Cigar Reviewed: Partagás Black Label

I guess I should caveat this with the fact that the humidity where I smoked this was 95% and maybe that was the problem. But there were other construction issues beyond the challenges with the burn. I'm getting ahead of myself.

I tried the Partagas Black Label Magnifico (6x54). I'm not a fan of the giant bands, especially in this case where it hides a beautiful wrap. It looks like a maduro but isn't. It is a Dominican grown Connecticut Medio Tiempo that is almost black. Partagas uses a Domenican La Vega Especial binder and a blend of Domenican Piloto Cubano Ligero and Nicaraguan Ligero fillers. The smell was earth, molasses, and chocolate but not as sweet as maduro. It had an oily sheen, some pretty good size veins and tight seams. The cap had some flaws but it didn't unravel with the v-cut. It appeared well packed but had two of the largest stems I've ever seen inside a cigar. The cold draw held molasses, barnyard hay, and aged tobacco. Aroma from the toast was really nice, nutty with some herbal undertones. It started out as a medium body with red pepper, espresso, and dark caramel. The draw was somewhat firm but not unpleasant. The pepper receded during the first third with the earthiness coming forward. Retrohale had some intense black pepper with hints of floral. The burn was horribly uneven in the first third with significant canoeing that required touching up. As I approached the end of the first third, I noticed just how powerful this cigar was. There is a lot of nicotine here and you notice. The balance is outstanding and it develops from medium to full body. The flavor develops slowly. It is still earthy with some molasses, but leather starts to come through here and the espresso begins to assert itself. Pepper is not noticeable except on retrohale which is still floral with some dried fruit. I continue to have burn problems and need to touch up periodically. The finally third is earthy, nutty, and has more than a hint of strong coffee.

Overall, I really like this cigar. The flavor is great and I love strong, bold smokes. That is what makes the problems so frustrating. I will definitely try more of these to see if the burn is a one off issue or inherent in this line.