StewNasty69
Well-Known "Member"
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2023
- Messages
- 240
As my usual routine goes, I geared up for my coffee and a walk today by selecting a cigar to go along with it. Given that it was in the low 40s, somewhat windy and threatening to rain, I knew it was the perfect time to bust out the Bolivar Petite Corona that's been tempting me ever since I received it. I pulled it out of my dry box it's been sitting in for a couple days and set out.
In hand, the stick felt firm, well packed and dry all the way through; not dry like under-humidified, but in that way that aged sticks seem to get. The wrapper was somewhat veiny and was so well stuck to the stick that it almost seemed shrink wrapped on. There are some slight defects where it lifts from the binder a bit near the foot, but that's likely from jostling around over time. Sniffing the foot I get faintly musky notes of sweet earth and just a general agedness. A straight cut across the head as if I were reenacting the French Revolution proved to be rather easy and satisfying. I take a pull from it and find it to be a bit tight but good enough to roll with. I pick up notes of aged earthiness, a hint of wood and a dry molasses.
I set flame to it and it ignites with ease. I get fantastic smoke production that bellies the tighter draw I was getting before. I'm immediately greeted with a damp earth note and something that vaguely resembles mushrooms far in the back. A half inch in, a brown sugar note starts to edge its way forward. A bit further in, I'm greeted with a bit of an oaky and applewood flavor ahead of the mushroom. The brown sugar note is in and out at this point. Near the end of the first third a shy yet pleasant mustiness makes itself known.
As the second third starts, the mushroom flavor extricates itself, never to be seen again. Shortly thereafter, the brown sugar note turns into a general sweetness and pushes it self further forward and the earth notes take a step back. About halfway in, a cedar flavor comes to join the oak and applewood, just as a white pepper begins to be indecisive on whether or not it wants to be there. The wood trio is about neck and neck with the sweet aged tobacco note at the front. A quarter-inch past the halfway point, a green, almost herbaceous note is glinting in and out, but it's so faint that it's hard to really pin point it. As the third ends, the white pepper turns more into a light dusting of fresh cracked black pepper on top to accent all the flavors being presented.
The final third begins with the wood trio coming all the way to the front. The herbaceous note from before becomes more pronounced but it's still far at the back and is trying to kick the sweetness that remained to the curb. There isn't much evolution through the rest of the third with an exception of the black pepper note slowly and steadily increasing in power. As this happens, the sweetness is starts coming in and out till the end. Despite the real lack of evolution through this third, it's still very enjoyable and was smoked down to less than a half inch.
Retrohale for the entire stick more or less just presented me with the flavors that were most forward at the time.
The stick started a solid medium and ended medium+, yet remained incredibly smooth throughout the whole thing. I have a pretty solid nicotine tolerance yet there was still enough there for me to notice it by the end. The burn was practically flawless, especially considering I was fighting a bit of rain, hail and wind for a not insignificant portion of the time I was smoking it.
I really, really enjoyed this short smoke and feel like I've probably played myself by having my first Boli be one that no doubt had at least 10 years on it, if not more. I'd like to simultaneously thank and curse @theorangeman for this stick, as now I'll actually seriously be looking at getting a box of these, despite the egregiously high prices that are currently being charged.
