I can't believe there isn't already a review for this; I could have sworn at least I had posted one.
:-)
This is a vintage Platinum; made in early '06 and released for sale in July of the same year.
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The construction is perfect; firm but not tight, solid, flawless perfecto shape. The pinnacle of skilled cigar-making, IMHO. The wrapper is a beautiful, toothy colorado. It smells divine; redolent of cedar, with a faint trace of barnyard.
Post-cut/pre-light, the draw reveals sharp cedar and assertive tobacco. The tiny foot toasts easily.
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At the beginning, the flavors are muddled. About a half-inch in, it begins to gain the character it will retain throughout: pure tobacco, thick, plentiful smoke. In the background and through the nose, traces of dried, tart fruit, like cherries or apricots.
About an inch in, as the burn approaches the middle of the barrel, roasted flavors and aroma begin to come in
The rest is more of the same, along with some sweet coffee. Surprisingly strong tobacco flavor and nic hit for such a refined-looking cigar.
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The burn wasn't razor-sharp, but that's the built-in hazard of a perfecto shape. Also it was windy and humid here, as a front seems stalled over the area; although it was nice and cool, so no complaints there.
A wonderful 40 minutes of pleasure.
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I smoked some of the very first releases (I want to say '02 or so...) and they were phenomenal right off the bat. So I don't think age is necessarily a factor to enjoy these.
However, the pleasant surprise about this stick was the realization that they are aging well, and could even benefit from more time.
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