By: Dr. Mitch Fadem (aka doctoxin)
Size: 5 x 50 Robusto
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Jalapa Nicaragua
Fillers: Estelí Corojo, Honduran Corojo, Condega Criollo (all long leaf fill)
Let’s start with the shipping presentation. The bundle comes in a large foil lined sealed bag with a large 72% humidification packet. Even though the bundle arrives fresh and humidified, it is still advisable to let the cigars rest in your humidor for 2 days if there is high humidity where you live, or 3 days if you live in the desert like me. It is not necessary to take the cigars out of the wrapped bundle. I have left a bundle fully wrapped and, also removing the bundle wrapping. It made no difference.
Construction: The wrapper is smooth with no blemishes, a high-quality Ecuadorian Connecticut
Shade wrapper that at first glance, you could mistake it for a Davidoff, Avo or Griffin. The feel of the cigar is firm but not too much. It felt like a pre-embargo Cuban that someone sent me while I was deployed in Afghanistan back in 2007. The draw before lighting was perfect with just the right amount of resistance. The aroma before smoking had a touch of leather or perhaps oak.
Smoking: Yes, light it already. It lit easily; the draw did not change. The initial flavor was a little like fresh cut grass, hay and slightly floral. These dissipated quickly and settled into a dolce espresso bean and still some oak. The burn started out a little uneven but by the end of the first third evened out and the ash dropped at 2” after 20 minutes. At this point the burn slowed down, producing enough but not a lot of smoke.
The middle third was very pleasant and if you closed your eyes, it could very well have been a Davidoff. I hit the end of the middle third at 45 minutes. The ash held much longer as the burn slowed. Finally, after another 40 minutes I was down to just under an inch and the cigar was still smoking extremely well.
Value: Any time you smoke a cigar that reminds you of cigars that will cost you between $12 and $18 and you didn’t pay even close to that, it is a good value. I have smoked about 4 of these and each one looks and smokes the same. I have not had many other bundles that have that kind of consistency, other than the Privada Cigar Club bundles. In the case of the PCC: Back in the Day; a bundle of 20 cigars will cost $65. That’s only $3.25 a stick and an excellent value.
Previous Reviews in Series:
Review of Privada Ball Park Bundles
Review of Privada Scrooge Bundles
Review of Privada Cafeteria Bundles
