Partagas Serie D No.5 EL2008

📌 Brand: Partagás
📌 Line: Serie D No. 5 Edición Limitada 2008
📌 Size: Petit Robusto (4 3/8" × 50)
📌 Weight: 8.8 g
📌 Age: 17 years
📌 Origin: Cuba

Tasting Notes

• Cedar – Classic Cuban wood backbone

• Earth – Dry, somewhat dusty

• Cocoa – Subtle and intermittent

• Red Pepper – Brief flicker on retrohale

First Impressions

The wrapper shows the signature dark EL Colorado Maduro sheen, though the roll feels slightly uneven to the touch. Pre-light aroma gives cedar, cocoa, and aged warehouse musk. Cold draw is workable, but not fully open.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Cedar and earth appear immediately. Burn begins to drift to one side, requiring early attention.

• Second Third – Cocoa tries to show but is overshadowed by the uneven combustion. Relight required, bitterness appears where the burn collapses.

• Final Third – Pepper sharpens but the flavor remains flat. Second relight needed, and the cigar continues to pull to one side until the end.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Baron de Sigognac 15 Year Armagnac - Oak, prune, and baking spice add warmth and depth where the cigar lacked sweetness and structure.

• Tea – Assam Mangalam Estate Black Tea (India) - Malty and bold, helping restore body and soften the bitter edges from uneven burning.

Music Pairing

“No Ordinary Love” – Sade
Smooth and deep — giving emotional richness the cigar did not deliver.

Final Thoughts

The Partagás Serie D No. 5 EL 2008 carries strong heritage and should’ve been a rich, cocoa-forward aged Cuban. Instead, poor construction and a persistently one-sided burn, along with two relights, kept it from showing depth or finesse. The flavor profile remained muted and linear throughout.

Final Score: 5/10
Why not a 10?
Uneven burn, multiple relights, and muted flavor prevented the cigar from demonstrating the complexity expected from an aged EL.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.