble opinion HSA has taken a step too far here into its double banded,overhyped and overpriced extravaganza! The LE’s and RE’s.all come with the same hype but in truth how many have been memorable? Not many I’d suggest.

      Are they perhaps targeting more the collectors demographic? Who knows? But they’re not endearing themselves to me with it,especially when regular production QC still has a lot of room for improvement.

      Personally,I’m finding myself seeking out more of the top quality Nicaraguan cigars at the moment,many of which are as good as,if not better,than a lot of the cigars coming out of Cuba at the moment.All just personal opinion,of course.

    • B**

      I just smoked one of these this afternoon. It was meh.

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Cigar Region Cuba
Filler Cuban
Wrapper Cuba
Binder Cuba
Length 5 5/8
Ring Gauge 46
Vitola Coronas Gorda
Construction Hand Made