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12+1 Robustos of Xmas, Day 13: Partagas Serie D No.4 Reserva

The 12+1 Robustos of Xmas, Day 13:
Partagas Serie D No.4 Reserva

The 12 robustos of Christmas are all smoked and reviewed. We had some great cigars, some decent cigars, cigars that surprised us in a good or bad way and we had cigars that were just bad. The Cohiba Robusto was named the best of them all, and I believe most would agree with this. Scoring 94/100 points, I asked myself if there was a Robusto that could score higher than that. There was only one Robusto that came to my mind; the Partagas D4 Reserva.

I am a huge fan of the Partagas D4, and it is always on the top drawer of my humidor. It is strong, bold and toothy, yet complex and well balanced; a fantastic cigar. But what happens when you get a D4 that is rolled with leaves from the cream of the crop of 2000, aged for three years? Would you get the best D4 out there and would it be the the best robusto ever? Lets find out…

The Partagas D4 Reserva was released in 2005 as part of the Reserva series. All the leaves used tom make these cigars were harvested in 2000 and were aged for three years. 5,000 boxes were made, each one with 20 D4 Reservas. Their original price was $400, but it climbed instantly. Today, expect to part at least €1,500 for a full box. Mark purchased these cigars on a trip to Barcelona in 2006, and since then we smoke 2 every year to monitor their aging!

Appearance & Prelight 15/15

When reviewing the regular D4’s I said it looks so good that you just want to eat it! Well the D3 Reserva is a step further… It look so good that you would prefer staring at it, rather than lighting it up! The wrapper is smooth and shiny, dark and reddish brown in colour and the veins are almost non existent. The cigar is tightly packed without any soft or hard spots. The triple cap is perfectly applied and strong aromas of cedar and honey ooze from the foot of the cigar, while a strong earthy smell is present on the wrapper. The prelight draw is perfect and the wrapper leaves a sweet flavour on the lips.

Flavour & Body 22/25

The D4 Reserva starts with an intense coffee flavour. As we smoke through the first third, the cigar mellows down and gets more complex. Woody, earthy and sweet with a medium to full body. In the second third the cigar turns to full body. The flavours of the first third become more intense, but not harsh. It is bold and toothy, like the D4, but too strong. In the last third the cigar gets even stronger, almost overwhelming. I would have expected it to be more creamy and refined, rather than powerfull. I smoked my cigar right to the butt and it never got hot, but the strength made me sweat!

Draw & Burn 22/25

The draw is great from the very start. The cigar starts burning unevenly, but corrects itself in the second third. The ash is firm, dark grey - almost black - and stays on the cigar until almost two inches long. The cigar delivers plenty of smoke that has a long citric finish, while Mark found his to be slightly acidic. In the last third the cigar burns sideways again, with the burn not being affected much. It smokes well until the very end, when I had to put it down to avoid getting my fingers burned!

Overall impression 32/35

When I smoked the D4 Reserva for the first time, I thought it was a fantastic cigar. This time, reviewing it thoroughly and comparing it to the top 3 robustos of the reviews, the expectations were very high. I was expecting a cigar that would be strong and spicy but also creamy and balanced. A cigar that I would have scored higher than the Cohiba Robusto. It was strong, very strong, and had some of the flavours of the regular D4. It was complex and flavourfull, but I did not find it as creamy or refined as the Cohiba. It is, however, a very good cigar, especially if you prefer strong flavours. Does it worth it’s current price tag? From a collectors point of view it does, but not from a smokers perspective!

TOTAL 91/100