Back in 2020, General Cigar Corporation released a very special Partagas cigar. Known as the Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 Dalia Tubo, it features extremely aged leaf not only in the select Cameroon wrapper but also in the filler and binder. When I say extremely aged, I’m talking a minimum of 12 and max of 22 years. Just think about that for moment. Some cigar enthusiasts were not even born when some of this leaf was harvested.
Let me break it down further for you.
- Wrapper – Cameroon (12-year aged) from the exceptional 2008-2009 growing season
- Binder – San Andrés (22-year aged)
- Filler – Dominican Piloto Cubano (from ’09), Mexico San Andrés (from the ’97-’98 season)
In fact, I learned that when it came to the wrapper, the leaf was hand selected from the crop with only about 3 in every 1,000 leaves used in the project.
The Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 Dalia Tubo is expressed in a single (6 3/4 x 43) Dalia vitola packaged in individually sealed glass tubes and placed in 10-count boxes. Some might call this a lonsdale.
Matt Wilson, Senior Brand Manager of Partagas, noted:
“For cigar smokers who appreciate the depth of aged Cameroon wrapper and who seek extraordinary smoking experiences, Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 is the ultimate super-premium indulgence.”
Only 2,500 boxes were produced for a total of 25,000 cigars. The MSRP is set at $17.99/cigar.
For this review, I sampled 2 of these cigars which I received from the company for the purpose of reviewing on Stogie Press.
Pre-Light Examination
As noted, the Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 Dalia Tubo is packaged in a glass tube that is wax sealed at the foot. Pealing off the seal, and pulling the cap off I slid the cigar out and began the examination. I have to say, this is not the prettiest of cigars, in fact it is kind of rugged looking wit some bumps and veins running through the extremely dark brown leaf. The wrapper is heavily marbled with a decent oily sheen. I found the barrel to be firm to the touch with no soft spots detected. A simple cap finishes the presentation.
Two bands adorn the cigar, both of which use a dark grey, gold, and white motif. The primary band boldly declarers this is as the Partagas 10 Decades surrounded by golden leaves. There is also a golden circle on each side of the band that has the number “20” in it, signifying the year 2020. A thin secondary band is placed just below and declares this as a “Limited Reserve”. The center of the band has a picture of what I believe is Ramon Cifuentes, Sr. – owner of the Partagas brand.
As I ran the Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 along the nose I noted very little aroma along the barrel while the foot had a faint baking spice note.
I used my double blade cutter to slice the cap straight across the shoulder and proceeded to give it some cold draw puffs. Like the pre-light aroma I found the cold draw notes to be quite limiting with just a hint of citrus.
Using my double flame torch, I warmed the foot and drew in the first puffs of peppery smoke. Follow along as I burn the Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 Dalia to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- White pepper strikes first hitting the throat
- Solid light grey ash forms on top of a even thin char line
- Thick creamy smoke fills the palate
- Earthy notes join the pepper
- Mouth watering citrus fills in the early profile
- A pasty aftertaste evolves
- Peppery spice grows on the retro hale
- Ash fell in good chunk revealing a centered and well formed burn cone
- Coffee notes enter as the pepper receded and blends well with continued continued citrus
- Burn line has been great along with excellent smoke production
- Cocoa aromas start wafting off the foot moving into the second third
- Continued citrus entering final third
- Bitter notes begin to form in the final with an added spice note down to the nub
- Medium In Strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 45 minutes
Final Analysis
The Partagas Limited Reserve Decadas 2020 Dalia was a fairly pleasant cigar that exhibited excellent burn characteristics from foot to nub. It had a decently complex array of flavors an aromas but hidden under those notes was a pasty after taste through the second third and a developing bitterness in the final third. There was an underlying core of citrus through the burn that generally kept the palate moist helping to bring out the developing flavor. With a high price point I can only say this is a cigar you might want to buy one of. I rate this a 89.
Point Deductions: (-2) Pasty; (-1) Bitter in final; (-1) Worth Checking one out; (-1) Minimal Pre-light Aromas
