Connoisseur’s Corner: Partagás Corona Inmensas Extra Maduro
Back in the pre-Castro days of Havana, cigars would often be marked with the designation “maduro.” It’s a practice that fell out of favor after the revolution. This dark, long cigar is a throwback from the early 1950s, and despite its age, it’s vibrant from the first puff, with lots of minerals, a touch of mint, and subtle, light notes of molasses and flinty pencil lead. At the halfway point, the cigar amps up in intensity, as if hitting a hidden pocket of flavor, and gets stronger. A nutty, almond note emerges. The finish stays somewhat flinty. A remarkably lively smoke that has aged exceptionally well. —David Savona
Twenty years in a limited-edition humidor has brought this shapely cigar to near perfection. It’s a bit shorter than a regular Salomon, and the foot is open, slightly beveled around the edge. The smoke is brilliant and rich, with a foundation of maple, brown sugar and nutmeg that s its dense, fruity notes of dried figs and raisins before the creamy, milk-chocolate finish. —Gregory Mottola
This well-made, chocolate-brown robusto was rolled 24 years ago, the year I began working at Cigar Aficionado magazine. It has a leathery heart, and just a touch of spicy licorice at first. After the first inch or so, it warms up and loses the spice, taking on a heavy note of coffee bean, especially on the finish, with a touch of flinty earth. Quite pleasant, if not a blockbuster. —David Savona
This was the first Regional Edition cigar made for Lebanon, and the limited-edition smoke still retains some of the feisty earthiness and spice from its youth. Today, the thick cigar also shows maturity with more refined notes of hickory, gingerbread and cinnamon. It still has plenty of strength and plenty of life left. This sample aged in its original wooden box. —Gregory Mottola
