Rafael Gonzalez Petit Corona

Measures: 125 mm x 16,5 mm

Age: I forgot to make a note of the box code of the cigar, but I believe it dates from 1999 or 2000.

Setting: When I visit Stockholm (which happens one or two times a year), I usually also take the time to visit one of the nice cigar shops therein, especially to see if they have any older stock. Usually I am not disappointed. The last visit in mid-March was marred by bad weather: wet snow and high winds meant that sightseeing was not really an option. Still I took the walk to the nearest shop. This proved not to be in vain: amongst other things, they had a half box of aged Rafael Gonzalez Petit Coronas, of which I bought a few. Today I decided that they have probably recovered from the bad weather and the trip to Helsinki: time to taste one. So, I brewed some Java coffee, and seated myself on the balcony with the cigar to enjoy the late afternoon.

This sample was a rough-looking cigar, with a veiny and wrinkled, grayish-olive coloured wrapper. The oils had seeped through the band, turning the while text in the label yellow. The cigar was covered by small oil crystals and glistened in the afternoon sun. I cut the cigar and tried the draw which turned out to be just right.

I was not sure what to expect from this cigar, only having tasted the Panetelas Extras of this brand before. I was greeted by a flavour that was reminiscent of the RPGE, yet was considerably deeper and fuller. Like with San Cristobal, I sensed the taste of the smoke especially in the back of my palate. Nevertheless, the similarity ended there: this flavour had intermittently a fruity sweetness in it, unlike SCdH. I found that the flavour was quite variable depending on how big puffs I took: deeper pulls delivered a strong and deep flavour, while lighter ones gave very nice tropical sweet overtones. By the time I had reached the final third of the cigar, these too became quite prominent. I nubbed the cigar.

All in all, this was a very positive first encounter. While the Rafael Gonzalez perhaps does not compete for the top position of Habanos PC's (a tough competition indeed), it occupies a unique position in the flavour space. This, and the variability it offered kept my attention totally focused on the cigar during the entire smoking session. On the basis of this experience, I would consider this cigar a good choice for a smoker who wants a flavourful (but not strong) cigar for leisurely afternoon smoking.