CW Review: Partagas Almirantes
The cigars are made in 16 sizes ranging in price from $4.00 to $8.00:
8-9-8 (6.875 x 43), Alimirante (6.25 x 47), Aristocrat (6 x 50), Fabuloso (7 x 52), Humitube (6.75 x 43), Maduro (6.25 x 48), Miniatura (3.75 x 31), Naturale (5.5 x 50), No. 1 (6.75 x 43), No. 2 (5.75 x 43), No. 4 (5 x 38), No. 6 (6 x 34), No. 10 (7.5 x 49), Purito (4.19 x 32), Robusto (4.5 x 49) and Sabroso (5.875 x 44)
Cigar Weekly reviews are blind taste tests conducted by our readers. Reviewers are sent three samples with all identifying marks removed. Reviewers are chosen randomly from the list of everyone that has signed the Cigar Weekly Guest Book. Their comments are below.
Pre-Smoke Comments
Bill Cheek: This cigar was a nice size and has good appearance. It also has an even burn but it has a weak ash and some construction problems.
Donald Stuart: The cigars arrived in perfect condition. The cigar seemed to be well crafted and color was uniform. Very light aroma before lighting.
Frank Furst: Cigars looked good before I started. The first was firm and a hard draw. The second normal. The third the wrapper came off and I did not finish.
Gerald A. Pfeifer: This cigar appeared dry to the touch, and a little rough.
Mike Lorden: This cigar has a beautiful very smooth, medium brown wrapper. It is, by all appearances, a very well made cigar.
Mike Schultz: The cigar was well made with very little oil and no soft spots. The seams were hard to detect. The wrapper was dark with a good aroma
Scott Peterson: As I received the cigars by mail, I could hardly wait to begin my review. In opening the package I found three very attractive cigars, and when the mild aroma with just a hint of sweetness entered my senses, I knew that these cigars would be an enjoyable smoke. The burn was even on all three, with only one having a very slight runner. The ash was a gray-white color and the smoke had just a bit of a blue tint to it. The draw on one of the cigars was a bit tight for my liking, but the other two were wonderful.
Smoke Comments
Bill Cheek: This cigar is a good smoke, somewhat medium-full bodied. This cigar has a tendency to become very bitter and harsh towards the base.
Donald Stuart: The cigar lit evenly and stayed lit. The ash was grayish color and stayed put until I tapped it off. The flavor was extremely mild. This would have been a perfect cigar if it was medium or full bodied.
Frank Furst: The flavor was thin. I expected a fuller flavor. Not much there.
Gerald A. Pfeifer: Surprisingly smooth draw, burned to a very solid ash. It had a slight harsh afterbite.
Mike Lorden: The draw on my samples was much too easy. The ash was gray, loose and flaky and wouldn't hold more than half an inch. The burn was uneven but not a real problem. I'd say it was a medium to full-bodied smoke with a harsh after taste.
Mike Schultz: From the first to the last draw the taste was harsh. It seemed musty and tasted like a cigar I had in Mexico.
Scott Peterson: As each of the cigars began they were quite mild. There was a bit of sweetness that I noticed when I first removed them from the packaging, but at about the halfway point the flavor became a bit more complex. Although still mild in taste, a more earthy flavor began to emanate from the inhalation. There was very little sharpness or bitterness to the cigars until the very end, where a bit of a metallic taste became more pronounced. I was quite happy with the amount and body of smoke produced. There was slight aftertaste, but not enough to be troublesome, even to my wife.
Summary Comments
Bill Cheek: This cigar is a pleasing smoke if no construction problems appear.
Donald Stuart: Extremely well made and consistent cigar. The only "gripe" I had with these cigars were that they were too mild. Anyone that likes mild cigars will enjoy this cigar.
Frank Furst: Not recommended. I was disappointed
Gerald A. Pfeifer: I felt this was a better than average smoke depending on price. It would be reasonable in the $5.00 range, no more. I felt it lacked in the sheen, I like a more oily finish.
Mike Lorden: This was an exceptional cigar to look at and I was really let down when I started smoking it. The samples may have been dry and that would account for most of my complaints. I would buy a couple to see if they improved with age. But as it stands now, I would not recommend this cigar to anyone.
Mike Schultz: I would not be able to recommend this cigar to anyone. It seemed to have a lot of problems and not enough flavor for my taste.
Scott Peterson: Overall, this is a fine cigar. Mild, but with a slight complexity that appears as the cigar is enjoyed. I would consider this as an everyday cigar (with about an hour to enjoy it), as the taste, although not as robust, is still very enjoyable. I haven't found a cigar to be my everyday cigar, so this may be it. I am looking forward to discovering the brand of this cigar, as its construction and smoking enjoyment is found to be agreeable.
Scores
| Reviewer | Appearance (0-5) | Burn (0-5) | Draw (0-5) | Aroma (0-5) | Flavor (0-10) | Taste (0-10) | Overall (0-10) | Total (0-50) |
| Bill Cheek | 3.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 24.0 |
| Donald Stuart | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 42.0 |
| Frank Furst | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 20.0 |
| Gerald A. Pfeifer | 3.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 35.0 |
| Mike Lorden | 5.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 23.0 |
| Mike Schultz | 4.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 21.0 |
| Scott Peterson | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 45.0 |
| Averages | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 29.0 |
| To achieve the final score below, we throw
out the high and low total scores then average the remaining scores. For more information see the link for Review Methods below. | ||||||||
Review Results
Final Score: 29.0 out of 50
3 stars - Average
Judging by the results of this review, Partagas is a cigar you either love or hate. There isn't any middle ground. But there was more reviewers on the negative side, resulting in a final 3 star rating. Partagas is certainly a cigar that benefits from extra aging and perhaps we received a batch that was particularly young. In any event, I was glad to see that the reviewers that listed Partagas among their favorites were the reviewers that rated the cigar highly. I personally enjoy the straight forward, spicy taste of the Partagas and with at least a year of extra aging the flavor becomes spectacular, IMHO. If you are interested in trying the Partagas, despite the poor showing here, you may want to consider trying the Old Fashioned line, which are Partagas seconds with cosmetic imperfections. The segundo for the Partagas Almirante is the Old Fashioned #38 and sells for $24.95 for a bundle of 20 cigars. Old Fashioned cigars are distributed by Mike's Cigars (800-962-4427) and are available from many tobacconists.
Find out more
This Issues Reviewers
Review MethodsGeneral Cigar website, makers of Partagas