Each: €12.30 Euro in 2003 – €27.00 Euro in 2024
Capa: Cuba
Capote: Cuba
Tripa: Cuba
La Fuerza: Full
Forma: 7 3/4 x 49
Fabricante: Unknown (due to secret code on the cabinet box) Produced January 2003

First Half:
Seeing how we are talking about a Cuban cigar, first and foremost the draw is impeccable and the same goes for the construction. Smoke output is voluminous, and the first puffs serve as a reminder of what Cuba can do when they put their minds to it; and when the consumer allows aging time to complete the work of the blender. No Cuban cigar is ready when produced and therefore the onus of making it smokeable is on us, the consumer.

Such is the case today. A few puffs in and the Buena Vista Social Club starts playing in my head. Bread, Caramel, that tangy Cuban fullness that can be so satisfying, all are quite present. Absent is spice, tannins and that sour mouthfeel you might get with some of the lesser specimen of Cuban cigars. No matter how deep the retrohale, the cigar delivers draw after draw. The burn line is a sight to behold. Pure joy.

Why do I wax lyrically over things you might have read once or twice before in reviews of Cuban cigars? Because they are not always like this. Fresh off the boat, in what the Cubans inventively refer to as the sick period, they can display all the negatives previously mentioned. It is all down to treating it well over several years, and you may be rewarded.
As I am this evening.

The mellowness deepens as the cigar progresses. A hint of sweet chilli appears, which makes it only more interesting and manages to underline the sweet twang. Subtle floral notes are suddenly in evidence, which only goes to show that the Lusitania, the alleged powerhouse of the Partagas Marca, is no one trick pony and can do it all.

The first ash falls after about two inches; not bad, not outstanding. What is exceptional is the way the flavours gel while new ones are introduced as layers at the same time. Caramel takes a back seat. It is overtaken by meatiness aided by a tingle like you might get from champagne at the back of your tongue. It’s a symphony.

Second Half:
More of the same. I should end it here, but I can’t, because Daniel would never let me write another review. Also, it is not quite true. All who have had a Nicaraguan cigar will know that the second half, more precise the last bits, may ruin it all. This is where the age of this one comes into play again.

It deals with a lot of potential pitfalls. Mind you, it won’t turn a bad cigar into a revelation, but it will take care of sharpness (not there), balance (in heaps), draw (still flawless) and putting the flavours in their rightful order. So now, the meatiness transcends into something darker, viz. dark chocolate (70%+ I’d say). All the other flavours are still there mind you, but they are underlying a heavy dessert quality that signals that the cigar is coming to a glorious end. Using a toothpick to unceremoniously get the absolute all and last of the cigar, I cannot help but wonder: was it worth it?

Final Thoughts:
Why would it not be worth it you ask? First, there is the current pricing of the Cuban cigars, amongst which the Lusitania is by far not the most shocking example. Second, there is the inevitable need to age it – and what is the right time? Nobody can say for sure, and it is up to the consumer to test the waters, too many variables are in play here. Thirdly, the non-existent Cuban quality control. Duds are far more common here. Too common.

This cigar, however, was worth it. It would have been at twice the price. I got it from a dear friend ten years ago and it was my second to last one. Not all the others in this cabinet of fifty were as grandiose.

And there you have it. The real value of a cigar is not what you paid for it; it is what it does for you. And how consistent it delivers. Cubans are not big on that. So, we all must decide for ourselves if the personal value for us is there. As for me, I have not bought a Cuban cigar in five years.

Appearance: 86
Construction: 94
Aroma, Draw and Burn: 95
Complexity: 93
Balance: 100
Final Score: 94

Introduction:
Daniel asked me to contribute the occasional review to Romancing the Leaf. Look at me as your foreign correspondent if you will. I reside in Europe, have been smoking cigars for nearly 30 years and am happily single. My name is Georg Babbs. I am looking forward to hearing from you in the comments.

Note: Comment responses by Georg might see a time delay as he is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time.

Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS

Tags: Partagás Lusitanias Cabinet Selection - Guest Review by Georg Babbs (Our Man in Europe) + Romancing the Leaf Report+