Bolivar Gold Medal - TKO

Time to celebrate my baby boy's first blood nose, displaced front tooth, and swollen upper lip. Enough blood to get the ref to stop the fight and declare a TKO. No it wasn't me... he tripped and hit the concrete floor head first at Mitre 10 Mega whilst clutching a rock in his hands. Cunning plan to get dad to shell out for a $6 cuddly tiger.

Fat lip, bloody t-shirt, Van Damme victimised look

Anyways, i light it up in time to watch the first exchanges of a Crusaders - Waratahs game in which many deaths from many disasters are being avenged. My condolences to the 'Tahs. This dark, thick, oily wrappered Gold Medal gets straight into its stride with screeds of honey, cinnamon, and light earth. There is a touch of light peachiness. Smooth, smooth, smooth, with perhaps just a hint of capsicum round the edges. The slight earthiness is the only Bolivar hallmark present. Very much on the light side of medium body. I was expecting much heavier. There is no spice at all, even on the retrohale.

It quickly gets peachier and peachier... almost as peachy as Fruean's 360 pirouette intercept try. The honey sweet stonefruit reminds me of a Ramon Allones but approaches peach schnapps intensity. My only complaint is that there is not much depth, richness, or complexity of flavour. All the hallmarks of a young cigar. You can suck on it with the same greed as an all blacks prop eyeing up Al Baxter before scrumdown, without fear of reprisals.

The draw is almost too loose... smoke is flowing as freely as a Carter SBW Fruean backline. The wrapper leaf is doing a lot of the work flavourwise. I'm not sure if the blend has the required richness to grow with age... maybe. Capsicum and wood come in a bit in the last third, by which point it's almost a welcome relief.

Overall this was a very pleasant, easygoing, enjoyable cigar, that keeps on giving. Did I mention the peach? Remarkably smooth, without any great depth or intrigue. Early days but with uncertain potential I would smoke them now. No drinks required, but if you do indulge, it might pay to make it crisp to offset the sweetness (e.g. champagne or martini).