Por Larranaga Encantos 2010 RE Asia Pacific
Size: 170 x 43 — Dalias
Smoke time: 1hour 25mins
Box date: 2010 Source: sengjc (Australian BOTL)

Appearance: Gnarled and functional. The wrapper shade was a very dark brown tinged with green, oily and carrying a fair number of raised veins. The bands were PL Standard ‘B’ with the Exclusivo Asia Pacifico band beneath. Perhaps it’s the colours or size, or perhaps it’s just me, but in this instance didn’t think the branding bands worked particularly well together.

Construction: A very nicely balanced stick, well packed and without any soft spots and just the right amount of give along the length and finished with a well applied and almost invisible triple cap. The cold draw was good. The smoking draw was a little tight initially but opened up about halfway in to the first third. The burn was slightly ragged, but not to the point of needing any attention and the dark ash was not as compact as I would have liked — to which my Levi’s will testify. No relights required. The smoke time surprised me, the cigar was a quick burner, which wasn’t a problem and possibly due to the manner in which the Encantos are constructed.

Flavour: The pre-draw aroma was excellent, musky barnyard and light tobacco. The initial taste was brilliant, like lemon tea lightly sweetened with honey. As the third progressed the flavour was supplemented by the lightest hint of wood. The lemon/citrus taste had a very unusual quality it was neither sweet, nor sharp, nor sour but deliciously clean and very refreshing. Towards the end of the third I picked up a momentary hint of saltiness and something vaguely like apple cider. To describe the overall flavour at this stage as ‘light’ would be an overstatement, the word I’m choosing is ‘delicate’, but in the best sense, the tastes were nicely balanced and the smoke was coating my mouth with a delightful lemon sweetness. The second began with an inrush of more wood and a slight souring of the sweeter tastes. The woodiness was sufficient to bring the flavours strength up to Light/Medium, and just occasionally I could detect something like soft toffee or vanilla fudge. Moving towards the half point and the flavours grouped into a prolonged lemon hinted wood mode which was mellow and nice but for me not very ‘gripping’. In the initial stages of the final third the flavour became caramalised and for a while a little more interesting before finally taking on a dry toasted tobacco edge which was OK but a bit ‘so what’. The cigar was I thought very easy to smoke with only a little nicotine coming into play in the final third.

Overall: A good cigar. Very mellow and pleasant, great for a Sunday afternoon before dinner, but no Partagas 898 or Bolivar Inmensas. To be honest, if the middle third was removed you might be forgiven for not noticeing a join in putting the other two thirds together. In it’s defence, this is a young cigar barely off the plant, and a few more years may see it evolve into something more flavoursome with a little more muscle. But not yet.

Marks. The RG Lonsdales was the review benchmark with a nominal 7. This cigar I thought got away to a great start but then faded. On today’s smoking I’m giving it a 6.8. The Partagas 898 is still the one to beat.

Next Lonsdales in the lists. Diplomaticos No 1.

quote:

The smoke time surprised me, the cigar was a quick burner, which wasn’t a problem and possibly due to the manner in which the Encantos are constructed.

Surprised me too. Thats fast! I've only enjoyed a handful of these, but I dont think any of them lasted less than a full 2 hours.

One of my favoritre REs. Unfortunate you didn't enjoy it as much as I do. Hopefully you have some more and can give them another shot in a few months or so. Could have just been a dud.

No, please don't get me wrong Shlomo. It's a very good cigar, a bit young still I think and I did enjoy it.

But it's in a smoke off competition and the cigars I smoked prior were the Partagas 898 and Bolivar Inmensas, which on the day have been better. Different day maybe a different result, but I'm trying to give an honest evaluation across a range of Lonsdales. Some reviews I've already posted some I've still to do.

It's taken me almost a year, but I've managed to collect up as many Cuban Lonsdales as I can, my findings I hope might be of some small use and benefit to you guys.

The list is:-

Cervantes
Bolivar Lonsdales
Bolivar Gold Medal
Diplomaticos No. 1
ERdM Lonsdales
H Upmann Lonsdales
Montecristo No. 1
Partagas de Partagas No 1
Partagas Lonsdales
Por Larranaga Lonsdales RE 2006 Alemania
RGm Lonsdales
RyJ Cetros de Lux No. 1
SLR Lonsdales
SP Molinos
Trinidad Ingenios EL 2007
VR Classicos

Cazadores
Fonseca No. 1
RyJ Cazadores

Dalia
Bolivar Inmensas
Cohiba Siglo V
LGC Medaille d’Or No. 2
Montecristo 'D' Limited Edition 2005
Partagas 898
Partagas Seleccion Privada No. 1
Por Larranaga Encantos RE 2010 Asia Pacific

The ones I haven’t been able to find so far are:-

Ramon Allones 898
Por Larranaga Lonsdales
San Luis Rey Lonsdales (Note spelling. I have the Saint Luis Rey)

Thats a mighty impressive list of some very hard to find sticks! The RA 898 has reached crazy cult status and EVERYBODY is looking for them...good luck on that one, but if you do find any, let me know! lol

I know where there's a full box Shlomo. Ajay has it as private stock and won't split the box. Price was too rich for my wallet.

If you don't recognise the name .... Mail me.

Arf

Ajay has some incredible stuff. Prices are just as incredible though. I would think most CC aficionados would know him or at least OF him.

quote:

Originally posted by tippexx:
I know where there's a full box Shlomo. Ajay has it as private stock and won't split the box. Price was too rich for my wallet.

If you don't recognise the name .... Mail me.

Arf

Ahh, we just have to get a few interested parties to band together and get the box off him. I'd be in for five...

I wouldimagine theyd run about 40$ a pop? Maybe a tad more?

That is plain highway robbery. I passed on a box for $850 recently.

I'm in love. I just finished one. The long size allow the very apparent transition from first,second to third beautifully. I love long cigars. Mine is a tad darker than colorado shade though. You should definitely have anohter one.

I should have a box of these here soon.