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| Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro Robusto Gordo |
The Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro is one of new two new blends introduced into the Partagas 1845 series. The line was actually introduced back in 2012 with the launch of the Partagas 1845 Heritage. From its presentation to packaging, the Partagas 1845 Heritage marked a different cigar than many had been accustomed to with General Cigar Company’s Partagas brand. The Partagas 1845 Oscuro, along with the Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte are the two new additions to the 1845 line. They follow a particular strategy that General Cigar has employed with several of their other brands: The Extra Fuerte was released as an exclusive cigar to Brick and Mortar shops, while the Extra Oscuro was released as an exclusive to large internet and catalog retailers. I’ve recently had an opportunity to smoke the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro. Overall, I found this to be a solid addition to the Partagas family – and one that delivers a nice oscuro smoke.
General Cigar Company has been known in recent years to pull out all of the stops when it comes to packaging. This packaging was originally put in place more for the brick and mortars, but they have followed suit with this internet / catalog release to keep it consistent with the line. The packaging features an acrylic slid top lid. The box itself can be propped up. There is an open slot in the front by which the cigars can slide down.
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| Packaging of the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro (Photo supplied by General Cigar Company) |
Let’s take a closer look at the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro and see what this cigar brings to the table:
Blend Profile
In terms of the blend, while the Partagas 1845 Extra Fuerte has parallels to the original Partagas 1845 Heritage, the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro features an entirely new blend from four countries – highlighted by the Connecticut Havana Oscuro wrapper.
Wrapper: Connecticut Havana Oscuro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan
Vitolas Available
The Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro is launched in five sizes:
Rothchild: 4 1/2 x 50
Robusto Gordo: 5 1/2 x 52
Gigante: 6 x 60
Supremo: 7 x 58
Double Corona: 7 3/8 x 54
Appearance
For this cigar experience, I smoked the Robusto Gordo size. The Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro Robusto Gordo has a classic dark-colored roasted coffee bean wrapper that is “oscuro” in color – meaning it is nearly black in color. There is some oil on the surface of this wrapper. At the same time, the surface of this wrapper is somewhat on the bumpy side. The dark wrapper hides the wrapper seams quite well, but there still are some visible veins.
The band follows suit with the rest of the Partagas 1845 line. It features a similar horizontal design, but the difference is the Partagas 1845 has a purple and silver color scheme. At the center of the band is a silver eagle. There is a purple ring surrounding most of the eagle (its wings do cross the ring on the left and right). Across the top of the ring is the text “Partagas” in silver. Under the eagle and intersecting the black ring, there are two concentric ovals with purple background and silver borders Inside the middle oval it says “1845” in a silver etched style on a purple background. It has the text “FLOR DE TABACOS” across the top part and “CIFUENTES Y CIA” on the bottom – both in silver font. There is additional purple and silver around the rest of the band.
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
As I normally do, I went with my choice of a straight cut to start things off. Once I successfully clipped the cap, it was on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw delivered me notes of coffee, earth, and a mild spice note that I could not really draw an analogy to. Overall, I considered the pre-light draw of the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro to be satisfactory. At this point I was ready to light up this cigar and see what the smoking phase would have in store.
Flavor Profile
The start to the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro provided a decent shot of pepper to start. The pepper receded and was soon joined by notes of black cherry and coffee. By the time the Extra Oscuro reached the 5 percent mark, the pepper, black cherry, and coffee notes were all on par. The black cherry notes provided the right amount of sweetness. Meanwhile, on the retro-hale the pepper was delivering more of an herbal spice quality through the nasal passages.
As the Extra Oscuro moved through the first third, I found the coffee and black cherry notes to be primary. The pepper notes had receded into the background. In the second third, the coffee notes started a transition to more of an earthy quality. The black cherry notes receded into the background joining the pepper notes.
In the last third, I found the flavors be similar with the exception that the pepper notes moved back toward the forefront. The Extra Oscuro remained flavorful right until the end. There were no harsh notes. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and soft to the touch.
Burn and Draw
On each of the samples I smoked of the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro, I found this was a cigar that needed several touch-ups along the way. While I didn’t feel the Extra Oscuro was in danger of tunneling or canoeing, the cigar still needed more touch-ups than I prefer. The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color. There was some minor flaking of the ash along the way. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.
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| Burn of the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro |
As for the draw, it was not too loose and not too tight. The draw did not require a lot of maintenance to derive the flavors from this cigar – making it enjoyable from start to finish.
Strength and Body
From a strength perspective I found the Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro starts out in the medium range. The strength gradually increased and by the second half, this cigar is more in the medium to full range. Meanwhile I found the flavors provided some decent weight on the pallet. I assessed this cigar as a medium to full-bodied smoke. In the last third, the weight on the pallet almost moved to full-bodied, but it didn’t quite make it. Overall, I found the body to have a slight edge over the strength during this smoking experience.
Final Thoughts
The Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro provided a nice smoking experience. The notes of coffee and black cherry are very much what I enjoy from an oscuro wrapped cigar. This cigar isn’t going to deliver anything revolutionary flavor-wise, but it still delivers some good flavor. It is going to bring forth those classic flavors of coffee, black cherry, and earth that I have come to expect from an Oscuro. In terms of comparing this to the Partagas 1845 Heritage, I would still give the Heritage the edge. This is at the type of smoke I’d recommend to an experienced cigar enthusiast. As for the novice, this might be a good cigar to recommend for someone looking to graduate into a medium / medium plus range. As for myself, it’s a solid smoke at a fair price – and one I’d recommend a fiver for.
Summary
Burn: Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium (1st Half), Medium to Full (2nd Half)
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Good
Assessment: 3.0 – The Fiver
Score: 88
References
News: Partagas 1845 Extra Oscuro (Cigar Preview)
Price: $7.26
Source: Sample Provided by Manufacturer(*)
Stogie Geeks Podcast: n/a
Stogie Feed: n/a
* The cigar for this assessment was given to Cigar Coop by General Cigar Company. Cigar Coop is appreciative for the sample, but this does not influence the review.
