Cigars.ie

The Lonsdales of Christmas, Day 11 - Bolivar Lonsdale

Lonsdale is a popular size for Bolivar, as there have been no less three in regular production in the last 10 years. The very first Lonsdale I reviewed on Christmas Eve was the Bolivar Gold Medal. I really enjoyed this cigar, which has improved a lot since 2007. Today I will be smoking one with more age than the gold medal; the Bolivar Lonsdale. The Bolivar Lonsdale was released well before the revolution and was discontinued in 2002. It was one of the less known Bolivar cigars, and not as popular as the Inmensas. It is a Cervante, measuring 6.7″ in length by 43 ring gauge and was only available in boxes of 25. The Bolivar Lonsdale I will be smoking today is from 2001; with 10 years of age, this cigar should be interesting, considering this is my first encounter with it.

Appearance 12 /15

The wrapper of this bolivar shows its age, with its smooth surface and green hue. The cap is flat and well applied and the bunch is firm but inconsistent, as there are a couple of soft spots on the body of the cigar. I couldn’t sense any aromas on the wrapper or the foot of the cigar. The prelight draw is tight.

Flavour & Body   21 / 25

The cigar lights up easy, despite the tight draw, and kicks off with flavours of damp earth and grass, along with a pleasant bitter finish. This Lonsdale is well balanced with a medium body, good depth and refined flavours. On the second third the cigar tastes softer, with the flavours changing very little, but giving a more “creamy” feel in the palate. No real change in the last third either. Earthy, grassy, with some wood and herbs, it is enjoyable but monotonous. The finish is not bitter any more, but a little spicy. The cigar smokes very well until the very end, without getting hot or bitter.

Draw & Burn 22 / 25

The draw is quite tight from the beginning; however this does not prevent the cigar from producing decent amount of thick smoke with a creamy texture. The burn is even and consistent and the ash has a dark grey colour, good structure and falls of every half inch. The combustion is good, with the cigar only going off twice on the last third.

Overall 30 /35

The Bolivar Lonsdale is an enjoyable cigar with refined and pleasant flavours. Although the flavours were good, the cigar felt rather monotonous. It altered very little from the beginning to the end, and this is something I am looking for when smoking a premium Cuban cigar. A cigar that will keep you on your seat, surprising you with new flavours every so often. The Bolivar Lonsdale failed to do that, and because of this its score of 85 was relatively low. If you are looking for a Bolivar in a Lonsdale size, there are two other sizes to look for; the Gold Medal and the Inmenso I reviewed the first one on day 1 of this review series and the second one is still to come.

TOTAL 85 / 100