Partagas is one of the original Cuban brands from before the US-Cuba Trade embargo. After the ban was signed and the US stopped importing cigars from Cuba, Partagas actually went and set up in other parts of Latin America. For that reason, today, there is a Cuban Partagas and non-Cuban Partagas, which makes cigars a complex industry to work in. This one stick we have right here, the Partagas Black, is one of the bolder blends in their catalog, and even though they say it’s not actually a Maduro, it looks kind of Maduro to me because of its very dark wrapper. But the question is, can this old faithful blend provide flavor to keep up with a growing and very flavorful market? The only way to find out is to cut it and light it up.
Appearance of Partagas Black Label Magnifico
The Partagas Black Label Magnifico is a larger version of the Black Label line. It has a thicker ring gauge of 54 and a length of 6 inches. Its wrapper is called Connecticut Medio Tiempo, which is sun-grown. It is handmade in Cuba using all-Nicaraguan tobacco and has a richer flavor than most cigars. The Partagas Black Label line is one of the finest cigars out there. This is due to the blending process, which uses cores, covers, binders, and leaves from some of the older fields in Nicaragua. And it’s no secret that Nicaragua produces some of the finest tobaccos in the world.
Smoking Experience
At the first draw, right from the start, it does give a bit to taste. And I’ll tell you immediately; there’s not a ton of sweetness from the wrapper, but a little bit is still noticeably present. A nice pepper on the retrohale that’s not overpowering for me, and I’m weak about that stuff, and in terms of flavor notes, this doesn’t give me what I usually get with these darker wrappers cigars. It definitely has a little bit of coffee in there, a little bit of that leather, and a herbal flavor, and I don’t know what herb to pin it on.
The first third. Alright, here in the first third, I’m getting a lot of excellent flavors. It’s just what I got when I light it up with one slight change: the sweetness. It has come forward in the flavor and balanced with a lot of the other notes on it that I’m finding, and balance is a big deal when you’re talking about flavor notes in a cigar because if you have a great note in there, but you only get a little bit of it, it’s just not worth that much. Finding balance is one thing that master blenders are consistently working for. The downside? This thing’s getting a really terrible burn. So much that I’m going to have to touch it up; I would want to see where this will bring us. Will we get transitions in this? Maybe even some changes in the flavor notes as we jump into that second third.
The second third, about the halfway point here, I’m happy to say that the burn is a whole lot better than it was before, and in terms of flavor, it’s not a complete transition, but I will say, coffee has come forward a lot more with the herbal note in there, and the sweetness is still very strong. Those three things together make up a bulk of the flavor I’m getting in the second third, which has been really enjoyable. Even though this is medium strength plus a full-bodied cigar, it keeps me coming back puffing for more and really wanting. Now taking a look at the wrapper, it has a very dark wrapper, and this thing is called Connecticut Medio Tiempo. It gives this incredibly dark Maduro appearance even though that’s not really what it is, but maybe it is why they call it the Partagas Black. Plus, these things just got a brand-new band on, and in terms of presentation, they seemed to have a massive upgrade compared to the previous ones. Now, we’ve got to see where the Partagas Black takes us in the final third. Is it going to give us that incredible strength for an already pretty strong cigar?
Getting into that final third, settling into the strength, and I got to tell you that there is incredible strength here in the final third. This thing has become a full octane like it’s an absolute powerbomb. It’s got strength in the body, strength in the flavor, and just all kinds of strength, even in nicotine as well. This thing has become really dark, and it’s lost a lot of the flavor notes that I got through the rest of the cigar and what I’m getting right now is just really a punch. It will sting the back of your throat with nicotine; it really is a lot of power. If you are the type of person who likes a really full-bodied cigar, this would be like a good movie with a great ending because there is so much strength in there. It lost points to me in consistency with the burn in the beginning. My total smoking time on this has been 53 minutes. I really think that this cigar is perfect for those who like full-bodied stuff.
Overall Review of Partagas Black Label
The Partagas Black Label Magnifico is the perfect cigar for the true aficionado. A recommended cigar for those who like their cigar strong, which is ideal with its massive size and a consistent burn towards the end. This 90-rated powerhouse smokes evenly from top to bottom, providing a great taste and a strong punch. Made with aged Dominican and Nicaraguan leaves, this cigar has some of the most vintage tobacco leaves in the industry. Keep one in your humidor for those special occasions or when you want to enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.
