CRT/Habana Port Cigar Review #2 - Paul Garmirian Symphony 20 Connoisseur

Saludos,

Greetings, aficionado de la hoja! Our second CRT/Habana Port cigar review features a highly limited cigar: Paul Garmirian Symphony 20 Connoisseur. Paul Garmirian is an interesting cigar man and has a long history. Not as well known as other cigars, PG cigars appeared in 1990. He can be credited with introducing the boutique/small batch cigar concept before anyone else. His philosophy includes distributing his cigars through brick-and-mortar cigar shops only. His cigars are made at Tabadom (the maker of Davidoff, AVO and The Griffins) thus ensuring consistency and high quality every time one lights up a PG.

The story regarding the Symphony line is as follows:

The official release of the Symphony 20 is 40,000 cigars in 2000 flat, cedar boxes of 20. 15,000 cigars were released with no boxes to the top PG Authorized Dealers in November 2009. On the last day before the Virginia Restuarant [sic] Smoking Ban, the Symphony 20 was launched at Morton's Steakhouse in Reston, Virginia. The name Symphony 20 came from an article that compared the process of experimenting, blending and manufacturing PG Cigars, to composing a complex symphony. It celebrates 20 years for PG, from 1990 to 2010.

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Our 2 CRT judges review the cigar:

Date & Time Smoked: 12/1/2010 - 5:15 PM

Brand: Paul Garmirian

Line: Symphony 20

Vitola: Connoisseur

Manufacturer: Tabadom Holdings, Inc.

Distributor: McLean Cigars PG Boutique

Length: 6 inches

Ring Gauge: 52

Common Shape: Toro (Parejo)

Origin of Production: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Ecuador Hybrid Cuban Seed

Binder: Dominican Republic Havana Seed

Filler: Dominican Republic & Honduras

Taste Profile (CRT#1764):

Initial Light - Good draw, spicy, notes of leather, initial Dominican flavor (he actually said it tastes like a Davidoff/AVO before he knew this cigar was made at the factory).

1st Half - good draw; smooth; lots of flavors, leather, earth, coffee notes.

2nd Half - still good draw; leather and earth flavors. Gray/black ash.

Final Comments - Good construction, lots of flavor from the beginning to 3/4 of the cigar. Medium-bodied. Buy.

Strength: Medium

Taste Profile (CRT#1798):

Initial Light - woody and deep earth; peppery with a heavy strength.

1st Half - wood and rich earth dominate; full-bodied at a medium-strong strength; solid construction; gray-white ash; a thick wrapper leaf.

2nd half - wood and earth deepen with more mineral notes appearing.

Final Comments - A lot of flavor come with this cigar; very consistent throughout with wood and earth dominating. A thick, oily wrapper and great construction are found with this cigar.

Strength: Medium-Strong

Until the next post, siempre fumando,

Habana Port