Bolívar Petit Libertador - Cuban Cigar Review
The 2008 Regional Edition for France is a short, little Cigar that is mild in body but full of flavour. Four years of ageing has turned this Cigar into a mix of sweet and sour cherry.
Published: 13 May 2012Written: Stephen Griffiths
Petit Libertador
The Bolivar Petit Libertador is one of the best French Regional Editions from the last few years. Noted for it's Bolivar-esque flavours, the Petit Libertador is a sort after short Cigar.
| Factory Name: | Petit Robustos | Ring Gauge: | 50 | Length (mm): | 102mm |
|---|
| Packaging Type | Launch Year | Number Produced | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dress Box of 25 | 2008 | 3000 | |
| Dress Box of 10 | 2008 | 2800 |
A few months ago I was gifted a few Cigars from a good friend of mine. Amongst these Cigars was the Bolívar Petit Libertador, the 2008 Regional Edition for France. This Cigar you could say is a follow up of another French Regional Edition, the Libertadores. This Sublime sized Cigar, measuring in at 164mm and with a ring gauge of 54, was a behemoth of a Cigar. The Petit Libertador is the Libertadores smaller brother. A Petit Robusto in size, which is 102mm in length and 50 ring gauge. So if you have a Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robusto, then yes, they're the same sized Cigar.
Smoking this Bolívar Petit Libertador, I loved the sweet and sour notes of the Cigar. There was a deep cherry that was deepened with this sour note that was just mind blowing! Along with the sweetness, there was plenty of cream, woody tones that were just balancing out the Cigar perfectly.
The Bolívar Petit Libertador smoked perfectly throughout the full forty minutes. With it's perfect draw, the burn never faltered. Into the final third, the Cigar didn't burn as hot as I'd expect for such a small Cigar. The Bolívar Petit Libertador was a master class of the small Cigar.
If you can still find boxes or singles of the Bolívar Petit Libertador then I'd suggest you pick them up. I'm expecting the prices of a 2008 Regional Edition to be now in the vintage Cigar market range so therefore you may find them a little too expensive. The Hoyo de Monterrey Petit Robusto for instance, is smoking perfectly at the moment and you would be hard pressed to buy an alternative short smoke if you are loving those Cigars at the moment. Maybe the Bolívar Petit Libertador would be a good change of pace Cigar for you if that's the case.
The other question you have to ask yourself is this Cigar Bolívar-esque in flavour. I would say the answer to that question is no. If you did buy this Cigar because of the Bolívar brand then you may be a little disappointed. I kind of think that the blend of the Petit Libertador would fit the Romeo y Julieta marquee better. However, Habanos don't let distributors use Romeo y Julieta for Regional Editions. So, we have the Bolívar. Like I mentioned in the video, ignore the band and just smoke the Cigar for the Cigar's sake.
I was very impressed with the Bolívar Petit Libertador. With four years of age the Cigar had developed beautifully. Because I haven't smoked this Cigar before, I cannot tell how the Bolívar Petit Libertador would have smoked with only one or two years of age on it. However, if you have a box hiding at the bottom of your humidor, then I would say that these are ready to smoke now.
