Bolívar Coronas Junior IPL NISU

Measures: 107 mm x 16 mm

Age: The cigar came from a box with the code IPL NISU = Por Larrañaga, 12/98.

Setting: The winter is at its peak in Finland. The darkest period is past, and we can again enjoy sunshine and light, the intensity of which is doubled by the plentiful snow. I like snow, and I am glad there's a lot of it on the ground: schools have just closed for winter holidays, and many families with school-age children are traveling to Lapland for skiing. I'm sure they will have a great time. (I will not take holiday though: my kids are grown-ups.) The only downside is that it is a bit too cold for cigar smoking: even if one dresses up properly, the extremely dry air seems to cause bigger cigars to burn badly. Thus I decided to quench my cigar-crawing by selecting a small cigar, and so picked up a Bolívar minutos from the humidor for some afternoon balcony smoking, encouraged by the sunshine and the relatively warm weather (just minus 5 centigrade).

The small Bolívar was clad in darkish wrapper that still feels quite oily; it glistened nicely in the sun. The band slid easily off the cigar that must have lost a bit of its original girth during its 7-year sleep. I cut the cigar and found the draw to be acceptable, perhaps a tad to the light side. The predraw aroma was very nice indeed. So I lighted the Minuto and started to puff away.

And what a delightful cigar it was! I like the Bolívar line a lot, and this cigar delivered the characteristical flavour package in a very balanced and pure composite. The light draw turned out not to harm the smoking experience at all: the flavour remained smooth during the entire session, even though the cigar probably burned faster than usual. Most importantly, the cigar worked its magic on me: after a fairly stressful week (with little opportunities for smoking, or even rest), I again felt that balance and harmony that a good cigar moment carries in its wake. This is what cigars are meant for, I thought. I had taken a book to read while smoking, but I put it away and just lingered in the pleasant dolce far niente of the moment. After some 45 minutes, I re-entered the house as a very satisfied man.

The BCJ is a good cigar for any weather. For winter smoking, it is a godsend.