PCA Magazine Winter 2020

PREMIUMCIGARS.ORG WINTER 2020 | PCA The Magazine 29 (As with any journey, I love it when things go well from the start.) I paired this cigar with strong, black coffee, and as I get into the first five minutes I can already see why the maker suggested I do so. The Segovi- as gives off a volcano of coffee notes. It is not a smudge pot of heavy smoke, so it could prob- ably be comfortably consumed in a confined space such as a car. The blue smoke that is conjuring up is packed with all the flavor my delicate taste buds can handle. Body is what I would say is decidedly on the heavy side of medium. The retrohale is a tad peppery but still genial enough to bid me retrohale with every puff. At 20 minutes I have an inch of slate ash. The cigar is performing superbly, with a gorgeous, straight burn line, and the smoke is getting heavier and chewier as I work my way down. I can already confirm that this is a legiti- mate after-dinner smoke, and, I would say, probably a bit heavy-bodied for a novice. At 35 minutes, a deeper, sweeter profile is asserting itself, with a background note of treacle coming into focus, and some cedar and cocoa. Delicious! T H E B L E N D I’m only about halfway through at 50 minutes, so this robusto-sized stick is a fairly slow smoker—slower than I’m used to, because I am gener- ally a fairly quick puffer. No doubt the fullness of flavor has slowed my normal pace, but even so, the soft earthiness keeps things pleasant. The burn line has become a little uneven a couple of times, but needs no touch-up, as it straightens itself out. At 70 minutes I break off the ash into my ashtray for only the second time, making the Segovias a top-notch burner. The espresso-like finish lingers throughout any pause between puffs. At 90 minutes I’ve still got more than an inch of warm nub, and I’m still loving it. Finally, at 97 minutes it’s a bit too toasty to handle, and I set it down. I usually expect full flavors from any reasonably dark Nica- raguan cigar, and the Segovias delivers copiously. Keep boxes of this cigar on hand for enter- taining friends who can handle a rather full after-dinner flavor profile. The Segovias Habano Oscuro Robusto is a glorious product, well worth the price.