At the start of 2021, Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) made the decision to spin off several of its premium cigar brands from General Cigar Company into a separate distribution company known as Forged Cigar Company. The brands that moved into Forged included: Partagas, Diesel, Bolivar, Chillin Moose, El Rey del Mundo, and La Gloria Cubana. While Partagas has still actively released new products, it wasn’t nearly as active as brands like Macanudo, Cohiba, Punch, CAO, and Hoyo de Monterrey (which all stayed under General Cigar Company when the split happened). The move has also allowed Partagas to get some more attention. Later in 2021, we would see a new regular production cigar known as the Partagas Cortado. It’s a cigar that is a very different Partagas than has been released before and the new Forged umbrella allows for the brand to get some attention. In this review, we will assess the Partagas Cortado in the Toro size.

The Partagas Cortado brings a couple of firsts to the brand. It is the first Partagas branded cigar to use an Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed Shade Grown wrapper. Second, the Partagas Cortado is the first Partagas branded cigar to be made in Nicaragua. While Partagas has its roots in Cuba, STG has produced Partagas in the Dominican Republic at General Cigar Dominicana.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Partagas Cortado Toro and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Partagas Cortado has a five-country multi-national blend. In addition to the Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, the Partagas Cortado consists of an Indonesian binder and fillers from Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Production comes from the STG Estelí factory in Nicaragua.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Honduran Jamastran, Mexican San Andres, Nicaraguan Condega and Jalapa
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: STG Estelí

Vitolas Offered

The Partagas Cortado is offered in four sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes with the exception of the Presidente size which is presented in ten-count boxes.

Corona: 5 1/2 x 42
Robusto: 5 x 50
Toro: 6 x 52
Presidente: 8 x 54

Appearance

The Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper of the Partagas Cortado Toro could be classified as a “darker shade” Connecticut. While it’s still a light brown wrapper, it’s not the golden-brown one may see on many Connecticut Shade wrappers. There was a light sheen of oil on the surface of the wrapper. There were some visible veins and there also were some thin wrapper seams.

The band to the Partagas Cortado follows the design of the rebranding introduced in 2018, but with a red, white, and gold color scheme. The majority of the band has a mostly red background. On the center of the red background are two large intersecting shields. Above the shields is the text “FLOR DE TABACOS” – in foil. Below the shield is the text “SINCE 1845.” On the far upper portion of the band is the text “SUPERIORERS IMPORTADOS” in red font on a white ribbon. On the lower portion of the band were two white ribbons (on the left and right side) with the text “HECHOS MANOS” in red font. On the lower portion of the red section is the text “CIFUENTAS Y CIA” In gold font. The remainder of the upper portion of the band had gold embellishments on it. There is a white stripe on the lower portion of the band with the text “PARTAGAS” in red font.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Partagas Cortado Toro, a straight cut was used to commence the cigar experience. Once the cap was removed, it was on to the pre-light draw. The cold draw had a straightforward profile for a Connecticut Shade cigar with subtle cream, wood, and earth. Overall this was a satisfying pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to light up the Partagas Cortado Toro and see what the smoking experience would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Partagas Cortado Toro opened up with notes of vanilla cream, cedar, classic wood, and earth. Early on the vanilla cream notes moved into the forefront. The cedar, wood, and earth settled in the background. On the retro-hale, there was an additional layer of cedar present.

As the second third of the Partagas Cortado Toro opened the vanilla-cream notes remained primary. During this phase, a slight white pepper note emerged on the tongue and also on the retro-hale with the cedar. Both the pepper and cedar also increased on the tongue. By the midway point, the cedar joined the vanilla cream notes in the forefront.

By the final third, the cedar notes took over as the sole primary note. The pepper was the most prominent of the secondary notes. The vanilla cream, wood, and earth notes were more distant and helped round out the flavor profile. This is the way the Partagas Cortado Toro came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The Partagas Cortado Toro did require frequent touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and straight burn line. The touch-ups did the trick, but there were more required than I preferr. The resulting ash was on the darker side of gray. This was an ash that was on the firmer side. Both the burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal rates.

Draw

The draw to the Partagas Cortado Toro was a little more open than I prefer. Normally I like a touch of resistance on the draw. In this case, the draw had no adverse effects on the smoking experience. It is also worth noting that this cigar produced some abundant layers of smoke.

Strength and Body

When it comes to Connecticut Shade cigars in the market today, there are two types: Traditional milder smokes; and more contemporary bolder Connecticut Shade cigars. I would categorize the Partagas Cortado Toro more toward the traditional milder side. This is a cigar that started mild in strength. It does progress to mild to medium strength in the second half. The flavors are in the medium-bodied range, but I would still put them on the lower end of medium. There wasn’t much variance in the body during the smoking experience.

In terms of strength versus body, the body maintained the edge from start to finish.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

This release seemed to float under the radar among many of Forged Cigar Company’s releases in 2021. It’s not the flashiest flavor profile; but if you are looking for a solid Connecticut Shade cigar more on the traditional side, the Partagas Cortado Toro is the cigar for you. This cigar held its creaminess for a good chunk of the smoking experience and also is balanced out by some nuanced flavors. On top of it, the $7.59 price point is quite attractive. I’m curious to see how the Partagas Cortado performs in the other sizes. It’s a cigar I could recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, it’s one that I will buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Vanilla-Cream, Cedar, Earth, Wood, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild (1st Half), Mild to Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good