I have a passion for the city of New Orleans. An addiction known to me since youth, imbibed whenever stolen time allows. It is a forgiving place, if not a forgetting one. No itch can survive in the Crescent City since all known manifestations of Old Scratch find some haven there. If Hell is a place and Heaven an idea, they join together in Orleans Parish.
One of the reasons I have loved the City for so long is their almost pornographic love affair with cigars. Long before the Hollywood fueled boom, even before Castro drove a community of smokers into Miami, New Orleans was a place where good cigars were as abundant as shrimp and rice. No embargo could keep a community that made its way on the commerce flowing through the Gulf from an afternoon Cuban, be it cigar or rum.
A longtime source for my beloved, but highly illegal, cigars of choice, the trade in Cubans has always been swift in New Orleans. Fakes (I know, but I can’t write about Cuban Cigars without posting the obvious warning) are, therefore, a greater problem in this, a city near founded on black market enterprise and pirate booty. Even my longtime associations and frequent trips can not fully protect. It is only through a full understanding of banding, Cuban government coding and mostly a familiarity with appearance and construction that one can be saved the heartache of high priced lessons.
One of my dearest and lifelong friends, an intrepid Arcadian with a head for finance, has been a trusted, if unquestioned, source for years. His specialty: Bolivar and Partagas. I don't pretend to fathom the machinations he must employ, but praise their results as consistent and timely. He was the first to introduce me to the Bolivar Lonsdale.
We were sitting at the Café Du Monde, eschewing Beignets and pouring strong brandy into our coffee. A night of primal carousing had left both of us unable to deal with powdered sugar, while needing, if not able to, take on gallons of powerful coffee. If a more unlikely time to smoke a cigar existed, I can not think of when it might be. Smoke we did, however and a lasting love for these hot little gems began.
Beautifully constructed, the wrapper should appear oily and dark, a deep chocolate color. I like the feel of this cigar, it is a nice size and shape for holding. Somewhat forgiving of a hurried lighting process, taking your time to warn one up will more than repay the investment. Easy light, easy draw, the easy part is then over.
The Bolivar Lonsdale is one spicy smoke. This cigar delivers a one, two punch of black and red pepper. Never bitter, the flavors stay constant all the way down to the band. I have never encountered a bad Bolivar. They have remained as consistent as any cigar I regularly smoke and I recommend them without reservation. If you have the chance to sample one, I offer only that the experience will be a hard one to equal. Instead of Brandy laced coffee, I would suggest either just the brandy or just the coffee.
The Rocha Company introduced the Bolivar brand in 1901 in Havana, Cuba. Beginning in the 1950s, Ramón Cifuentes, the cigar master of Partagas, bega...More at Tinderbox.com
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