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| VINTAGE CIGAR REVIEWS MAY 2010 - REVIEWED BY JOE OF BOTL I recently scored some of these & decided to do a quick review on one.
As with most clear havanas the cello is bright yellow & the band is on the outside of the cello. The sweet smell of perfectly aged tobacco rose up as I unwrap it. The sick has a slight box press & is a little rough in appearance. The clip & predraw tasted of sweet grass. I can't wait to burn this!
The first third was all sweet. Lots of honey & at times a hint of vanilla. The sweet grass was there, but faint. The ash held on but pieces flaked of the sides. I'm loving this cigar!
The second third the vanilla picked up a tiny bit. Still lots of honey & great big clouds of creamy smoke. I got a couple tiny tastes of light spice. The burn has stayed razor sharp even in the wind. The ash held fast for about an inch then dropped off.
The last third & I'm really sad to see this smoke winding down. It's so creamy & sweet. Like having a piece of candy in your mouth while smoking a cigar. The honey & vanilla are equal tastes now & there is no more sweet grass. Good & perfect until the last puff.
This was by far the best clear havana I've ever smoked. It blew all others out of the water. I'd give it a 10/10! 
 _________________ If you would like to submit your review please use the contact us page of this website. December 4, 2007 - Florida - Belinda Empires These last few days it's been cool weather here in Florida, the nights are clear and the stars are numerous.
It was a night like this that I had the Belinda empires.........
Here are my notes....the cellophane had a good color not too yellow, nice tight seal.....upon opening the cello the cigar was
perfectly box pressed and had a olive green silky wrapper, so far the construction and appearance are flawless.
The pre light draw was pleasant, upon lighting I noted that the draw was perfect and the first couple of puffs drew lots of smoke
with a light herbal flavor, very refined, clearly a pre-embargo that has aged well.
The first third was filled with subtle flavors, light flavors danced around in my mouth and when I wanted to taste them they
were gone...........the second third gave way to more rounded subtle flavors, the cigar started to blend beautifully, mint one
puff and honey another with a beautiful flowery core, now I am enjoying this marvelous cigar as the flavors dance in and out
of my mouth, my mind wanders.........I am now back in the days of the Aristotle Onassis and I am on his yacht, I know he liked
cigarettes but I convince him to try this cigar and he holds it in his hand and smokes it enjoying it's aristocratic feel, silky wrapper and
wonderful vintage taste.
If I were A.O. I would have had these cigars on hand for a great after breakfast or lunch
smoke....now, I remember this Belinda is called "empires" very aristocratic indeed!
During the last third the core becomes somewhat peppery with the flavors present in the second third still there... now I clearly
taste mint...suddenly it's over, the cigar is finished but the aroma is all around me, my hair, hat and clothes are saturated with that
very aromatic cigar, Belinda, a cigar to remember, the cigar of the dancing flavors!
August 13, 2007 - Maryland - Harvester Perfecto Circa 1950 The appearance was very pleasing to the eye as you can see.
Construction on this was excellent, there was no detectable cracks and it felt
great in the hand with just the right amount of give.Supple and very well cared
for IMO.
Draw and burn were both flawless...
As far as flavors,I'm glad I have 3 more.There is a distinct aroma and taste
that I or some more experienced smokers in attendance could not pinpoint. 
I liked the taste whatever it was, a very fresh tasting cigar for it's age.
The finish didn't linger and the aftertaste was very clean and dare I say again, fresh.
I enjoyed the cigar to the very end where I got a mint/menthol taste on my
tongue.
I can see where they would have been staple in their heyday and I'm grateful
to have had the chance to share this bit of history...
July 23, 2007 - Athens Greece - Webster Goden Wedding Cigars Circa 1940's I smoked yesterday my first Webster Golden Wedding circa 1946 from
the box you sent me.
Here are my tasting notes:
From the moment I opened the box an amazing and very powerful smell
came out. Cinnamon, honey, sugar cane, cedar and many other smells I
could not
identified. The flavors were melted together (as often in vintage
cigars) with an overall impression of a very "old" and "sweet" feeling.
The aroma was so strong that my walk in humi smelled for days. It
faded away when I put the box in a ziploc bag.
I decided to try the first one after a week on a separate humi with
70% RH.
The cello was yellow and the capa was very smooth and without veins.
Perfect construction for this corona sized/perfecto shaped cigar!
The draw was easy (to easy for my taste!) and the smell still
wonderful at pre-light.
From the first puff it was "what you smell is what you get": Melted
powerful flavors of cinnamon, honey sweetness, sugar cane and even
butterscotch!
The cigar was mild, the flavors became little by little more delicate
and complex with hints of cedar wood and cocoa.
It increased in strength and the last third was so powerful that I
was shocked! A cigar older than me and at the same time so fresh,
like it just came from the factory!
The end was impressive, I literally burned my fingers.
Excellent balance, long and staying aftertaste, great white ash and
good burn with some catch ups.
Great cigar, thank you Nick and Kim! July 18, 2007 La Prosa 1940's - PA Hi Nick,
Just a quick note.
Received the La Prosa cigars today and all I can say is do you have any more!
This was one of the better smokes that I have had in a long time.
Now, usually my choice of smokes are Fuente Don Carlos Double Robusto, Hemingway’s, any aged Opus and aged Cubans, my favorite Cubans being Partagas Lucy’s and Boli’s.
This cigar is pretty mild (did get fuller bodied about the half way point) but sure stacked up to these!
I could not believe the flavors that this cigar still had, it was sooo good. Your review was spot on!! - July 10, 2007 Athens, Greece - -Robert Burns Panatela 1944 Nick asked me to post some tasting notes about the cigars you sent
me. Well, here are my first impressions:
I smoked on the weekend the R.Burns Panatela.
For the record, I must say that I smoke cigars for many years, only
Cubans and mostly vintage. I have a large stock, many old boxes and
some pre-embargo.
I rarely smoke young cigars. Only trying to find out their aging
potential. My every day smokes are 5-10 years old.
Well, the R.Burns blew my head off!
When I removed the yellowed cello (due to oxygen I suppose), an
intense flavor came out. Caramel, fermented tobacco or sweet cream?
Or the three of them! Or something that I can't define.
The smell was so powerful that I thought for a moment that it was
artificial. Anyway, I hesitate to light it because I was afraid to
loose the magic smell!
The capa was smooth, the construction and the head perfect, the draw
also.
From the first draw the cigar felt exactly the same with the pre
light aromas: Caramel, cream and chocolate! I thought, at the middle,
that it might be monotonous and one dimensioned (sorry, I can't find the right words. English
is not my mother language!) but then the cigar changed, the flavors
became more subtle and delicate, the power increased (the cigar is medium to light strength) and the
end was great! Great white ash and razor burn!
The balance was very good and the aftertaste was long and incredible!
It was there even after I brushed my teeth!!
I usually smoke more cigars in the evening, but I hesitate because I
didn't want to lose the feeling!
This Panatela remind me vaguely of some Diplomatic Lanceros that I
smoked some years ago! Great cigars!!
Thanks again! June 17, 2007 -- Robert Burns Panatela 1944 I just finished the Robt Burns Panatella and it was fabulous! So balanced, huge flavor and medium body, light strength, great construction and has a very long beautiful finish. Thanks for the opportunity to try such interesting and great cigars.
Is VCC going to be something that sticks around? If so I would like to reserve a spot for the next three months.
Thanks again Nick. June 3, 2007 -- Webster Golden Wedding 1943 I sat down with a good friend of mine that owns our best and only downtown tobacco shop The Humidor, and I smoked a Gold Label Ignacio Haya Palmas Candela, and my friend the Webster Golden Wedding. The Gold Label was a great smoke, but not near as dynamic as the Webster. My friend enjoyed the Webster completely, commenting the nostalgia that the cigar was 2 year younger than him ('45), and that it smoked better than most. I have attached a few photos. I rated the Haya a 89, my friend gave the Webster 91. 
May 18, 2007 -- Robert Burns Panatela 1944 The Review
Prelight: The cigar comes in cello with the band over the cello (not the cigar itself). I carefully removed the band from the cello and pulled the cello from the cigar. As you can see, the cello is tinted yellow/orange from age.
The aroma of the cigar was pungent...not moldy, but it had this odd odor that I couldn't describe. Maybe "fermented" is the right word? I don' know, it just smelled great!
The cigar itself is pretty well made, a nice wrapper that is a little veiney but not "toothy"...lol.
I clipped the perfecto style head and tested the draw...perfect. Time to light it up.
Now I'm not a "technical" cigar smoker, most cigars taste like tobacco to me. Over the years I've been able to train myself to detect the subtle flavors of a cigar, recently enhanced by taking up "nose smoking", something I'd never really done much before 6-8 months ago. So when I smoked this cigar I did it with the idea that I was to muster all of my (rather limited) senses and give this cigar the review it deserved.
Well, from the moment I lit this cigar the smoke was incredibly creamy and coated my tongue with what I can only describe as a deep dark cherry and chocolate taste that became more and more pronounced in the second and final thirds. By the final third, it took 2 -3 sips of my beer to cleanse the taste off of my tounge...incredible! Drawing the smoke through my nose just complimented what was happening on my taste buds.
This little cigar had so much flavor that even after finishing it and having a couple of saltine crackers and water it was still there!!
The cigar was also a bit salty which I found odd, but it only lasted a moment.
But the most odd event of the smoke was towards the end of the second third when I got a VERY pronounced taste of CELLOPHANE! It was unmistakable...for about 3 draws I was smoking cello, and just as quick as it started it was over.
As you can see from the pics...if I had a roach clip I would have used it. I burnt my fingers on the past puff and dropped it into the ash tray...sadly it was over.
But... I have another one!
I'd like to thank Nick from Gotham Cigar Museum for this incredible pleasure.
May 13, 2007-- JOSA GARCIA TIN 1948
May 7, 2007 Winnie Winkle! Great to the last puff! very smooth draw with a slightly sweet smoke. I noted some port & sherry characteristics.
Thanks Again!
Oliver 
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