Initial Thoughts
Well, well, with all the talk about the Cubans cigars lately I figured it was time to review a couple. So the first one on the list this is Bolivar Belicosos Finos. I was gifted this cigar recently and I have to say I’m very excited to smoke it. Unfortunately I don’t have a ton of experience with Cubans. So I’m trying to dig around and find out all that I can about them. I wasn’t able to actually pick this cigar out on my own so I can only speculate that it is actually a Bolivar Belicosos Finos. But, I believe in my hear that it’s a legit Cuban.
So I did a bit of research about the Bolivar brand. It’s a pretty exciting story about the namesake. The brand is named after one of the most iconic figures of South America, Simon Bolivar. He liberated much of South American from Spanish rule. The brand began it’s journey in 1902 and today is based out of Havana, in the Partagas factory. Apparently, this brand has long been known as a very rich and full bodied cigar. Primarily the leaf in the cigar comes from the Vuelta Abajo region in Cuba. There’s a lot more digging to do on my part to learn all the history of these great Cuban brands, but for right now I’m just ready to smoke this Bolivar Belicosos Finos and see what all it has to offer.
Looks
I’ve heard many people say that Cuban cigars are inconsistent when it comes to the manufacturing quality. Well you can rest assured that’s not the case with this Bolivar Belicosos Finos. It is wrapped flawlessly and it’s gorgeous top to the bottom. The Belicoso shape offers a nice tapered point at the head of the cigar and expands towards the foot offering up a similar pyramid type shape to the entire cigar.
There’s only one band on this cigar. It appears to be the same band that occupies all of the Bolivar cigars. It has an oil-painted portrait of Simon Bolivar wrapped in some gold trim. Very classic look to the cigar, nothing too lavish just a great calling card for the brand as a whole.
I tried to get better shots of this cigar with my camera, but unfortunately I was in a dimly lit cigar lounge. So you’ll have to take my word for it that this cigar looked and felt amazing on the wrapper.
Function
Feeling up and down the barrel of the cigar this Bolivar Belicosos Finos seemed to be packed very well. There was a nice bit of bounce back. The foot looks great and evenly packed as well. As I said above this particular vitola has a tapered head so it’s a bit of a different strategy to cut this cigar compared to the usual way I clip the parejo shaped cigars.
I started by nipping about 1/2″ off the top and tested the draw. It wasn’t quite as open as I had hoped. So I took another slice out of it and then it was perfect. I didn’t want to cut too much off and waste some of this Cuban tobacco, but at the same time I’ve gotta be able to smoke it right?
Smoking
As soon as I got the pre-draw opened where I wanted, it was time to put some flame to it. Off the bat this Bolivar Belicosos Finos burned a little wonky. One side really took off and left a bit of a canoe. I was hoping it would settle down and let the other side catch up. Finally it happened. I had to give the other side of the cigar a bit of coaching to get it up to speed, but it finally got itself together. Once that happened it was smooth sailing. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
The ash let itself go a little more than 1″. Then I knocked it into the ashtray. It was a very solid gray ash. Packed very firmly and stayed together even once I cut it loose. The draw was consistent all the way through and this cigar was a real delight to smoke.
Flavor
Now, onto the flavors. Everyone wants to know what makes Cubans so special! Honestly, I’m not sure, but I’m on my path to find out.
On the pre light I picked up a good dose of sweet tobacco, coffee, and chocolate. The chocolate/mocha note was very intense. Very palatable. Once I got the Bolivar Belicosos Finos lit I found a very creamy texture throughout. It really coated the mouth. The smoke wasn’t filling up the room, but it had a decent viscosity to it. On the retrohale there was a nice coffee note to it.
Soon that coffee note faded into more of an earthy tone. It still had the creamy backbone with a hint of chocolate all the way throughout. Towards the end of the 2nd third I felt like I hit a big string of ligero tobacco. It gave it a nice jolt of power and strength to the body of the cigar. It went from being a medium cigar to a medium-full. It also brought a long the spice that was very enjoyable. It gave it a nice balance from the sweetness that had been showing itself early on.
This Bolivar Belicosos Finos continued to smoke incredibly well all the down to the nub. I left about an inch on this cigar and I was bummed that I had to put it down. Oh well, as they say, all good things must come to an end.
Would I Buy It Again?
Without a doubt.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
I would love to smoke this cigar every day.
Would I Buy a Box?
Easily, I’m actually keeping an eye out on Cigar Terminal for when they get more boxes in. I plan on picking one up right here.
Conclusion
I think this was a nice dive into the land of Cuban cigars. Hopefully I can continue on this journey. As it appears the laws seem to be relaxing a bit I feel like it’s time to start learning more about Cubans. I really enjoyed this Bolivar Belicosos Finos and I think if you’re used to fuller-bodied cigars it’s a great place to start down the Cuban path yourself. As I said be sure to keep an eye out on Cigar Terminal for when these come back in stock and I would suggest jumping on them!
