Bolivar Corona – An Old Favorite

It’s been years since I had a Bolivar cigar.  And, for me, when I think of Bolivar, I think Cuban.  The Cuban version of this famed brand is known for big, bold flavors.  And, the Honduran made is just as bold.  I was in a shop the other day and saw this small stick.  It seemed to be calling out to me.  While the trend over the past few years has been towards larger cigars, in the past few months some of the manufacturers have been thinking and making petite coronas.  I decided that I would give this a try.

When I first looked at the cigar it looked unremarkable.  Neither good nor bad, this cigar was just there.  Sometimes you want something that isn’t pretentious or over blown.  This stick is just what it is – a nice understated smoke.  For me it was a little difficult to clip, but I’m sure that was because it is smaller than I am used to and I want to be careful to cut below the cap.  The cigar lit easily.

A well made cigar has a number of common features.  It burns easily and evenly.  It holds a good long ash.  The draw is open and easy.  It doesn’t unravel after being properly clipped.  I always judge the construction of the cigar after it has been fully smoked.  This allows you to see how it ‘behaved’ during its lifetime.  This stick was fine, nothing better.  The cigar held together well but burned a bit unevnly.  It’s ash was fairly short when it fell.  But it smoked well.  If you weren’t really thinking about its construction, you certainly wouldn’t know there were any problems.

Surprisingly this Bolivar wasn’t as strong as I expected.  It is definitely a full bodied or ‘dinner’ cigar.  But it wasn’t just spice and strength.  I found the spiciness to be balanced by a smooth full feeling.  Through the entire smoke the flavor was consistent.  Strong pepper mellowed by a creaminess made this a nice little smoke.

Any cigar that smokes well and has a flavor profile that isn’t bad selling for less than $5 has to be considered a good value.  At $4.25 this qualifies and is more than just a ‘cheap’ cigar.  This is a nice full bodied cigar whose size makes it a great alternative to larger sizes when you have just a short break after a meal.