Sancho Panza Belicoso (cigar review) Box Date Sept 08

               I've been wanting to buy a box of these cigars for years. This was one of the first boxes of cigars I bought on my very first trip to Cuba many years ago. I loved them then but haven't had one since, it's not a cigar most people have or that you'll find selling in singles. However, on my current trip to Havana I had put it in my head that not only was I going to pick-up a box, I was going to look for something with a little age. My first and only stop was the 'Club Havana' LCDH in Miramar that was not far from where I was staying. This Cigar Shop is known for having some gems in the way of Limited Editions & aged stuff. I wasn't wrong, they had 3 boxes of the Sanchos that were from last year and this one that I purchased. It had been opened, several times, but nobody wanted them and I wondered why. Looking at them....they weren't too pretty and I imagined that may have been a turn off. The cigars were covered with a dusting of plume, the foot looked moldy and it smelled as such. I took a gamble thinking a store as prestigious as this one would not be selling a bad box of cigars. I was being taken care of by Jorge, the shop's master roller. He was kind enough to grant me an interview which I will post on a later date.
                 As I mentioned above, this wasn't a pretty cigar and the cap was no better. It was dry and hard to the touch but almost veinless. The pre-light draw gave me hints of earth, wood and tea and left a peppery taste on my lips. As soon as I lit this cigar I got a whiff of caramelized sugar and the pepper left my mouth. After a few puffs the cigar settled down and I got solid flavours of tea and wood. This was starting out as a big and strong cigar, it was very much as I remembered it taste-wise. Past the first half inch, the edge comes off and it begins to mellow out. Earthy is the dominant flavour now with wood in the background. Passing the first inch and it continues to get milder.....another 1/2" and the burn is perfect.....flavour unchanged.
                  Just before the halfway mark I flicked the ash. I had a feeling that the cigar was being stifled by the ash and I was correct, it was burning a little hot through the middle. The burn was still bang on but the flavours still hadn't changed. It picked up a bit of strength through the last quarter and then eventually got a little too bitter for my taste.
                  I enjoyed this cigar and I'm happy I bought the box. It wasn't very complicated nor was it strong. It started out with a bang but quickly settled down to become a relatively mild cigar. I don't know if any more age will make them any better but it is unlike any of the other Piramides I've smoked...the Monte #2 might come close. Will smoke another one soon so I can compare. Enjoy the pics.