Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 (vs) Partagas Serie D No. 4
Why smoke one cigar when you can have two? That's the way we feel here at Cigar Duels ©. In fact, at Cigar Duels we won't just provide the same ole' style cigar reviews that we are all so familiar with. Nope! Our plan is to mix things up and put a new perspective on cigar reviewing and rating.
So, what can you expect on the Cigar Duels website? Regular, head-to-head smoke-filled showdowns where I pair premium cigars against one another in battles to see which stick prevails as the champion. Still don't get it? Think about your favorite MMA, boxing, UFC, or sport team where only one winner stands at the end of the match. So, sit back, light up a cigar, place your bets, and may the best cigar win!
For my inaugural match up, I have decided to go with two classic Cuban robustos, the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 and the Partagas Serie D No. 4. So, buckle up as we get this Havana Knockout started! Now, to keep things fair, we will do an old-fashioned coin flip to see which stick gets smoked first.
For this duel, the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 wins the flip and will be the first cigar smoked in this Cigar Duel.
Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 Attributes
Brand/Manufacturer: Habanos S.A.
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 4 7/8
Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Country of Origin: Cuba
Price: $21 per stick or $530 for a box of 25
Box Code: ORA AGO 14
Aesthetics [Construction/Shelf-Appeal/Pre-light]: Medium chocolate colored brown wrapper that appears dry to the touch. Very rough looking with lots of veins and visible seams. The cap of the cigar is lumpy, but the foot is jam packed. The construction/roll of the JLS2 is firm with no soft spots detected. Band is the traditional red with white lettering and gold embossing. The cold smell showed essences of light mocha and cedar while the tight cold draw provided hints of dried fruits and toasted oats.
Performance [Draw/Burn]: The cigar produced a thin white smoke to start, however, the thick feel of the smoke increased as the cigar burned down. Burn was wavy and uneven requiring several touch-ups throughout the entire smoking experience. Ash was a powdery mix of grey and white. The draw on the JLS2 was firm throughout the entire smoking experience, however, not to the point of un-smokable.
Flavor [Taste + Aroma]: The Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 provided one of the best aromatic smoking experiences I've ever had. The aroma alone starts out with easily detectable notes of baking spices and sweet cream before transitioning to show wisps of candied cedar over the course of smoking. Truly glorious! The strength of the cigar was straight medium throughout while the body started medium and pushed into medium-full by the conclusion of the smoke. Tastes noted throughout the smoking experience included walnut, leather, spice, and cream.
Overall Impression [Value/Experience]: I do believe the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 is an undervalued cigar for the experience. While not overly complicated, but extremely savory, the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 is a classic Cuban cigar showing offering the gentleman cigar smoker one of the best values present in the Habanos S.A. portfolio. Admittedly, I have smoked several other JLS2 from this same box and never had the heavy walnut, leather, and cream tastes that I experienced during this cigar. Uniquely, I also have never had any of the cigars from this box have as many burn issues as this example presented. By far, the aroma stole the show for this cigar and is arguably one of the best aroma's I've ever experienced over the 20+ years I've been smoking cigars. As stated previously, the burn was the biggest "issue" I had with the cigar but overall, the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 is a fantastic and quintessential Cuban smoke. Well worth the time and money invested.
On to the second contender in this Cigar Duel, the Partagas Serie D. No. 4.
Partagas Serie D No. 4 Attributes
Brand/Manufacturer: Habanos S.A.
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 4 7/8
Size: Robusto
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Country of Origin: Cuba
Price: $24 per stick or $605 for a box of 25
Box Code: OBM MAR 16
On to the review...
Aesthetics [Construction/Shelf-Appeal/Pre-light]: The PSD4 had a milk chocolate brown wrapper that yielded the faintest silky sheen. With minimal veins and nice tight seams (almost unnoticeable) the eye appeal of this cigar is virtually perfect. Masterfully executed round triple seam cap and jam-packed foot with no soft spots detected on the construction/roll. Cold smell showed cedar and barnyard notes with the firm resistance of the cold draw providing my palate with a clean/rich tobacco and muted hickory note. The red band is extremely simple with basic gold lettering that details the name and brand of the cigar. Presentation of the Partagas Serie D No. 4 was excellent!
Performance [Draw/Burn]: It's one thing when a cigar looks as good as the Partagas Serie D No. 4 does, and it's even better when it performs just as well. Although there were times when the burn line became wavy, it was never bad enough to warrant a touch-up. The cigar self-corrected the entire smoking experience. The soft ash presented a very dark gray color with the draw showing a firm, but not tight, resistance throughout.
Flavor [Taste + Aroma]: Dark and rich. Those are the two best words to describe the flavor profile of the Partagas Serie D No. 4. The aroma showed pleasing notes of nutmeg, mixed nuttiness, and whiffs of graham cracker, while the tasting notes consisted of primarily rich earth and leather. Both the body and strength of the PSD4 proved to be medium throughout the smoking experience. The cigar produced a medium thick dark grey smoke.
Overall Impression [Value/Experience]: This is a unique phenomena as the Partagas Serie D No. 4 yielded aesthetic perfection, performed excellent, and provided a very enjoyable smoking experience. But even with all the positives, the flavors (taste + aroma) just didn't jive as well as the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2. Was the PSD4 flavors bad or not enjoyable? No! In fact, if you prefer more earth forward, deep rich smokes (that are centered around those characteristics with little evolution), the PSD4 will fit into your rotation beautifully. Yes, there are certainly times that I actively seek the richness and direct tasting simplicity this cigar had to offer; however, my palate generally enjoys a journey throughout the entire smoking journey. On the flip side, could it be the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 started so strong and left my aromatic needs begging for more? Potentially. But in the end, my palate was much more satisfied and pleased with what the JLS2 offered. Again, and I want to be clear, there were no faults with the flavors of the PSD4, it just didn't suffice my personal smoking desires/needs on this particular date and time. With that being said, the Partagas Serie D No. 4 is also a quintessential Cuban cigar, and every serious aficionado should find a way to enjoy one during their cigar smoking journey.
Final Score Card: To close out this first match, below I have compared the two cigars in each category and awarded an overall winner based on which stick won the most "rounds"/sections. To say this was a strong start to my Cigar Duels experiment would be an understatement as both the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2 and Partagas Serie D No. 4 are phenomenal smokes. However, in the end there can only be one winner and for this knockout it was the Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 2. Price, plus enjoyment, plus flavor (specifically the aroma...holy hell it was awesome) helped carry this cigar to victory!
That's going to do it for our first Cigar Duels match up. I hope you have enjoyed this Havana Knockout and stay tuned as I have many more head-to-head cigar battles to come. Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow so you never miss a new post/update. Until next time, slow down, sip your favorite beverage, and savor a great smoke!
~ Dr. K.A. Lee, CCST
