San Cristobal Elegancia Corona (5.5x46)

In my crusade against gigantic cigars my juices really get flowing when I find new blends in sizes that are traditional and exciting to me.  I have been hearing from many, many friends about this smoke and the reviews have been all good, so I was anticipating this.  Now as part of that anticipation I did some analysis.  Were my friends just telling me about this cigar because they know of my proclivities towards Don Pepin (he makes this cigar)?  Or were they really just telling me because they thought it was great?  I believe, looking back on the evidence, that it may have been a little bit of both.  Knowing that I have a tendency towards hyperbole when I describe a Pepin experience I think I may have biased some friends judgements when they evaluate a cigar for me.

The cigar is a Pepin attempt at something mild, this is probably the first problem I have.  Why make something out of your swim lane Master Pepin?  You are known for robust and complex flavors and those usually don't go well with mild.  The next problem I have is that the cigar has Connecticut wrapper, I am not often a fan of this type of cigar.

The cigar itself presents very well.  The band work is interesting and stunning.  The wrapper is smooth, with a dusty texture.  There are some prominent veins, but I don't think they will be an issue.  The construction appears to be excellent and I am not worried here as Pepin is the master at the traditional Cuban sizes, no one does it better.  The pre light aroma is spicy with some cinnamon hints.  The pre light draw is thin, but shows some nice light wood and spice complexion.

The cigar opens with bitter slaps of spice that toss the palate around.  This is not a mild start, hell this isn't even medium in the first half inch.  This is hold on to your seats bold in the opening moments and my senses are confused from this kind of power from the get go with a Connecticut wrapper.  At the back of the palate there is a dry, woody tone that is not necessarily pleasing and adds to the bitter flavors from earlier in the profile.  The burn is exceptional and the draw is superior sending out booming clouds of smoke.

The first half of the cigar blessedly slows itself down.  The bitter flavors have been muted in favor of a more straightforward spice presentation.  It is hard to put my finger on what is going on here, but I will go with nutmeg and clove.  The depth and complexity are not what I would expect from a Pepin blend.  At the back of the palate wood flavors abound, mostly balsa but some light hickory here as well.  The draw and burn stay exceptional to this point.

The final half of the cigar continues to wallow a bit for me.  The profile morphs into a strange floral note coupled with some odd tobacco flavors laced with spice.  At the back of the palate there are some grassy tones jousting with the wood flavors and the cigar nearly derails here.  The burn and draw remain strong.

The finish was a touch bitter and showed some light wood flavors.  This was all in all pretty disappointing in all areas except draw and burn and I will not hesitate to say my least favorite Pepin in years.

Appearance- 92 very nice looking cigar
Taste- 82 below average and lacking depth and complexity that I expect from the master
Construction- 94 no one makes classic vitolas like Pepin
Strength- 81 supposed to be a mild to medium, but more medium to full and the strength does not help the profile
Overall- 87.5 above average due to constructed attributes, below average when considering blend

San Cristobal Seleccion Del Sol Robusto

This is a new offering from Ashton made by Don Pepin Garcia. The cigar presents with a mottled wrapper that is dry and somewhat reddish in color. The application of the wrapper looks acceptable and there are few veins. A roll through the fingers reveals a nice firm cigar and I do not detect any areas that may be of issue. The pre light aroma is of light wood. The pre light draw shows some light spice and some notes of cedar.

The cigar opens with a profile of light wood and some thready notes of spice. I am struck by how dry the smoke feels in the mouth, an attribute that I really do not care for. At the back of the palate there are some tangy notes that are citrus like, but the dryness of the smoke cloys the flavors. The draw is exceptional and booming clouds of smoke are hanging above my head. The burn is a bit lopsided, but it is not in need of a touch up at this point.

The first half of the cigar continues to show notes of light wood, but there is not enough depth or complexity to comment much further at this point, it is just straight wood. The smoke is still very dry and I am parched from smoking this cigar, not a nice experience. At the back of the palate there is still some tangy flavor, but I am hard pressed to identify it as anything other than citrus zest.

The final half of the cigar continues to show a profile of light wood, but there is nothing else there. I am disappointed by this smoke to this point, but it is also not terrible. The dryness of the smoke continues to be disturbing and it is causing some bitterness to creep into the smoking experience. The draw is still excellent and the burn is level.

The finish is tart with some bitterness. There are notes of citrus and dry wood.

Appearance- 83 dry and weird looking
Taste- 80 the dryness and lack of complexity and depth hurt the score
Construction- 90 an excellent performance
Strength- 80 a medium/full offering that was not complimentary to the cigar
Overall- 83.25 a very sub par cigar

San Cristobal Lancero

This is a special edition vitola from Ashton (the makers of this cigar, along with Don Pepin Garcia), and as I have stated before this is one of my favorite sizes when it is made right. The cigar is beautiful, containing a dark, rich looking wrapper. The head is finished with a quirky pigtail cap, in line with the tradition of lanceros. The pre light aroma is of deep, rich tobacco and spice. The pre light draw shows notes of tobacco, spice and cocoa.

The cigar begins with a powerful profile of tobacco and muted spice notes. There is a sweetness at the back of the palate that conjures pine nuts. The burn and draw are excellent, and I firmly believe that Pepin Garcia is the master of this vitola. The profile maintains this orientation for the first inch and a half.

At just before the two inch mark, the profile is mellowing out to a nice arrangement of pine nuts, earth and tobacco. The depth of the flavors is excellent, but the complexity is somewhat lacking and I believe that there is room in the profile for more flavors. The burn and draw remain solid and the cigar is performing extremely well.

The final half of the cigar shows notes of tobacco, spice, pine nuts and earth. Again the depth of the flavors is superb, but more complexity would be a nice additive. The burn and draw have been flawless and I would stack the construction of this cigar against any lancero that I have smoked.

The finish is smooth and potent, but a trace of bitterness is present. There are flavors of earth and rich tobacco.

Appearance- 93 an excellent looking cigar, the pigtail cap could be more prominent and the wrapper was slightly veiny
Taste- 91 an excellent profile that had lots of depth, but could have used more complexity
Construction- 96 a fine example of this vitola
Strength- 91 an enjoyable full bodied presentation
Overall- 92.75 an excellent smoke