Cigar Weekly

Published Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
Compiled by Doug McGuire (Mad Dawg)

 

The cigars for our blind review were graciously provided by Abe Flores, President of Operations, Pinar Del Río Cigar Company. Mr. Flores describes the Habano Sun Grown line as follows:

Pinar Del Río Habano Sun-Grown showcases a rich Habano wrapper that laces the palate with rich flavor. The wrapper is a reminder of the great wrappers grown in Pinar Del Río, Cuba ; wrappers that are deep red-brown in tone with a silky texture. Upholding the purist philosophy of cigar-blending, the artisans of Leoncio have crafted a smoke that is very clean and refined, unlike many blends today, all without sacrificing flavor. The medium-to-strong combination of tabaco leaves from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic entrance the smoker with notes of chocolate and earth. For a reminder of the 19th century in Cuba , enjoy Pinar Del Río Habano Sun-Grown.

Pre-Smoke Comments

Fishin' Phil: Beautiful looking Toro. Slightly uneven burn was my only complaint on the construction.

flipflop: Very firm with some large veins running vertically. Nice smooth cap. Firm but not too hard bunch. Overall, well constructed.

TommyBB: Both samples smelled quite pleasant, with a sweet tinge to it. The bunch was typical. Both cigars were rather difficult to light. I smoked them on consecutive nights; the first one I attributed to my smallish Xikar lighter which was nearly skosh fuel. But the second, I lit with my completely full, Lotus triple jet torch, which could double as a welding lead. The light was no better, and I really had to work at it to light.

ronin: My sample was veiny with a rough looking cap. The bunch was firm and once clipped displayed a perfect draw. This was surprising, considering how firm the cigar felt. Pre lit had a very nice aroma.

SLR: Wrapper is a nice looking brown color with thin veins, nice cap, firm feel, and perfect draw.  There is something inviting about the look of this cigar.  I can't wait to fire it up.

Elk Twin: The first review stick of 2009 was a large toro, medium dark brown in color with darker, mottled shadows in the background.  Pretty, shiny wrapper with medium sized veins that seemed right at home on the stick. A couple of small spots, water and other, added character to the cigar.  Nice, spicy pre-light aroma that tickled the nostrils.  Very solid to the touch with a good pre-light draw. Pre-light flavor was mild and tasted of burlap.

Augie754: This toro's appearance is what you'd expect from a good cigar. However, it wasn't perfect and I wouldn't put it in a super premium category. The shape was solid and firm, but did have a few lumps. The wrapper had leathery finish with a touch of oil. It had a couple medium sized veins and some slight discoloration of the dark brown hue. The burn was a little erratic, at times it would burn straight, but most of the time it had some kind of angle to it. Even so, it always corrected itself and I never had to touch up. I assume it corrected itself because the draw was nearly perfect throughout, just enough resistance with a large volume of smoke.

Smoke Comments

Fishin' Phil: Primarily woody flavors with a little spice in the background.

flipflop: Not a bad smoke, but not a great one either. I expected more based on its fine construction. I was surprised with the uneven burn in the first third which included a runner almost from the beginning. The second cigar didn't have the runner but was a similar, uneven burn. It was rather one-dimensional with a bit more flavor in the second half. I kept hoping for it to get better. It did, but not by much. Second half better than the first. While it generated a lot of smoke, it didn't have the aroma I expected.  More body would have been appreciated. An average to slightly above average cigar IMHO.

TommyBB: The sweetness exhibited when I first removed the cellophane sleeve evidenced itself in the smoke as well. The tendency of this cigar to go out, even right after drawing was quite disconcerting. The flavor, too, was inconsistent. One draw, it had a mild, enjoyable flavor with the aforementioned sweetness. On the subsequent draw, it would have a metallic, kind of "washed out" taste followed by a needed relight.

ronin: Upon lighting, the wrapper began to split and continued for about one quarter of the cigar. An annoyance, but nothing that really took away from the smoke. It is a medium strength and bodied cigar. I did not detect any real sweetness but a very earthy tasting cigar. During the smoke, it never turned bitter or sharp.

SLR: This cigar started off very aggressive with a bitter aftertaste, with a pronounced burning in the palate.  But after the first half inch, it smoothed out very nicely.  Flavors are very earthy, with some bitterness on the finish, and this vegetal characteristic in the flavor profile.  It has a strong and long finish.  The girth and perfect draw fills the palate with generous amounts of smoke.   Overall it has good flavors but this vegetal characteristic might not agree with some cigar smokers.

Elk Twin:  Toasted to life, the burn started at the center and spread to an even coal.  Milder side of medium strength and a smooth taste that had a bit of woodiness behind mild tobacco.  The room aroma was very nice; an alluring sweet and spicy scent.  An incha nd a half in and the burn had become awkward. A long unburned strip trailed down the middle of the flaky, striped ash.  The flavor had increased in intensity and is a nice fruity blend that finished with a tangy, lingering spice.  At around the halfway mark I began to experience an offensive sourness which intensified for the next inch or so.  The cigar also became stingy with its smoke.  Another half inch and the the sour flavor had mostly burned away an the smoke began to flow freely again.  In the final 2 inches the burn got all shady again and the struggle was too much to bear.

Summary Comments

flipflop: See Smoke Comments.

TommyBB: Both samples were really pretty, with a nice capa and sweet aroma. Trouble lighting and keeping the cigar lit took away from the overall experience. Pronounced variations in the flavor as I smoked it did not help this cigar, either. The inconsistencies were pronounced. It's one thing for a cigars flavor to develop and change over the length of the cigar. This was a toro so it had ample space and time for that. But each draw yielded a radically different flavor-one pleasant, then the next not so much. When it was good, it was quite enjoyable

ronin: Overall a very good cigar. Nice earthy taste with a touch of leather. The splitting wrapper as I said was an annoyance and did cause me to touch up the burn at least twice. I would base this as a good all day smoke.

SLR: This cigar has a great look to it.  The wrapper is rich looking, and the draw is perfect.  Construction is top notch.  Flavors are rather aggressive, but the vegetal characteristic might not agree with some folks.  Overall a good cigar.

Elk Twin:  The flavor of this cigar was dark and rich, at least until it went south; however, the problems with burn and sourness reduced my enjoyment of these otherwise good cigars considerably.  No offense, but more careful attention to quality would undoubtedly help these.

Augie754: This was one of the best cigars I've had in a blind review. Hopefully the price point is good, because I'd like to have quite a few more of these. With the full flavors I love to have these sit for a couple years, these could get even better.

Scores

Review Results

Final Score: 34.5 out of 50 - 3 1/2 Stars - Above Average

I had nothing but good experiences with the examples of this cigar that I smoked. I found them to be solidly medium-bodied, smooth, and pleasant, but I was particularly intrigued by the finish. While I found the flavors to be consistent (i.e., not overly complex) while smoking, the finish was very long, very pleasant, and changed frequently. That was a pretty unique cigar experience for me.

The Pinar Del Río Habano Sun Grown line comes in four sizes:

Robusto (5x50)

Toro (6x60)

Torpedo (6.5x52)

Lancero (7.25x38)

Churchill (7x50)

Box prices range from $130 to $150. A list of retailers can be found at: http://www.pdrcigar.com/retailers.html

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