Not 100% sure what the date is on this one, but it's really anywhere from 2002 to 2004. Got this in a batch of singles from a great dealer.
Totally forgot I had this cigar, let alone 2. So I decided to take one down to the cigar shop today and test it out. Opened the evening with a Diamond Crown Maximus Robusto (that I thankfully got to write off at work, not worth $10). After the Diamond Crown I cleared my palate with a diet cola and sparked up the Sancho Panza.
The wrapper on this thing was a little rough, but most ISOMs are, seems like. I didn't get the cap cut like I would have liked to, but I got a decent draw out of it, even had to use my mechanical pencil to open it up a little bit.
Very mild upon first spark and with the first few puffs, but it built up pretty quickly. I had always heard these cigars had a very unique flavor, and that was an accurate description. The most apparent flavor was that of browning ground beef. Not that I eat ground beef in the process of browning, but the palate resembled the aroma of cooking beef. Not a bad thing by any means, but this was the first time I had ever noticed that flavor in a cigar.
The typical "twang" was there, along with fresh baked bread, spices, and of course cedar.
The thing that bothered me the most is that this thing was tunneling like crazy, and I had to relight it probably 4 times. I'm admittedly a slow smoker, so I was blowing through the cigar when I wasn't puffing and it would still go out. The Diamond Crown came from the same humidor and burned even and stayed lit. I don't know what it was with Mr. Panza but he sure was afraid of the heat. Even though it was the only thing I didn't like about the cigar, it still didn't keep me from enjoying it. I was in good company, so relighting was just a matter of clicking a torch, no big hassle.
All in all a good cigar with some construction issues. I'll see if I need to make any humidor adjustments and smoke my second one in hopes that it goes a little better.
Totally forgot I had this cigar, let alone 2. So I decided to take one down to the cigar shop today and test it out. Opened the evening with a Diamond Crown Maximus Robusto (that I thankfully got to write off at work, not worth $10). After the Diamond Crown I cleared my palate with a diet cola and sparked up the Sancho Panza.
The wrapper on this thing was a little rough, but most ISOMs are, seems like. I didn't get the cap cut like I would have liked to, but I got a decent draw out of it, even had to use my mechanical pencil to open it up a little bit.
Very mild upon first spark and with the first few puffs, but it built up pretty quickly. I had always heard these cigars had a very unique flavor, and that was an accurate description. The most apparent flavor was that of browning ground beef. Not that I eat ground beef in the process of browning, but the palate resembled the aroma of cooking beef. Not a bad thing by any means, but this was the first time I had ever noticed that flavor in a cigar.
The typical "twang" was there, along with fresh baked bread, spices, and of course cedar.
The thing that bothered me the most is that this thing was tunneling like crazy, and I had to relight it probably 4 times. I'm admittedly a slow smoker, so I was blowing through the cigar when I wasn't puffing and it would still go out. The Diamond Crown came from the same humidor and burned even and stayed lit. I don't know what it was with Mr. Panza but he sure was afraid of the heat. Even though it was the only thing I didn't like about the cigar, it still didn't keep me from enjoying it. I was in good company, so relighting was just a matter of clicking a torch, no big hassle.
All in all a good cigar with some construction issues. I'll see if I need to make any humidor adjustments and smoke my second one in hopes that it goes a little better.
