BSB No 1 by Bernie Parent

The BSB No 1 by Bernie Parent is a cigar that was blended by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars.  Earlier this month, we previewed this collaboration between Rocky Patel and NHL Hall of Fame goaltender Bernie Parent.  This is the second collaboration with Rocky Patel and a sports celebrity in 2012.  Earlier this year Rocky Patel released the HR500 – a cigar for baseball great Gary Sheffield.  At press time, the BSB No. 1 has had a limited release in the Delaware Valley.   I recently had an opportunity to smoke this cigar, and overall I found this to be an extremely enjoyable smoking experience.  This is one little cigar that offers quite a bit.

Bernie Parent played 13 seasons in the NHL for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Philadelphia Flyers.  It was with the Philadelphia Flyers where he helped lead them to Stanley Cup Championships in 1973-74 and 1974-75.   In each of those seasons he won the Vezina Trophy (Best Goaltender) and Conn Smythe Trophy (MVP in the playoffs).  Parent still lives in the Delaware Valley and this has helped him remain one of the most beloved sports celebrities in the Philadelphia area.  With Parent’s popularity, it makes sense for the initial release to be in the Delaware Valley.  The BSB name is an acronym for the Philadelphia Flyers’ nickname – the Broad Street Bullies.

The BSB No. 1 cigar was blended by Nish Patel.  It has been released in one size – a petite robusto.  Without further adieu, let’s break down this cigar and see what it delivers.

Blend Profile

Not all of the details of the blend are known at this time.  We do know that the wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Not disclosed
Filler: Not disclosed

Vitolas Available

The BSB No. 1 is available in a single size – a 4 x 54 petite robusto.  The cigar is in a box-press shape.

Appearance

The BSB No. 1 features a large band that covers nearly 80 percent of the cigar.  The front of that large band has a pale orange/beige and black color scheme that is meant to represent a hockey goaltender’s mask.  The back of the large band is brown.  In landscape mode is the text “BERNIE” on one side of the band, and “PARENT” on the other side.

Another angle of the outer band of the BSB No. 1 by Bernie Parent

The BSB No. 1 features a large band that covers nearly 80 percent of the cigar.  The front of that large band has a pale orange/beige and black color scheme that is meant to represent a hockey goaltender’s pad.  The back of the large band is brown.  In landscape mode is the text “BERNIE” on one side of the band, and “PARENT” on the other side.

Inner band of the BSB No. 1 by Bernie Parent

The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper has a chocolate color with some dark spots.  There are virtually no visible veins.  There are some visible wrapper seams, but they pretty much are visible only upon close examination.  The wrapper has an slightly oily complexion.  The box-press itself is well-packed.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

After removing the outer band, I went with a straight cut into the cap of the BSB No. 1.  It was then time to start the pre-light draw.  The dry draw notes yielded a nice mix of chocolate and cedar.  Overall, I considered this pre-light draw to be a satisfactory one.  At this point, it was time to toast the foot of the BSB No. 1 and see what the actual smoking experience would bring to the table.

Flavor Profile

As mentioned at the start, the BSB No. 1 might be a small cigar, but it offers quite a lot – and in this case it applies to the flavor department.  There was a nice blast of pepper to start.  The pepper had more of a red pepper flavor.  In addition to tasting it on the tongue, the pepper can definitely be detected through the nasal passages.  Once the pepper subsided, notes of chocolate and coffee joined the pepper.  None of the flavors had an edge over the others in the early stages.

By the ten percent point of the BSB No. 1, some grapefruit citrus sweetness entered the equation. The citrus joined the pepper notes as primary flavors.  The chocolate notes receded into the background.  The citrus and spice notes did not form a “citrus spice”, but remained very three dimensional and each flavor stood out on their own.

By the end of the first third, the earth notes joined the pepper as a primary note. The citrus notes moved  to the background joining the chocolate notes.  The earth and pepper remained the primary notes throughout most of the remainder of the cigar experience. From time to time, the citrus notes moved into the forefront.   The close of the BSB No. 1 was definitely on the spicy side, but not harsh.  The resulting nub was soft and slightly lukewarm.

Burn and Draw

The BSB No. 1 by Bernie Parent is a very well constructed cigar.  This is reflected nicely in both the burn and draw attributes.  The burn to the BSB No. 1 performs very well.  It remained straight with only an occasional jagged burn line.  It required minimal touch-ups to keep the burn straight.   The resulting ash was tight with a mostly white color and no flaking.   The burn temperature was ideal, but toward the very end, it was a little lukewarm.  The burn rate was on the slow side.  The slow burn really had no adverse effects on the smoking experience – although this probably contributed to the end of the cigar being lukewarm.

Burn of the BSB No. 1 by Bernie Parent

The draw was outstanding.  It had that touch of resistance that I enjoy – making for an ideal smoke to puff on.

Strength and Body

The BSB No. 1 certainly has a “little engine that could” theme to it.  This cigar has a nice kick to it from a nicotine standpoint.    I assessed this cigar as having enough strength to qualify as medium to full.  As for the flavors, they are bold and robust.  In my book, the flavors were deep enough to make this petite robusto a full-bodied smoke.   In terms of balancing the strength and body of the BSB No. 1 the body has an edge over the strength.  At the same time the BSB No. 1 will still deliver enough pop to satisfy someone who is looking for something “beyond medium”.

Final Thoughts

The BSB No. 1 by Bernie Parent was an excellent cigar.  It offered quite a bit in a short smoke.   I think the petite robusto was the perfect size for this particular blend.    This is definitely a cigar that delivered some nice flavors.  I also liked the fact it had a slower burn as it allowed me to savor the experience some more.  I’d recommend this cigar for an experienced cigar enthusiast who likes a cigar that is full-bodied with spice.  As for the novice enthusiast, if one is looking for something with spice – and to graduate to something with medium to full strength, this is the cigar for that person.  As for myself, this is definitely a cigar I’d reach for and smoke again.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Full
Finish: Good
Assessment: Nice to Have
Score: 91