Between the summers of 2022 and 2024, while I was taking a break from writing about cigars, I ended up missing out on trying a bunch of new stuff, too. Did I totally miss this Sancho Panza TAA release that came out in 2023? I honestly can’t be sure, although if I did have it, it didn’t make a big impression on me. I picked one up at a recent General Cigar event at my favorite TAA-affiliated store, Burns Tobacconist, in Chattanooga, TN.
The Sancho Panza TAA 2023 uses Nicaraguan fillers from Condega, Esteli, and Jalapa, a Nicaraguan Jalapa binder, and a wrapper leaf from the Jamastran region of Honduras. That wrapper had a musty earthy aroma, along with some natural tobacco notes, whereas the foot of the cigar had richer notes of chocolate, coffee bean, and cedar. The cold draw had semi-sweet chocolate and earth.
Upon lighting, I didn’t get the same rich notes that the prelight draw and aroma from the foot had indicated. It definitely seemed to take more from the wrapper…not a surprise…but that wasn’t a really great thing. It was a subdued earthiness, almost a muddiness, with a little mustiness, overlaying slight chocolate and coffee bean flavors. That subdued or “buried” note was something I remember from a lot of Honduran cigars at one point…and something I never really enjoyed.
As it went along, the flavors emerged a bit further…stronger coffee bean and earth notes, along with a peppery edge. I poured some Tumblin’ Dice Single Barrel to go with it (review to come) and the bourbon definitely outshined the cigar in this instance. This TAA release honestly disappointed me a bit…it wasn’t as good as any of the regular releases from Sancho Panza for me and I wouldn’t end up buying it again.
