Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda is medium brown and has some decently raised veins present along with a network of fine veins. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, both carrying various shades of bronze and black. The primary band denotes the brand and the secondary denotes the factory. The aroma from the wrapper is a faint musty cedar while the foot brings a unique wood note that is kind of cedar but kind of not. The pre-light draw brings a floral perfume note and light cedar.
Seth: Finished with a wrapper that is Natural in coloring, there are small to meidum sized veins throughout. Firm in hand, the Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda has a slightly oily texture. Aromas of cedar, spices, leather, chocolate and earth.
John: The Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker that years in half when opened. There is a large band that has a secondary band laid neatly underneath which indicates El Titan de Bronze. I weighed the cigar at 13.6 grams and the humidity as measured by the HumidiMeter Pro at 50.6%. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet bread and faint hay. There was a combination from the foot of wood and moss, both quite mild.
Jiunn: The Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda shows a Colorado Red wrapper shade in natural sunlight. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll with a couple minor divots and the head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of cedar. Aromas from the foot provide strong white pepper spice and cedar. Cold draw gives cedar and slight paint thinner.

Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with lightly toasted cedar, floral notes and mild cinnamon. At a quarter inch in, the cinnamon transitions to a general baking spice. At two thirds of an inch in, the baking spice is now black pepper and is a bit behind the toasted cedar. The retrohale is toasted cedar, black pepper and light floral notes. At an inch in, a light earthiness joins the profile. At an inch and a half in, the earth is just behind the black pepper and ahead of the floral notes. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is up front, with the black pepper and earth a bit behind and light floral notes in the background. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with some pepper spices, mineral earth notes, nuts, leather and toast. Medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: The first third opens with lavender and sweet wood as dry wood carries into the post draw. A more generalized floral is present on the retrohale as it settles in. A nuttiness comes into the post draw a few minutes later. Some time later, baking spices enter the retrohale and bring wood into the finish.
Jiunn: The first third provides a linear flavor profile. Oily red pepper spice, dirt and cedar are consistent throughout all facets of mouth draws, retrohales and the finish. The mouth feel is also slightly gritty. Strength and body is medium.

Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth is now right behind the toasted cedar. At a half inch in, the earth is now even with the toasted cedar up front. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with light black pepper and floral notes. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is now pretty mellow. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, the black pepper is a fair distance behind and a light floral note is in the background. The strength remains at medium.
Seth: The second third continues with strong pepper spices, mineral earth notes and leather. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: A floral flavor carries the cigar into the second third followed by graham cracker combining with dry wood into the post draw. There is an earthy finish on the puff as it progresses. There were no other flavor changes through the second third.
Jiunn: The second third tapers down the oily red pepper spice a little bit but it’s still the same linear flavor profile from the first third. Strength and body remains medium.

Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the black pepper is now in the background with the floral notes. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, earth and light floral notes. At an inch in, the earth takes a pretty good lead in the profile. As the cigar comes to a close, the earth is ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper and floral notes in the background. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is a continuation of the second third. Lots of mineral and earth notes. Medium-full in strength and body.
John: Creamy baking spices lead off in the retrohale as a tannic wood defines the finish. Once the final third has a chance to settle in, wood moves into the center of the profile as well. Baking spices return to the retrohale by the halfway point.
Jiunn: The final third shows no changes from the second third. Still the same subdued oily red pepper spice, gritty dirt and cedar flavor profile. Strength and body finish the same medium.

Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda

Burn

Aaron: The cigar went out once, fairly quickly in the smoking experience, requiring a re-light. The burn line was a bit wavy throughout, but never needed any touch-ups in regards to that.
Seth: Decent burn.
John: The burn started out uneven and went out spontaneously around the three quarter inch mark of the first third, requiring a re-light. The burn continued straight, becoming uneven in the second third. There were no interventions required and the burn straightened out for the last third.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect. Even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Solid draw from start to finish.
John: The draw was at most 1/2 to 1 notch towards the resistant spectrum, putting it in the ideal range for a draw.
Jiunn: Draw performance was on point, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with lightly toasted cedar, floral notes and mild cinnamon. The cinnamon transitioned to baking spice fairly quickly and then to black pepper. Some earth joined a bit later. The second third saw the earth pickup and the final third saw the earth take the lead in the profile. The Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda had a pretty nice start with a good mix of flavors and transitioning. From the second third on, the flavor profile was average as the earth began to increase and eventually took the lead in the profile. I was really hoping that this blend would capture that elusive El Titan magic, which it did to start, but waned as the cigar went along. Not enough of it to make me want to come back to it, especially with the high price point.
Seth: I am not sold on the Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda and I don’t like the entire Nicaraguan blend. The cigar lacked balance and was mineral, pepper and earth forward from beginning to end. There needed to be more with the cigar, and this factory has produced blends with more in this vitola. General has had some good releases out of the factory, but whatever the involvement was with this blend, they should tweak.
John: The Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda started out with some interesting flavors in the first third, centered around floral and lavender components. As the cigar progressed, the profile became more linear and average. The cigar went out on me in the first third, requiring a re-light, while the draw was perfect. Given the ultra premium price point, I was expecting more from the flavor profile, so this is something I wouldn’t return to based on my experience. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Jiunn: A bold price point at $23 per cigar. To me, that means the flavor profile must be good. But after smoking through the Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda, I found it to be overall a lackluster, linear flavor profile. The bold flavors of oily red pepper spice, dirt and cedar were nice, but it needs much more to keep the palate intrigued and salivating. Easy pass in my opinion.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$4.00

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.25

Cost/Point

$4.38

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.90

Cost/Point

$3.90

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$4.00

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Partagas de Bronce Corona Gorda