Bolivar Redentor Edición Regional Brasil 2013 (cigar review)

              I had been waiting for this cigar's release and wondering who to message to have send me one or two. So when my friend Alexandre Avellar from Brazil asked me to sit in on a tasting of this cigar when in Havana last month I immediately answered yes. I would forgo the Partagas festivities for that day in favour of something I had be wishing to do for the last few months. What better way to try a cigar but in it's country of origin surrounded by other aficionados. However, it would prove to be more difficult than I thought. The company was great and the conversation even better, which made it for a very distracting review. I will pour over my notes now and see if I can make heads or tails out of them. Before looking at them however, I can tell you that I remember this being one of the better Regionals that I've smoked in some time.
               These cigars come in dress boxes of 25 cigars each and only 2000 boxes were made. The idea was to have them ready for the world cup of soccer this summer which takes place in Brazil. The vitola is called a Mágicos or a Petit Robusto and weighs in at 52 x 115 (4.5"). As always, looking at a full box of any Bolivar cigar is a sight for sore eyes and this one wasn't any different, judging by all the hits the picture got when I posted it on Facebook recently.
               The wrappers on these beauties were oily and veinless but a little bumpy. I tasted almost nothing on the pre-light draw but when I lit the cigar the first puff gave me a huge mouthful of leather and earth, very close to a Bolivar profile. The draw was perfect but the burn was slightly off and continued to be past the first 1/2". At the 1" mark I couldn't resist, I touched it up with my torch. By now the smoke had mellowed just a bit, the flavours had settled down and it got a lot smoother....remember, this is a young cigar.
I kept touching up the cigar and as I was nearing the halfway mark it still tasted of earth with wood undertones. We drank something called Cachaça, a distilled liquor made from sugarcane juice, it's the most popular liquor in Brazil. I've tried some in the past but have thought it to be closer to rocket fuel than an alcohol you drink. Alex promised that this particular one, the 'Dama da Noite' Riserva, would be something special and he was right. Dama da Noite (Lady of The Night) refers to a flower that grows in the tropics mostly in central and south america. It's something like an aguardente or grappa and was quite strong but almost floral and went very well with the cigar, an excellent match.
               I flicked the ash just past the halfway mark, the cigar fealt like it was being stifled. I was correct, all that ash was making it burn hotter through the middle and I had to give it a good touch up after flicking it. Besides this little issue, the cigar had given me no problems at all throughout and after the touch up it continued to give me no issues, it smoked beautifully. Flavour-wise it remained pretty consistent, not changing much but my distractions may have caused me to miss something. Regardless, this was a pretty strong cigar that has stuck to the brand's flavour profile.
               The last quarter turned bitter on me but I'm sure a little age would get rid of that. This was definitely one of the better Regionals that I've had the pleasure to smoke in a while. If you get a chance and can afford it, I would strongly recommend picking some up. In my opinion an excellent cigar. Below is a link to Alexandre's site where you can find these cigars.


http://www.conexaotabaco.com.br/

Alexandre Avellar our Host