Cigarsmokers box split reviews

[craig]

Its usually better to smoke a few examples of a cigar before posting a review, but I'm ignoring that bit of advice here. This was actually my first Pinar del Rio of any kind.

Size:
6" x 50 Toro. Actual size was 6 1/16" x 49 (Habanos SA template). Shrinkage of one ring is what I usually see, as is a slightly taller cigar in sticks that don't have flat-cut (Cuban-style) heads.

Filler/Binder/Wrapper:
DR/Nic filler, DR binder, maduro DR wrapper (from the pdrcigar.com website.)

Summary:
For the moment, similar to an Ashton VSG, although not as strong or peppery. I smoked this one wet (72%RH), and had a partial plug. I will try the next at 65%RH.

Pre-light:
The first thing that comes to mind when looking at this cigar is that the wrapper is fairly light for an Oscuro - obviously no dye or colour enhancers were used! The veins are minimal and stand proud, so there was no pressing of the wrapper to squash the veins. (Painting wrapper and excessive wrapper processing are pet peeves of mine.)

The bunch looked good, with no evidence of booked construction. The filler was well-packed, i.e., a heavy cigar, with no soft or hard spots. The cold draw was perfect. The cigar had a subtle aroma, and the unlit tobacco had a mild and innocuous tobacco flavour. The scent from toasting was pleasant.

Lit:
Starting out, the cigar was pretty good. There was a faint sweetness, no bitterness, no sharpness (acidity), and no saltiness. The smoke was not biting or hot on the tongue.

Overall, flavours were pleasurable but not awesome, well-balanced, and with a brief aftertaste. The flavour was not as intense as I would have liked, and surprisingly diminished in intensity as the middle of the cigar was approached. I had a hard time coming up with any CA-type descriptors.

The reason for the loss in flavour soon became evident after the half-way mark - the cigar was partially plugged about an inch and a half from the head of the cigar. This contributed towards a slightly uneven burn, and led to blackened (tarred) filler. Although I corrected the draw with a poker, the damage to the cigar's burn and flavour had already been done, and I put the cigar down.

I suspect that the next Pinar I smoke will be a lot better experience. The potential is there.

As an aside, there was a wrapper patch hidden under the label

Edit: re-smoked. No issues, well-packed cigar. I think I"ll leave the rest for the fall (nine months). Full taste, straightforward honest tobacco taste, not complex, similar to a Litto Gomez Diaz Cubano