Kristoff Criollo Matador
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It smells like a room that has ten men in it and they are all playing poker and smoking a cigar, that smell that hits you in the face when you walk in the door, it has that classic taste and smell reminiscent of a smell of a good mellow Cuban, it reminds me of a couple of cubans that I have had very leathery, even the prelite smell, the cigar has a pigtail and a shaggy foot to it, the band has a cloth like texture to it, matches the cigar well just a beautiful brown wrapper, beautiful creamy velvety smoke. and lots of it. Definitely medium to full body, this smoke tastes like a baseball glove smells, the tobacco is wonderful. For sure it is leather nuts tobacco positively. Smooth to be so stout. Oh yeah definitely acidic. Nice large size too it is called the matador. i have tried other sizes this is the best. MMMMM this is almonds, this is toasted almonds and leather. The nose exhale reveals the acidity to me, leaving a oily film in my mouth that tastes good with my coffee. This oily film was present with the POR Larranga that I smoked that was gifted to me by a new friend.
The ash is beautiful, I am having touch up issues though and have had this issue with these cigars before, the draw is really good, touch up in the first third. Tobacco flavor is really coming out about an inch into it, and the ash is gorgeous. wow that oily film tastes good, the wrapper is oily too. End of the first third has mellowed out a tad, and there it went the ash just fell, at an inch and a half, Oh the tobacco, tastes different now than the first third. The smoke is brown now like the color of the cigar, a ton of smoke is coming out now, it is rich full creamy more tobacco flavor and less nuts. The acidity has also lessened. The nose exhale reveals a little spice now. way less acidity in the second third. Tastes real good, and exceptional tasting cigar, and I have smoked thirty or forty of these is my cigar history now, it is a good smoke. Now the oily film in my mouth is toasty and buttery.
Getting real stout now in the second third, a real man's cigar, but still smooth enough to deliver. The leather flavor is over whelming dominant in this cigar. The nose exhale is pure tobacco at this point real smooth. However I do still taste a little almond in here, and some kind of spice I cannot put my finger on, but my mouth and nose is spicy, I am approaching the half way mark . Yep definitely got a tongue tingle now . Switched from coffee to Iced tea, at the half way mark, it is going well, this is my after breakfast cigar. My fiance fixed me eggs, bacon, fried taters, ( some of you would call these hash browns depending on what part of the country you are in)and toast. The spice is so little it is hardly detectable. Just a little tingle a good tingle in my mouth. I just cannot explain the oily feeling in my mouth and on my lips. The tobacco flavor is starting to over power the leather. Toasted almonds and tobacco coming on buttery creamy, still leathery but it has gone to the background. As usual I am probably smoking this faster than I should. Being an ex cigarette smoker now (47 days cold turkey yipee) I am smoking my pipe a lot more, and cutting down on my cigars. This is one smooth cigar, and so very rich. No more burn issues just into the first third is all, the draw remains near perfect, which I call a medium draw perfect, not to hard or soft. Tobacco and toasted almonds coming on strong in the second third the creaminess and the buttery flavor/feel remains dominant. Boy there it is again that classic smell of walking into a room filled with cigar smokers, that smell that smacks you in the face. I love the band, simple brown with darker brown print with the cloth like feel to it. It really reminds me of a couple of Cubans that I have had. My fiance says it smell buttery. Believe it or not I just got a little sweet note at the end of the second third. mmmm oily oily oily in my mouth what a great tasting smoke. straight up medium body very rich full flavor. In the third third now. Now I am forced to take the band off, I love this band. It is simple, cloth like with a little rough texture to it. Getting a tad stronger now, leaving a nice tingle in my mouth. That leather flavor is back with a vengeance. Leather and tobacco with a vengeance. the leather and tobacco is just stout and good. mmmmm yummy smoke. This is one delicious cigar. Definitely leaving a tingle in my mouth the bite on my tongue in every hit now, but not in a bad way. But I smoke a lot so it might not leave a bite for everyone like this. I taste something in the citrus family in here now, that is crazy. It kind of reminds me of lemon without the bitterness. I taste lemon flavor. I had to verify it with my fiance, had her take a hit, and she tasted it too. I thought I was going crazy, which I am not too far from in the first place. I am going to use this word musky, about two inches left rich full musky tobacco flavor now. i cannot believe I taste this lemon, and toasted almonds. Of course the leather has remained through the whole stick in varying degrees. Well this is a great finish from a great cigar. If you have not tried one of these Criollo wrap Kristoff cigars you are missing out. To sum it up, it is leathery creamy buttery and smooth. I give it a four out of a five star scale. I usually do not give a rating because I do not know my scale yet, but this is definitely a three and a half to four star rating, be sure to get the matador size, this is the best size I have tried in this cigar.
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The third third is well seasoned, what a finish. Tad spicy and woodsy in the finish. These are at the very least worth a shot. Treat yourself and try one sometime.
I enjoy these smokes every time I have one. This is the end of the second box of these I have purchased so I think this review should be a pretty solid assessment of this smoke. It has a long burn time this matador size in particular so get ready to relax and enjoy for 1 1/2 hours minimum.
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Get one... get some Whiskey... Smoke it and have fun!
THE END.
See ya next time,
The Freehand Grammar Destroying Amateur Reviewer
