A couple weeks ago I had a chance to fire up an old Betsy Ross I've been hanging on to. We had a weekend picnic/campout at Cook's Forest and I always get to smoke lots of cigars.
This year it was a rainy mess, so I didn't get in as many as usual, but I did get to smoke this old girl...
Image
This cigar was made somewhere between 1910 and 1917, so she wasn't quite 100 years old. Despite that fact, it was still supple and aromatic. The aroma was distinctly cc.
Outside the yellow cello, you can really get a feel for the condition and quality of the construction...
Image
The first inch was pretty uninspiring. She started getting some flavor shortly thereafter, and wasn't too awful bad. A lot better than I had expected, for sure.
Image
Getting toward the end of the smokes, the wings were ready. I figured they'd help. I'd pretty much had my limit of tolerance of cuban weed, and she was getting that ashtray flavor like you get about halfway through a cc machine-made. The wings cleared my palette and allowed me to smoke on.
Image
So far as cigar flavor goes, I'd give the old girl about a 4. Construction, an easy 10. It never split, unrolled, needeed relit, and the burn was razor sharp. If a guy really enjoyed aged cuban tobacco, it'd probably have been the cigar of a lifetime. The flavor experience was pretty much wasted on me, because I have the palette of a goat and the delicate nuance of a sledgehammer.
So far as cool factor goes, it was a 10/10. I can't begin to relay how fun it was to smoke a cigar this old, or how insanely cool it was. Not many people will ever get to experience something like this in an entire lifetime, and I truly appreciate the blessing.
I was riveted throughout the experience and shared with Scott (sofaman) along the way.
He enjoyed a 1940 LaProsa while I smoked the Betsy Ross, and his was definately the more flavorful and powerful of the two, although the two weren't really comparable. They were that different.
Here's a shot of Scott working on the old La Prosa...
Image
All in all, the experience is definately one I'll remember for the rest of my life. You don't get too many of those along the way.
All this was made possible by Joe (lenguamor). I picked these smokes up a good long time ago and saved them for this particular weekend.
I'm really glad I gathered them up when I had the chance.
It was well worth the trouble.
[Reply]

Absolutely amazing...thanks for sharing!
[Reply]

Great review/pics, Scott. :-) I can only wish to be a "4" at 100.
It's amazing a cigar pushing 100, can have such impeccable construction.
Thanks again for sharing.
[Reply]

:-)


I have to agree with everything above! What a great review, Scott!! It sounds like a great weekend herf with some amazing cigars and BOTL's! :-)



:-)
[Reply]

Still got two Betsy Rosses, also from lenguamor, in the humi awaiting the right occasion (and I have a couple of events in mind).....

My railway museum got their 1930's vintage Zephyr train back from major repairs, and when it went into service over Memorial Day weekend I lit up a 1950s Van Dyck to celebrate the event. Fascinating and sublime...and the fellow leaf burner I shared it with was practically knocked off his feet by the experience! :-):-)
[Reply]

Nice review Scott.:-)
[Reply]

Wow, great review and pics. Thanks
[Reply]

That is great! I have tried a few 30,40, and 50 year old cigars, and didn't care much for the old flavor. It would be interesting to try a 90 year old cigar!
[Reply]

I have a bunch of oldies and really haven't liked the flavor of one yet.
The best so far is probably the LaProsa that Scott smoked.
That stick was a 9 cent stick when sticks were 3 for 5 cents, a super-duper premium. At 7o years old it still had a spicyness and body that was a lot like an RS11, kinda.
The Betsy Ross was a lot like an old cohiba. I had an 18 year old cohiba once that I was totally stoked about, and it was super mild and turned smokey tasting.
I'm working in the garden right now and I'm gonna burn a little tiny Jose Piedra, cause I'm in the mood for a "light" stick, and all this cc talk has fooled me into thinking I might like it. :-)
Tryin to keep my attitude right. :-)
[Reply]

Very cool. I definitely do not have the patience to hold onto a cigar for any length of time. Curious as to what made you decide to smoke it?
[Reply]

Great pics and review...I am with flat6nut, no way I could hold on to something that long.
[Reply]

I have a camping trip that's twice a year. Once at the beginning of summer and once at the very end.
I have a good friend I only see there twice a year and he and I smoke a pound or two of super premiums and cc's and all the really good stuff I can round up.
When I saw Joe selling all this really old stuff, I thought that it'd be an incredibly cool addition to our smoke-a-thon.
Delbert didn't show, so Scott and I did the best we could to squeeze as many smokes in as we could between the raindrops. It honestly was a really crappy weekend, weatherwise.
So basically, I smoked it cause that was why I bought it. :-)
[Reply]

Great review! I had one of these and you were spot on. Not the greatest, but just smoking something from WWI era is just amazing to me. :-)
[Reply]

Dude, schweeeeeeeet!!

Thanks sooooooooo much for sharing this section of your life!! :-)
[Reply]

The wings were awesome, I should say.
Kenny made them. He's the camp chef. The first load of wings always sucks. You gotta wait for load two, three and four.
These were load three, and they were excellent. :-)
[Reply]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!
[Reply]

Totally kewl - but mebbe you shoulda waited 'til Flag Day.
[Reply]

Ewwww old yucky cigars!!!:-)

Thanks for the review Scott!!!:-)
[Reply]

Reference bump. :-)
[Reply]

Sweet! It would be fun to try a one or two of those old cigars. Even if they've lost their "umph", it's still a very cool experience. Thanks for sharing! :-)
[Reply]