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Connoisseur's Corner, August 2004

Posted: Thursday, October 07, 2004

Reprinted from the August 2004 issue of Cigar Aficionado

The 1980s were good for corporate America, bad music and great Cuban cigars. We tasted four 1980s Havanas in this edition of Connoisseur's Corner and were extremely pleased, scoring each in the 90s and naming two as classics. The best was a lonsdale, a 1989 Montecristo No. 1 that scored 97 points. The Punch Double Corona was the other classic, with a rating of 95 points. After resting for nearly a decade, it was still brimming with full-bodied power. A pair of younger cigars, each made in 1995, also did well. A slim, panetela-sized Fuente Fuente OpusX from 1995, the only non-Cuban in this group, scored 90 points. Age seems to have tempered some of the cigar's legendary strength, but its flavors were balanced and rich.

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Montecristo No. I (1989)
97
This is a delicate smoke with tea and honey character and a soft, light-earth undertone. This cigar has real Montecristo character. Gorgeous. I smoked this with some of the greatest cigar aficionados in the world and they loved it.
--James Suckling

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Punch Double Corona (1985)
95
This is why Cuban double coronas became so famous. It's a righteous smoke with tea, cream and tobacco character. Hints of spice both in aroma and flavor. Full bodied, rich and powerful. Long and super fresh.
--James Suckling

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Partagas Lonsdale (1995)
95
This is always a serious smoke. It shows a wonderful tea, honey and cedar character with sweet tobacco overtones. It has a medium body with a long and refined finish. A joy to smoke.
--James Suckling

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Dunhill Malecon (1988)
92
This corona-sized cigar shows a soft and nutty character with milk, coffee and light chocolate flavors. Medium bodied. Long and fresh finish. Very delicate. Bought from the J.J. Fox & Robert Lewis cigar shop in London 10 years ago.
--James Suckling

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Rafael Gonzalez Lonsdale (1984)
91
This is a cigar you don't see much of anymore, but the well-aged lonsdale -- called a cervantes in the factories in Cuba -- is mellow and flavorful. Plenty of coffee and tobacco character. Full and fresh. Long aftertaste.
--James Suckling

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Fuente Fuente OpusX Petit Lancero (1995)
90
This is the cigar that put OpusX on the map. It is the same size as the Davidoff No. 2 or Corona Especial from Cohiba. Fine, powdery white ash. It draws beautifully and delivers lovely balanced flavors of tea and cream with cedar. Medium body. Fresh aftertaste. Very fine.
--James Suckling

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