The “Reserva” concept and lineup of cigars began in 2003 with the release of the now very collectable Cohiba Reserva Seleccion box. The Bolivar featured in this article is the eighth in this series and features its popular Belicosos Finos vitola. I must admit that when I first heard that Habanos was releasing a Reserva for this size, I was a little disappointed that they hadn’t selected a more iconic or unique size. But keeping with the Reserva program, the cigar selected is from one of the top brands, and from one of the popular sizes. Nevertheless, opening one of these black lacquered boxes is always a treat, one that is rewarded with a wonderful aroma from the 20 cigars inside.
In keeping with the tradition, the cigars come in a black lacquered box, wrapped in a black velvet outer case, and all that in the black and silver lined cardboard box. The presentation is beautiful, and for the handful of boxes that I have had my hands on, the wrappers all looked oily and shiny, and all smelled fantastic. Points for consistency.
The Belicosos Finos cigars hit the shelves in early 2021.
ABOUT THE CIGAR – Bolivar Belicosos Finos Reserva Cosecha 2016
BOX DATE: 2020
SIZE: 52 x 5.5 inches.
FACTORY NAME: Campanas
PRODUCTION SIZE: 5000 boxes each with 20 cigars.
I have included this list in a previous article, but for those who missed it, here is a complete list of all the Reserva releases to date. (Cosecha = Harvest)
2003 – COHIBA – Reserva Seleccion.
2005 – PARTAGAS – Serie D No. 4 – Reserva Cosecha 2000 – Robusto – 50 x 4 7/8
2007 – MONTECRISTO – No. 4 – Reserva Cosecha 2002 – Petit Corona – 42 x 5 1/8
2012 – ROMEO Y JULIETA – Churchill – Reserva Cosecha 2008 – Churchill – 47 x 7
2014 – H. UPMANN – Upmann No. 2 – Reserva Cosecha 2010 – Pyramide – 52 x 6 1/8
2016 – HOYO DE MONTERREY – Epicure No. 2 – Reserva Cosecha 2010 – Robusto – 50 x 4 7/8
2018 – COHIBA – Robusto Reserva – Cosecha 2014 – Robusto – 50 x 4 7/8
2020 – Bolivar – Belicosos Finos – Reserva Cosecha 2016 – Belicosos – 52 x 5 ½
Here are my thoughts on the cigar.
1st Part
There is a lot of spicey-ness and pepper from the first few puffs. The Belicosos Finos evolves quickly and shows a little sweetness. It is surely milder than a Bolivar is meant to be.
2nd Part
The second part is milder than the first. The pepper and spice are gone and the sweetness has taken over. An interesting and unexpected development.
3rd Part
After a little roller coaster of flavors, we are back to the first part and the spices are now in total control of the flavor spectrum. As a whole, I would say the cigar is medium to full, however the end is certainly full bodied.
SUMMARY
Overall, the cigar was very enjoyable, with the first two thirds leading the way. What was missing will only come in time. The tobacco used for this cigar has been aged 3 years, however, this size cigar really starts to develop its roundness and smoothness after close to ten years or so. Add to the fact that a Bolivar is more full bodied, the age will create wonders for this. I am confident that after 5 to 10 years, the flavors will be more balanced. After 15 years plus, this can be a wonderful experience as the strength, the different tastes will merge into one and a half hours of pure joy.
So the verdict is, if you have only limited quantities of these, you might want to hang on to them for a few more years. For those that have the privilege of having several in their humidors, trying one every 6 months or so and see how they develop and age can be an interesting experiment.
