Cigars.ie

Partagas Serie E No.2

One of the highly anticipated cigars that were released in the Habanos Festival back in February was the Partagas Serie E No.2. The E No.2 is the latest addition to the “Big & Fat” cigars that Habanos has been bringing to us over the last few years. It is a Robusto Extra, with a ring gauge of 54 and a length of 140mm. The E2 was launched along with the Serie D No.5 in the opening event of the Habanos Festival and got everyone talking about it. I had my first one that night, and I was very impressed by its complexity and strength. The rest of my E2’s had a couple of months to rest now, so it is time to touch base with them again and see if they can still be as exciting as in Habana’s Gran Teatro.

The E2 has a smooth and oily rosado wrapper, that has very few thin veins and almost no imperfections. The bunch is firm all the way through with no hard or soft spots. Sweet floral aromas are present on the wrapper and the foot of the cigar has a strong earthy and peppery scent. The cold draw is on the looser side, with a peppery flavour.

The cigar has a good kick from the start, and plenty of flavours. Strong wood and earth are almost instantly recognizable; the good auld Partagas tasting profile. The body is medium to full and the depth is good. The cigar has a fantastic creaminess to it, something that struck me on the night they were launched. I haven’t come across anything like that in another regular production Partagas yet. Complexity is good too, with peat and cedar on the background and a strong, peppery finish. Despite its young age, the cigar has no sign of ammonia. It is just delicious!

The second third is stronger and more complex, smooth and creamy than the first. While wood and earth are still dominating, coffee, grass and hay also appear. The body gets stronger as you smoke down and the flavours get more deep and rich. The ash is thick, dark grey in colour and falls off after every inch or so. The combustion is perfect, with a big, fat, cone-shaped coal burning consistently all the way through.

On the last third the cigar gets too strong, almost harsh. The peppery flavours almost disguise everything else, with only some cedar and earth being able to escape. The body is now full and the amount of nicotine has me sweating! The E2 is not a cigar for the faint of heart! I had to put it down with an inch or so left, as it was getting too strong for me. The last third was not the cigars highlight…

Although the early releases of the new vitolas, like the Partagas E no.2 can be different to the regular release, I have a feeling that this is what we will expect to see from it when it hits the shelves. In regards to its flavour profile, it was exactly what I expected to see; a Partagas D4 on steroids! Strong, earthy and woody, with a peppery finish and a lot happening on the background, the E No.2 is a very good cigar. I will put the nasty finish down to its young age. The E No.2 has a lot of aging potential and a lot of creases to iron. I would assume that with a couple of years of age, these will be flying of the shelves! According to Habanos, we should expect these to be released in mid-may, so realistically we are talking mid to late summer…

Rating 91/100