Bolívar Belicoso Fino 2001

Measures: 136 mm x 20 mm

Age: The cigar came from a cabinet dating from 2001. Sorry, I don't have access to the exact box code.

Setting: It appears that the cool weather of the last couple of weeks is finally giving way to what Finns call early summer. It is still cloudy and windy, but clearly warmer than yesterday. I felt refreshed after having visited the gym in the morning, so everything was in place for a good after-lunch cigar moment. Thus the circumstances for cigar smoking, while not perfect, are reasonably good. There also was a cause for small celebration after witnessing the unlikely victory of the Finnish entry in the notorious Eurovision Song Contest last night - a somewhat watered-down monster metal piece called Hard Rock Hallelujah! So, our of the humidor came a Bolívar Belicoso Fino, one of the ten that I had bought from a 2001 cabinet last September. I had smoked one soon after that, but then left the others in peace. Time to try another. So I took the cigar and come coffee to the balcony.

I find the Campana shape very appealing. It is somehow much less formidable and more "user-friendly" than the full Piramide format. The Bolívar version of this vitola was clad in beautiful colorado wrapper with minimal veins. Close inspection revealed tiniest specs of crystallised oils on it; yet it still felt oily and smooth to my fingers. The construction appeared to be as perfect as one might have it; I almost (but not quite) felt sorry to take a small cut off the nicely finished cap. The predraw promised sweetish cedar over toasted tobacco, and the volume of airflow was close to perfect, perhaps a bit to the light side. Halfway through the cigar I had to take a deeper cut because some tar was seeping through the cap; this however did not affect the taste of the cigar.

This is an aroma cigar: while it has a recognisable Bolívar style, it does not have the peppery kick of the Coronas Junior or even Petit Corona. Rather I found the initial stages of the cigar exhibiting an extremely well balanced blend of cedar, earth and milder spices (citrus pepper?) over well matured tobacco. By the midway point, the spiciness increased gradually, but never got out of the balance. As I reached the final third, the so far veiled strength of the cigar kicked in, and fully occupied my attention. I purged the cigar at this stage, with the result that it never became harsh or hot. Throughout, the cigar burned perfectly, never requiring any care from my part.

During the entire smoking session, a nightingale was giving an afternoon concert on the opposite side of the yard. This blended nicely with the tour offered by the Campana. Overall, it was a good experience - much better than what I have received from younger Belicosos Finos that sometimes suffer from an uneven combustion. Still, I expect that further sleep will improve these cigars by integrating the elements it provides even better.

Ramón Allones 898 OSU MAR 02

Measures: 168 mm x 16 mm

Age: The box dates from March 2002.

Spring is my favourite season. This year the winter lingered long in Finland, finally really ending only during the first weeks of April. Then the progress of Spring was rapid and almost violent: suddenly the trees were blooming, birds came back from their winter residences, first flowers appeared, and people stored away their winter clothes, and started to crowd the streets in more colourful fare. Everybody is a little more light-headed and merry: this would be the time to fall in love.

Cigar smokers too can now indulge in their passion more easily as the weather allows outdoor smoking. Today was rainy and chilly, though, but surely warm enough for a cigar session on the balcony. I hesitated a while on the choice of the cigar to smoke, fumbling the shelves of my storage humidor until the attractive varnished box containing Ramón Allones 898's caught my eye.

I had pulled the trigger for a cab of the RA dalias in September 2005 after reading the fine reviews of Jazznut and shrink in this forum. To my considerable surprise, the first cigar I tried turned out to be in a state of sickness: the aroma was wonderful, but muted. Another sample a couple months later showed promise, but was still not in ideal condition. So, today I decided to see what the intervening months had done to the cigar, and removed a 898 from its resting place.

And what a resting place it is! A fully varnished 898 cab is a thing of beauty, but also dedicated purposefulness with its robust construction and tight fit. I almost felt hesitant to remove a cigar from what must be the perfect place to store it, and break the perfect symmetry of the 8-9-8 layout. Perhaps I should just be content to sniffing the cab? The aroma reeking from it is sinfully rich, and could make my head spin. But no, cigars are made for smoking, so I removed carefully one from the bundle.

The cigar I chose gives the impression of an expertly made Habanos. It is fairly solid, with a bit of uniform resilience to my fingers. The months of rest had made the cigar a bit softer: initially they were rock solid. The almost chocolate-brown wrapper feels oily and smooth; the seams are hardly perceptible. The appetising aroma from the unlit cigar is reminds me of warm rich soil, with some sweet elements. The draw appears to be ideally resistive.

The cigar started in a low-key fashion, making me wonder whether I should have waited another half a year. But no, a few more pulls launched the cigar on a high trajectory. The nutty flavour had previously been clouded by an alkaline taste that had made exhaling the smoke trough nose difficult: now that had disappeared, allowing the balanced mixture of exotic fruits and cocoa on top of well-matured tobacco to grasp my full attention for the 90 minutes of smoking that followed. What a wonderful cigar!

There is always something sad about smoking a cigar whose production has been discontinued: the Spring will never again come for this cigar. Thus it was with bittersweet feelings that I finally dropped the tiny nub of the RA Dalia, after it had given me a most exquisite cigar smoking experience, hence fulfilling its destiny.