Bolivar Petit Corona Prelight
Bolivar is a Cuban Marca founded in 1902 by José F. Rocha. The brand was made to honor Simón BolÃvar, the great leader of South American independence, and the former president of Columbia, Peru, and Bolivia. Bolivar is regarded as the most full flavored profiles in the Cuban portfolio. The Belicosos Finos, Petit Corona, Royal Corona, and Corona Junior are favorites among seasoned Cuban cigar fans.
The Bolivar Petit Corona is a pre 1960s blend. The Marevas vitola was once a much more popular shape, but still has claim to some very well known cigars. The Montecristo No. 4, Sancho Panza Non Plus, Por Larrañaga Petit Corona, and Partagas Capitols just to name a few. Today the Petit Corona is one of only five regular production Bolivar cigars.
This particular example was sourced from a UBL Feb ’23 box. So it has 16 months of rest before being smoked today. This cigar was also dry boxed for 24 hours. The milk chocolatey wrapper is very smooth and has a good oily sheen. There are aromas of whole wheat bread, and cinnamon on the foot. A punch cut shows a slightly snug draw, with notes of yeast and oak.
Bolivar Petit Corona First Third
Starting off strong with some thick smoke texture, and the output is already excellent. Notes of stout, and some bright baking spices are noticed immediately. I’m picking up on notes of cocoa powder, cereals, and a touch of cedar on the palate. The retrohale is showing cinnamon, clove, and dark roast coffee. The overall profile here is reminding me a lot of cocoa puffs. It’s toasty, sweet, and has a touch of the baking spices. The chocolate is getting richer as we progress into the smoke. There’s also some vanilla sweetness that’s building in the profile. The ash is a bit flaky, but construction and burn are top notch. There’s a medium finish of cedar and cocoa.
Bolivar Petit Corona Second Third
The second third is pretty linear but there’s a bit more sweetness and richness. The chocolate and vanilla are playing really nicely with the woody and spicy tones. Rich dark chocolate, cereals, and cedar on the palate. Malted milk, vanilla, stout, and a touch of baking spices on the retrohale. Awesome smoke texture, and output. Construction, and burn are near perfect. Medium finish of cocoa, vanilla, and cedar.
Bolivar Petit Corona Final Third
Flavors are still progressing really nicely. Rich dark chocolate, toasted barley, and cedar on the palate. The retrohale is showing malted milk, vanilla cream, stout, baking spices, and a touch of leather. This short stick is finishing really strong. Past the band the flavors are leaning more towards the wood and vanilla tones. The burn line got a bit wavy in the final third, but construction was great all things considered. I smoked this one down to the nub.
Bolivar Petit Corona Conclusions
The Bolivar Petit Corona is one of those cigars that I come back to often. I find this is one of the better Cubans to recommend to someone who prefers full flavored Nicaraguan, or Honduran blends. The richness of flavor, the malted milk, and stout tones make this one of the more unique blends in the Cuban portfolio. The smaller form factor also makes it really easy to enjoy when the weather is challenging. The Bolivar Petit Corona works just as well with a coffee in the morning as it does with a Guinness in the evening. While the Por Larrañaga Petit Corona, and the Montecristo No. 4 have their die hard fans, I actually much prefer these, and they don’t need years of age to be enjoyable. At $13-$15 USD these are far from a bargain, but decently priced by Cuban standards. The Bolivar Petit Corona is not a mind blowing blend, but it’s reliable, unique, and a cigar that I hope to always have on hand.
