El Producto Bouquet Circa 1926....(Wow!)

First off, I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! As this is a very special day, I selected a very special smoke to memorialize the occassion. About 2 weeks ago I had the pleasure of acquiring a 5 pack of El Producto Bouquet .10C size cigars. The unbroken Tax stamp was from 1926.

History tells us of an ambitious Russian immigrant with an eye for tobacco, a head for business, that was also an adept negotiator. These qualities were what gave birth to an American Icon, El Producto Cigars.

G.H.P. Co. was one of the leading cigar producers in the U.S. When these were manufactured, they were rolled by hand. This band survives even now, albeit a mere shadow of its former self. But definitely a testament to the passion that went into the development of this band, as well as a great American story.

On to the review-
El Producto- Bouquet .10c size Circa 1926
Vitola-Perfecto 4 1/2 X 42
Wrapper-Conneticut Shade
Binder-Puerto Rican
Filler-Puerto Rican and Cuban Long fillers.






The packaging is quite nice. Still in amazing condition for it's age. The 1926 tax stamp is still intact. I am a little nervouse about opening these. There is an interesting aroma of musk, earth and tobacco.



And for the first time in 82 years this cigar is free from its cello. The band is breathtaking and spectacular. It looks as though it was printed only yesterday.



Construction-The box press makes for a very nice presentation. The wrapper is obviously old. I found some bloom left on one side. The cigar is light, yet very firm and well made. It's bouquet makes my hands shake. It is as though I am about to step through the mirror!

With a nervous hand clip of it's cap my Xikar yeilds an effortless draw. A grassy, musty flavor is present.

A special cigar such as this required a special light. Santa brought me an S.T. Dupont Ligne 1 for Christmas this year. Apparently I've been a very good boy this year!

I fire the Dupont, I am nervous I must say. The cigar accepts the flame readily, and thus accepts it's terminal fate.



Within the first inch I am greeted with an instant intense spiciness. I find this to be quite surprising, as this is, after all, an 82 year old cigar. Shortly after the spicy blast is a silky smoothness with a slightly sweet note. Oh my God this is so smooth! Fraught with complexity, I am blown away! Ash is a medium gray, tightly formed, releases readily from the body when requested.



Moving into the second third the spice is returning, it is something of a dried red pepper flake spice, not overbearing though, very pleasant. There are amazing volumes of thick gray smoke. I am surprised by this considering the small RG. The aroma is of leather and cream with a slight grassy note. Burn is precise, surprisingly so.

It is truly amazing how the smoke develops on the pallete. I can't remember this ever happening in 15 years of enjoying cigars. It starts out very smooth and slightly sweet, suddenly there is a gradual transition to a marvelous spice and earth flavor.



Final Third and Finish-Infintiely complex with an emphasis of spice and a hint of mint. I can't even begin to accurately describe the aroma now. Suffice it to say, it is amazing.



Overall Impressions-With an odd sense of loss, regret and yet exhilaration, I come to the end of this journey. Grateful for the experience, yet fully aware that this is now gone forever. It was as if visited by a the vapor of a long lost friend, and they had to return back to the past. It was a journey through the windows of time, and for 40 minutes it was December 25th. 1926, and I was there!

[acarr]

Nice thanks for the review. There aren't too many reviews on cigars this old. Where can I get one?

Originally Posted by acarr

Nice thanks for the review. There aren't too many reviews on cigars this old. Where can I get one?

Unfortunately smokes such as these are incredibly rare and hard to acquire. Mostly they are discovered in Estate sales. I haven't found an outlet that offers them to the public.

[SmokinApe]

Very nice!

[fsjonsey]

Originally Posted by PaleRider

Unfortunately smokes such as these are incredibly rare and hard to acquire. Mostly they are discovered in Estate sales. I haven't found an outlet that offers them to the public.

Check out the Gotham Cigar Museum. They sell rare estate cigars and clear Havanas.
Http://Gotham-cigar-museum.com/

[atlharp]

I had a Havana Clear that was gifted to me in the past month or two by NCRADIOMAN. An absolutely smooth and enjoyable cigar. If you get the chance to smoke one of these, DO IT! I did mine on the way to an IDPA match and it was a memorable event.

ATL

[lenguamor]

Just had one of these from my own stash.





The tax stamp is Act of 1926, with the Series also from 1926. As I learn more about tobacco tax stamps of the 19th-20th centuries I realize that the date on this stamp was used through 1931; so it could have been manufactured and packaged between '26 and '31. I lean toward thinking that they are pre-depression, since I read somewhere that El Producto lowered their prices after the crash.

It's interesting to note that this was George Burns' favorite cigar, and that he might have been carrying a fiver just like this one during that time.

This wasn't pre-punched, so I nipped the least I could off the old head. Don't let anyone tell you that a Palio is an indulgence; the certainty that the cut will be clean and sharp becomes so important when clipping a stick like this one.

Pre-light, there isn't much aroma at all; age has muted what began as a mild cigar.

The first few draws don't reveal much either; papery essences and no shortage of bitterness. After a few purges and as the burn line rounds the narrow foot, I finally start to get what was meant to be; floral aroma, somewhat vegetal, the bitterness still in the background but, thankfully, diminished.

Past the first inch, more floral aroma; the bitterness is gone, and the pepper that the OP noted comes in, along with a creamy mouth feel to the smoke. Through the nose, an impressive amount of the same pepper and cream, along with the floral notes.

The intensity increases past the halfway point; what's amazing about this is that while age managed to mute this cigar on the outside, inside it is a delightfully pleasant smoke, and it's giving its all right now.

What's even more amazing is that these fivers probably sat in someone's attic or, at best, his desk for decades without regard to every storage convention we hold sacred, and yet here they are...a bit worse for wear outside, but still intact in every way.

Construction? We should all hold up this well when we're around 80...




All in all, a wonderful, humbling experience.

[kelmac07]

Very cool...thanks for sharing Nate & Joe.

[Scottw]

I smoked one of these this past year on my birthday (actually gifted by Nate). It was a great experience and a pretty good smoke.

[Remo]

That is very cool Thanks guys!

[billybarue]

Puerto Rican Tobacco?

Does PR put out any tobacco of quality today? Historically did they?

[lenguamor]

Originally Posted by billybarue

Puerto Rican Tobacco?

Does PR put out any tobacco of quality today? Historically did they?

That's a great question.

Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti/DR), and Puerto Rico are all part of the same volcanic island chain; technically, they should all have similar soil, and certainly Cuban tobacco seed has made its way around the world more than once.

Yet Haiti doesn't produce any fine tobacco that I know of; The DR does, but while it is superlative and I am a big fan, it doesn't measure up to Cuba's best. So why not PR?