Cigars.ie

The Lonsdales of Christmas, Day 19 - Bolivar Inmensas

Day 19 of the Lonsdale journey and there is two cigars left to review. After the Bolivar Gold Medal on day 1 and the Bolivar Lonsdale on day 11, today’s menu has another Bolivar, the Inmensas. Until 2009 that it was discontinued, the Bolivar Inmensas was considered one of the (if not the) fullest of Bolivars. The inmensas is a Dalia, measuring 6.7″ in length by 43 ring gauge. It was never a major success commercially, especially since the arrival of the fancy Gold Medal. However it has always been highly regarded amongst many aficionados and will become harder to find in soon due to its limited production in its last years. So lets blaze this up and see if it will live up to its reputation.

Appearance 13 / 15

The Inmensas has a coffee brown wrapper that is smooth and veiny. The cigar is box pressed, almost square. It is spongy with some harder spots and the triple cap is rounded and sloppy. Cold draw is good, with a spicy flavour.

Flavour & Body 23 /25

Rich from the first draw, with complex and deep flavours. Once the initial kick is gone, the bolivar develops sweet caramel-like flavours, along with earth and the sweet spiciness of red pepper. The finish is long and creamy and the body is medium. On the second third the cigar gains a little more “edge”. It has sharp leather flavours, followed by moist earth and a bittersweet finish. The body is now medium to full. The last third is powerful and full bodied. The flavours are still earthy and leathery, but the finish is now a lot spicier, with a lingering taste of black pepper. Some coffee and wood are noticeable on the background too. Towards the end it gets a little hot and overpowering, but being on it’s last legs and me being a step before breaking a sweat, I decided to put it down. Phew, that was intense!

Draw & Burn 24 /25

The draw is good all the way through, with the cigar producing clouds of thick, “chewy” smoke. The burn is consistent and any abnormalities are self-corrected almost instantly. I never had to relight it until the end. The ash is dark grey in colour, solid, and reaches more than an inch in length before it falls off.

Overall 33 / 35

From the three bolivars I reviewed in this series, this was definitely my favourite. It drew and burned well, but its complexity and evolution were impressive. It started with a medium body and a creamy sweetness to develop into a spicy powerhouse, showcasing the traditional Bolivar flavours. A true “old school havana”!. This cigar needs age in order to smooth out its edges. After 5 years it would be similar to the one I have described, but give it 10 and let it smooth out it’s edges and you will get a great smoke.

Total 93 / 100