While new and exciting premium brands have hit the cigar-smoking stage in the past two decades, the older and more established producers remained relevant. Their traditional high quality standards still delight the classicist and provide benchmarks for educating the palates of the novice. This education would be incomplete without an introduction to Bolivars.
The Bolivar enterprise was born in Cuba in 1901, an auspicious beginning. Memories of Simon Bolivar, the liberator of a large piece of Central and South America, were still very much present in the mind of the public. As a symbol of strength, he was a very apt namesake for a strong but smooth cigar. With an eye to the future, famed cigar maker Ramon Cifuentes established a facility in the Dominican Republic in 1950. His partnership with General Cigar created a new entity, General Cigar Dominicana, a relationship that ensured the continuing success of Bolivar cigars.
Present-day cigar aficionados can still enjoy the traditional premium quality of the Bolivar. This cigar has always been known for its robust but smooth Cuban flavor and its present iteration preserves this quality. As expected, Bolivar cigars are still hand rolled in the Dominican Republic using a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos in the filler. A Connecticut medio tiempo binds these together, and with an inspired finishing flourish, the ingredients are presented in a Honduran San Augustine liguero wrapper. The result is as magnificent today as it was in 1950.
Widely experienced connoisseurs will appreciate the full flavor reminiscent of the Bolivar’s Cuban heritage. There are notes of coffee combined with a subtle sweetness that novices may miss. With some guidance from a well-seasoned cigar smoker, a motivated neophyte with some exposure to premium cigars may identify the finer points of this cigar. However, a fine Bolivar is best enjoyed in solitary splendor.
With this kind of quality pedigree, you might expect to pay a higher price for Bolivars. You won’t have to. Bolivar cigars remain a very reasonable $6 or $7 per smoke. A magnificent 6.0 X 52 Toro is an affordable luxury that takes a long time to smoke, so sit back, light a Bolivar, and celebrate your savvy-money and fine-cigar sense.
