Cigar Review: Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2019

Fourteen years ago, General Cigar Co. released a limited edition Partagas called Decadas. Spanish for “decades,” the line featured a ten-year-old Cameroon wrapper. The annual Decadas release was repeated until 2009, when General reportedly ran out of aged Cameroon.

But the 2009 Cameroon harvest was a very good one, according to General. This year it turned ten years old. Decadas has therefore been revived.

The Partagas Decadas 2019 comes beautifully presented in a green, ten-count box that’s protected by a white sleeve. Inside, each robusto extra (5.5 x 49)—the only size offered—is housed in a glass tube. Only 2,500 boxes were made, for a total run of 25,000 cigars.

Out in the open, you can take the measure of the precious Cameroon wrapper, which is surprisingly dark. It’s slightly oily with thin veins and a well-executed cap. The pre-light notes at the foot remind me of molasses. The cold draw is effortless, even if you only snip the very tip of the cap.

Once lit, the Honduran San Agustín binder and filler tobaccos (Dominican Piloto Cubano and Nicaraguan Ometepe) combine to yield a medium-bodied flavor that places the Cameroon sweetness centerstage. Sweet cedar comes to mind, as does the oft-repeated “warm tobacco sweetness” phrase. I don’t want to give you the impression this is simply a straightforward sugar stick, though. It’s not overly sweet, and there’s plenty else going on, including black pepper spice, red pepper heat, cereals, and oak.

I am not picking up a ton of changes at the midway point. Here, the cedar is a bit spicier and a little less sweet. I also believe the profile is earthier and more bready. This carries through to the final third, which is characterized by a slight increase in spice and intensity—still staying solidly in the medium-bodied range, though.

Throughout, the combustion properties are superb. The burn line is straight and requires no touch-ups along the way. The ash holds well, the draw is easy, and the smoke production is wonderful.

I honestly can’t recall if I experienced any of the previous Decadas releases. But that’s neither here nor there. This is a new cigar with a new blend (no previous Decadas employed Nicaraguan tobacco, for example); it deserves to be judged on its own merits. And while some will surely regret the lack of strength and relatively subdued body, I’ve always enjoyed mixing up my rotation with milder smokes and can appreciate their subtlety.

If you share this appreciation, I would suggest picking up a Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2019. It retails for $14.99 and shipped to retailers on July 14. And it’s worthy of a very admirable rating of four stogies out of five.

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–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys