Partagas de Bronce – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Back in March of this year, General Cigar the Partagas de Bronce, the latest in a series of collaborations with El Titán de Bronze Cigar Factory. This marks the first Partagas cigar produced in America. Partagas de Bronce follows the Cohiba Serie M and La Gloria Cubana Eighth Street as cigars made for the General by El Titán de Bronze. The cigar’s name comes from the Spanish spelling of bronze, “bronce” in tribute to the origins of Partagas and El Titan de Bronze.

Partagas de Bronce was blended by STG’s Justin Andrews and El Titán de Bronze’s Sandy Cobas along with her blending team. The blend uses a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, and Nicaraguan binder and filler, making it a Nicaraguan puro.

Partagas de Bronce hit shelves in April of this year and production was limited to 5,000 boxes. Each box comes with 10 cigars and is signed by the El Titán de Bronze cigarmaker who rolled them. The cigar comes in just one vitola, a Corona Gorda that measures 6.25” x 46 and sells for $22.99.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 6 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 46
Country of Origin: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: El Titan de Bronze
Blender: Justin Andrews and Sandy Cobas
Number of reviewers: 5 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Diana (ArmyRN) Noah S. (Noah) Angel M. (Angel) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Price: $22.99
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: April 2023
Contributed by: General Cigar

Initial Impressions – Partagas de Bronce

Appearance: 93

“A beautifully rich medium brown wrapper is the perfect backdrop to a bit of mottling and a noticeable oil sheen that shimmers when held in the right light. The wrapper is soft, supple, and velvety to the touch. Its veins and seams are nearly the same thickness making it difficult to distinguish between the two. Peering into the foot I can see at least three different shades of filler leaf, all but ensuring a smorgasbord of flavor.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Aroma: 90

“I find a heavy floral note when I smell the body of this cigar. It reminds me of a bag of potpourri. The foot of this cigar shares the floral nature of the body but adds a touch of white pepper making me want to sneeze. The cold draw has a syrupy texture to it with a hint of tanginess.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

First Third

Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Initially the draw is on the tighter side but not obtrusively so. I am able to get a decent mouthful of smoke, it’s just taking a longer draw in order to do so. Flavors are robust and simple early on. Oak, dried plum, and cinnamon graham cracker are all equally prevalent, each contributing its own flair to this well-balanced smoke. The retro adds its own nuance with a little white pepper spice and just a touch of milk chocolate sweetness that further bolsters an incredible lineup of flavors. The first third closes out with a noticeable nicotine buzz that is already beginning to build.” –Noah S. (Noah)

“I thought I was back in my childhood having a few hot cinnamon candies when I started out with this cigar. The combination of cinnamon and pepper created an interesting mix without being too sweet nor too hot. Together it gave the cigar a definite pop. This continued through most of the first third but was gradually losing the pepper thus revealing more cinnamon as I proceeded. The initial aroma of baking spices could be noticed at that point but they were faint at best.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Second Third

Flavor: 92
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Entering this third the profile becomes far more refined. A floral effervescent covers the tongue. There is a delicate mint that grabs my attention and becomes the main attraction on the palate. The retrohale has changed as well. There is a fantastic vanilla note with a touch of cinnamon. This cigar has come into its own. The mouthfeel medium while the finish has become syrupy and long.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“In the second third, once again, nothing really stands out per se, but the cocoa has dropped to the background, the roasted nuts is more of a cashew flavor, followed by baking spice. The texture has smoothed out a little bit more making it much more enjoyable, and the temperature of the smoke has actually gotten a bit cooler.” –Angel M. (Angel)

Final Third

Flavor: 92
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The last third picked up where the second third left off. Lots of dry tobacco notes along with salty tobacco flavors. Very mild in strength and body and not very complex. Sadly I was glad to see it end. It was having difficulty keeping my interest.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“Rolling into the final third the smoke has become smooth as silk. Floral and vanilla notes dominate both the palate and sinuses. A cinnamon finish brings a welcomed balance to the overt sweetness. The strength and body have jumped up a notch in this final third. The mouthfeel is silky smooth while the finish is long.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Overall Impressions – Partagas de Bronce

Draw: 89

“The draw was smooth and easy creating copious amounts of cool smoke with each puff.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Burn: 89

“This was an easy burn. Not much to touch up and it remained fairly straight. I didn’t have to relight at all. The ash is light fluffy and easy to tap. I expected it to burn a little hot but it didn’t. Speed of smoking might have changed that but I was taking my time.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

Construction: 90

“I noticed no construction issues whatsoever. What I did notice was a consistent bunching from head to foot which provided just enough give when the body was given a little squeeze, ultra flat seams that didn’t even catch a thumbnail, and a nice triple cap that allowed for a liberal straight cut.” –Noah S. (Noah)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 89

“If it weren’t for the first third, this cigar would have been a dud for me. I was really hoping the cigar would open up with some more enjoyable flavors in the second and final third, but it fell flat fairly quickly with a fairly one dimensional flavor profile. The salted caramel and vanilla sweetness were a nice combination in the first third, and I was hoping these would open up more as it went along. I wouldn’t write this cigar off after only one try though.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“This wasn’t a stellar cigar for me. However, that doesn’t make it a bad smoke. I just would’ve liked to have a bit denser filler to see if that would’ve given the cigar some more complexity. The notes of hot cinnamon and baking spices were a nice combination but not enough to keep me interested. I wanted more nutmeg and other specific baking spices. I could smoke this as a first cigar of the today paired with my coffee but as of now, not a cigar I’d put in my personal rotation on the regular.” –Diana (ArmyRN)

“Simply put, this was a fantastic cigar! From start to finish the burn was absolutely picture perfect. A draw that started off a little tight, loosened up following the first third becoming near perfect leaving nothing to be desired. The simple lineup of flavors was well more than pleasant, balanced, was never overly complex and remained consistent throughout the entire smoke. The slight transitions that did take place were reserved to the finish that showcased a constant back and forth tug-o-war match between bitter and sweet. Each third featured the same gambit of flavors just in a different pecking order which certainly kept me guessing and kept my palate entertained. Even though its complexity was middle of the road throughout, its strength certainly was not. What started as a solid medium with regards to strength ended as a solid full, taking me by surprise and offering up a stark reminder that complexity and strength are two totally different things. Complexity wise, this cigar would pair well with just about anything at anytime of day. One thing’s for sure though… you’ll definitely want to finish your breakfast before setting fire to this gem!” –Noah S. (Noah)

“Overall, this was a very good cigar, it started off a bit rough, but smoothed out, and got better from third to third. Although the flavors were a little on the muted side, they were present enough to make it enjoyable and the transitions were interesting enough to keep me going. This cigar felt like one I would smoke again especially on days where I want a decent smoke that doesn’t require much thought.” –Angel M. (Angel)

“After leaving the blocks a little slow this cigar found its stride in the second third and never looked back. It is a refined smoke that will only get better with time. There were a few rough edges earlier on but ultimately the smoking experience was very pleasant. This would a great cigar to start your day with a beverage of the smoker’s choice. The profile is easily approachable for any level of smoker. I would seek it out again once I know what it is.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 84

To view the complete scores and notes, click here

Partagas de Bronce – Blind Cigar Review