Partagas Lusitanias ('00) - This is one LONG mother!

The Partagas Lusitanias is supposed to be one of the best Habanos out there, according to various reports.

It is a fairly long cigar, one of the longest I have smoked...Great looking band, construction was nice, and the triple cap warmed the cockles of my heart, as always.

• Country of Origin: Cuba
  
• Wrapper: Cuba
  
• Binder: Cuba
  
• Filler: Cuba
  
• Format: Prominente (Double Corona)
• Size: 7 5/8 Inches
  
• Ring Gauge: 49
  
• Est. Price: $18.50

I managed to get my hands on a half box from 2000, and kept it in my VinoTemp for about a month before trying one, at 65/65.

Now, I know that convention wisdom says that some Cubans from the 2000-2001ish time frame have some issues with tight draws and being plugged, and honestly, that was what I was expecting when I lit this stick up...However, the draw was almost perfect, not too tight, but not too loose either.

The second I lit up the cigar, I was literally BLASTED with an overwhelming taste of Grass...not a horrible taste, but not one I was looking for either. This subsided after about 5 minutes, and I started to get more cedar.

The 2nd 1/3rd I tasted Spice and Pepper, not overwhelming, just enough to be pleasant and add to the taste...

The last 1/3 mellowed out quite a bit, and I might have even tasted some honey, although not enough to make a positive evaluation...

What I was NOT expecting was the constant tunneling and relighting issues...I must have relit this thing 6 times over about 2 hours. It was exhausting to keep doing it, and definitely took away from the experience...

Overall, I would put this at the top of the heap for Cubans, but I did not enjoy it more then say, a PSD4 or Siglo IV...I will definatly buy and smoke another one of these, but I think I am going to try a different year, and see if  that has a difference in taste.

FINAL SCORE: 90