San Cristobal Supremo review

[Royale Duke]

I am really digging this cigar, absolutely LOVE IT. No pics, sorry still no batteries for the camera.
Brand: Ashton
Line: San Cristobal
Blender: Don Pepin Garcia
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder:Nicaraguan
Wrapper: Nicaraguan(Seems like it might be a Maduro...)
Size: Supremo, 6X50 toro

Burn Line: Even throughout

Drink: Corona Extra Longneck, Icy cold with two limes
Location: My Room
Music: Iron Maiden

Ashton's Description:

"San Cristobal is a boutique cigar handcrafted in Nicaragua by Jose “Pepin” Garcia. Blended entirely from rich, well-aged Nicaraguan tobaccos, these cigars feature dark, oily Nicaraguan wrappers. The flavors are rich and full-bodied, exhibiting a perfect balance between strength and complexity. Hearty notes of earth, cedar and spices are accompanied by lighter notes of walnuts, espresso, black cherries and dark chocolate. Each cigar is constructed impeccably and finished with a traditional Cuban Triple-Cap. San Cristobal is available in 8 sizes; packaged in cedar chests of 21 and 22."


Pre-light:

Man is this thing dark and oily! I mean this thing is absolutely beautiful with very fine veins and no soft spots or blemishes to be found. Construction seems to be top notch overall, and the triple cap is quite nice. Smelling the wrapper and foot you get this faint sweet cherry and dark chocolate smell that is just AWESOME and kind of surprised me. I cut the cap cleanly with my favorite cutter(that I've had for three years and is sharp as the day it was given to me) and tested the draw. The draw was perfect, the flavors shocked me because I could actually taste chocolate and cherries which was just amazing.

1st Third:

DAMN! Don Pepin just fired his entire nuclear pepper bomb arsenal!
Not to mention TONS OF THICK WHITE SMOKE!


Upon lighting and about a good half way through the first third I got hit with a "Pepin Pepper" bomb that was absolutely amazing to experience. Not only could you feel it on the palate and tongue as well as throat you could DEFINTELY feel it through the retrohale through the nose. I can see why so many like Don Pepin's smokes and this was a really good indicator of his smokes. Alongside the pepper, there was plenty of leather, toasted almonds, wood, spice, and the ever talked about cherry flavors this cigar is said to emit. I didn't believe anyone at first but MAN! You can taste the cherry, and it is quite tasty unlike say, a flavored cigar that has cherry flavoring. Towards the end of the 1st third is where the toasted almonds flavor kicked in and the pepper died out a bit, this cigar is pleasurably complex so far! Lot's of things to taste, I would also like to mention that this stick has a maduro sweetness to it as well.

2nd Third:

The transition was pretty interesting, this is one of the few cigars that have that clear transition into a different part of the cigar's complexity. The transition had this nutty, roasted flavor with cherry, wood and a very mellow pepper with coffee like tones to it.

Retrohaling throughout the second third gave a similar result as to what was happening to the transition, there was a definite and clear espresso taste and smell mixed with a wonderful cherry and toasted/roasted nut flavor with wood.

On the palate there was quite a bit of the same flavors as before except that Earth and more traditional maduro flavors had been brought to the forefront of the flavor profile. The cherry flavor was still there as was the pepper,wood, and coffee with a pinch of cinnimon. This continued throughout the 2nd third, with hints of a tobacco flavor that was quite nice. Overall, the second third was much more calm and subdued(I think a better word would be refined) and ramped up a bit for the transition into the final third. Right before the transition into the final third there was a bevy of citris flavors that was a nice touch, if not a bit unusual.

Final third:

Wowzers, that pepper came back pretty quick! The transition was a bevy of leather and spice and full bodied splendor. The cherry flavor has almost completely disappeared and is replaced with full bodied flavor that is just wonderful. Tobacco, pepper, leather, earth and wood make up the final flavor profile with a smooth yet edgy, chocolatey finish. I almost burnt my fingers nubbing this thing.

The only really bad thing is that this cigar was a bit bitter and burned a little hot once we got into the first half inch but that subsided pretty quickly thankfully. Another annoyance was that it had a tendency to go out for no apparent reason, which was strange since there was still a bright hot cherry in the center of the cigar. A bit perplexing but it soon started burning normally, which was a relief.

Conclusion:

Absolutely fantastic cigar, I'd say that of the bunch of cigars I purchased recently to try out this has got to be my favorite right up there with the Alec Bradley Tempus I had on tuesday night. I think I picked a pretty good round of smokes and I still have an Oliva V left that I'll probably save for this weekend or Friday.

This cigar really showed me why everyone seems to love Pepin so much and I can say that if any of his other smokes turn out as good as this one I'll be a fan too.

I'd give this baby a 94/100, it is nearly a perfect smoke for me and I know I am starting to sound like a broker record but....I'd buy a box.

[Royale Duke]

Forgot to mention, the band on this cigar is probably one of the coolest I've ever seen.

[commonsenseman]

Man you are just a cigar-reviewing machine! Lol I enjoy them, keep 'em coming!

[joey469]

i love this cigar. This cigar goes great with a cup of coffee in the morning .

[SMOKE20]

This cigar is FANTASTIC. I am digging San cristobal cigars right now. Very spicy and full flavored goodness

[roughrider]

The San Cristobal has been on my list for a long time.

[Cigary]

A wonderful cigar and almost felt like I was smoking it right along with you as I was reading it. Great review and look forward to more from you.

[Royale Duke]

Originally Posted by commonsenseman

Man you are just a cigar-reviewing machine! Lol I enjoy them, keep 'em coming!

No problem! I enjoy doing things like this, as I've said before, it let's me embrace my journalist streak.

Originally Posted by Cigary

A wonderful cigar and almost felt like I was smoking it right along with you as I was reading it. Great review and look forward to more from you.

Again, no problem guys I love doing this and it gives me an excuse to burn some tobacco!

[Randy_LL]

thanks forthe review david ,,,,and im gonna put this on the top of my list

[smokin nightly]

Thanks for the great review David....I love reading your reviews...

[piperdown]

Ditto, thanks for the review! San Cristobal is one of my favorites and was the one the B&M suggested to get the nice peppery then a wonderful creamy smoke.
I'll have to try some more sizes to get the whole flavor profile.

Wonderful review format you have, very insightful!

[burnsco]

It's reviews like this that force me to buy boxes when I really shouldn't! Gonna have to add a box of San Cristobals to my order tomorrow.

[Rubix^3]

Really nice review.
I love Pepin's handiwork too. If you haven't already, give the other Ashton line "La Aroma de Cuba" a spin. The "Edicion Especial" is blended by Pepin, and is a great complex smoke--closer to med. strength than the San Cristobal. The regular LADC line is slated to be blended by Pepin, and I think his blend is going to hit the shelves later this fall?