I bought a five-pack of the La Vieja Habana Leather Patch Belicoso No. 6 from CigarBid eight weeks or so ago.I smoked one the day they arrived and thought it was pretty good ... interesting enough to put away and try again later. The one I smoked this afternoon was from the same package, so it had been in my humidor for two months.
Far from sleek and smooth, this sharp-pointed belicoso was nonetheless beautifully constructed, its oily, medium-brown Ecuadoran wrapper run thru with pronounced veins that added to the visual interest.
The first puff or two after lighting had a peppery sharpness on the soft palate that's pretty common in full-bodied smokes, especially if you're not careful with the torch. The draw was easy, but not to the point of sloppiness, and the sharpness smoothed itself out after just two or three minutes. Five minutes after lighting, the smoke was certainly full-bodied. but smooth and not at all harsh. It tastes of old leather (or maybe I'm just internalizing the 'Leather Patch' name), along with graham crackers, Cheerios and a mild sense of white pepper. At this point, they're just bouncing around in there, and haven't melded together. The burn is just a little lopsided and ash is dark grey, mottled and flaky ... it's interesting to see the pronounced vein still clearly evident in the ash. This is the kind of flaky ash without a solid structure that won't last longer than 20 - 25 minutes or so, I predicted (to myself).
Twenty minutes after lighting, there's an almost-creamy texture to the smoke in my mouth and thru the sinuses. The flavors have fully melded into a unity, still reminding me of breakfast cereal and almost-but-not-quite burnt toast with mild cajun spices on the medium length finish.
Ah ha! What did I predict? At 23 minutes, the ash gave it up to gravity, and fell off on its own accord.
At 30 minutes, the first little bit of serious unevenness in the burn became evident, but caught up with itself in four or five minutes. The flavors have intensified and the spicy smoke is almost creamy now. After another ten minutes, the Cheerios/Wheaties tastes aren't there any more and the leather and spice predominate. Truth be told, the smoke is getting to be just a bit hot and sharp on the palate and thru the sinuses on the finish ... not quite to the point of unpleasantness, but it gets your attention.
True to form, the ash fell off by itself for the second time at 48 minutes. It had been a couple of minutes since I last puffed, and I found it was close to going out, but a bit of heavy puffing revived it without having to relight.
Nearing one hour, while the nice, intense taste is still enjoyable, the sharpness and heat on the finish are getting a bit unpleasant. An inspection of the cut reveals a significant buildup of tar, so I'm just about done with this cigar. At one hour, I declared the smoke officially done.
Was it enjoyable. Yes, it was. Was it my favorite cigar ever? Certainly not. Was it in my top ten? Maybe. If not for the hot finish in the last third of the smoke, I think it would be on the list. For sure, it was definitely good enough to keep two or three in the bottom of my humidor and try again in a few months.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jack White,
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 3018 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Hey Jack, I have to say that you are setting a new standard for reviews here with the incremental, already Photoshopped pictures. Quite the digital smoking diary!
I too smoked my first "Leather Patch" - the "Habanos 54" on Saturday. I found it to be a smoke that I could divide up into thirds. The 1st third was okay and held promise, the 2nd third was very nice and enjoyable and the last third was acrid and made me toss it out the window of my truck. The 2nd third was so distinct from the others that it was as if I had changed cigars. I really started thinking that it would be a great smoke, but then the bitterness set in and out it went.
Nice job with the review and the pictures, Andy
C4S Club Member #003
Posts: 1430 | Location: Miami, FL, USA | Registered: July 29, 2003
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