At the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, General Cigar Company formally introduced the Partagás Legend. It’s a cigar that pays homage to the rich history of the brand, but at the same time, it takes the brand forward by introducing the first Connecticut Broadleaf box-pressed offering into the brand.
In a press release, Andrés Maturén, brand manager of Partagás said, “Partagás Legend was developed by Jhonys Diaz, our master blender whose expertise was honed by learning firsthand from the forefathers of the brand. To honor the tobacco men who raised him in the business, Jhonys selected tobaccos from Connecticut, the Dominican Republic and Honduras, all of which have historical significance to the legends of Partagás.”
Specifically, the blend utilizes a Honduran Olancho San Agustin binder over a blend that includes Dominican Piloto Cubano Leaves. The cigars are available in three sizes, each packaged in three contemporary looking white lacquer boxes. Each of the boxes pays homage to one the “forefathers” of the Partagás brand including Don Jaime Partagás, Ramon Cifuentes, Sr. and Ramon Cifuentes, Jr.
The press release also recognizes the contributions of Edgar Cullman, Sr., Daniel Nunez and Benji Menendez to the Partagás brand.
At a glance, here is a look at the Partagás Legend:
Blend Profile
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Honduran Olancho San Agustin
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (General Cigar Dominicana)
Vitolas Available
Corona Extra Leyenda: 5.1/4 x 44 (SRP $11.49/cigar)
Fabuloso Leyenda: 6 1/2” x 48 (SRP $12.49/cigar)
Toro Leyenda: 6 1/4 x 54); (SRP $14.49/cigar)
Photo Credits: Cigar Coop
Of the many cigars introduced at 2018 IPCPR, I narrowed my selections for further tasting down to 10. I believe that the impact of the FDA and to some extent the situation in Nicaragua impacted the range of options, which did not compare with the selection I personally found interesting in 2016-17. Following chasing down the cigars and tasting multiple sizes, only two of the 10 cigar choices has made it into my humidor and smoking rotation. The first choice is the Partages Legend in Corona Extra, my go to vitola for this blend. This tasty satisfying cigar is consistently a pleasure, with construction, burn, smoke and aroma that matches anything on the market. It is a beautiful cigar to behold. The balance in strength and flavor is perfect. While this size at first felt slightly small in hand, it has proved a hearty blend, that punches higher than its weight. It will be the only cigar introduced at IPCPR in 2018 that I found box worthy.