There is something about the Partagas Serie D No. 4 that has the power to take me back to the first time I ever had one. As I light this up and take the first few puffs, I can almost feel the sun in my face and the warm breeze of that early summer day, sitting across the lake at the Bois de Boulonge Park in Paris. It’s just a kind of memorial of my early cigar smoking days and, therefore, a favorite cigar of mine.

What can I say? I just love this cigar. Though to the sight, with its rough rustic construction and slightly toothy and freckled wrapper, it may not be the most beautiful cigar, don’t be fooled; the beauty of this stick truly lies within.

The pre-light aromas are subdued. I’ve never had one that exhibited a lot of complex aromas on the nose before lighting up, yet the aroma that is present, I can only describe as solid. It’s almost as if it didn’t want to flirt much, preferring hold back until it can begin a full fledged seduction. Go ahead and taste the wrapper. The classic white peppery taste is a Cuban trademark.

A quick clip and a light really begin the experience. An aroma of wet earth, leather, and peppers hits the air. The draw started a bit tighter than I like on this one, but it soon became spot on. The solid ash burned relatively even. I let the ash build up to past the half way mark before tapping it into the tray in the form of a solid perfectly shaped pellet.

The smoke was a delightful right from the start: leather and earth took center stage for a while, together with some grassy notes that I can only describe as resembling that of red bell peppers. It soon began to give off notes of roasted almonds with a graphite twang that I find very interesting and unique. Later, in the last third the leather came on stronger with equal notes of good espresso, while still laced with the awesome white pepper notes which also accompany the beautiful cedar finish.

This is a cigar that never gets cumbersome on me. It has a solid body and dark notes all the way but, unlike other similarly bodied cigars, it never gets bitter or harsh. I enjoy taking this right to the nub. I didn’t rush this one; taking about an hour and a half to finish.