Cigar Review: Kristoff Maduro Ligero

Kristoff Maduro

I was informed by someone on twitter who I know via the cigar boards that it seems like all the cigars I review score an ’85′ or better. I stated that I tend to only review cigars that I know I like and avoid those I do not like as if it was the plague. Well today’s review is to break that trend as I review the Kristoff Maduro Ligero. Please take the time to vote in the poll at the end of the review.

Cigar: Kristoff Maduro Ligero
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 6.5 x 56 (Matador)
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Dominican and Cuban Seed
Filler: Dominican, 70% Ligero Nicaraguan

Appearance & Construction (19/20): The Kristoff cigar features a dark wrapper with a lot of veins. The cigar has pigtail cap, and a shaggy foot. The band is a simple brown on brown label with the word Kristoff in white. A secondary band is underneath stating the cigar is a maduro. The pigtail cap and the shaggy foot make it a nice cigar visually, but as well all know looks can be deceiving.

Flavor & Notes (20/30): The first third of this smoke is very bitty with notes of heavy earth. Once you get past the dirt there are some notes of a dark coffee similar to that of bustelo. The second third of the smoke, my palate was so dry despite drinking plenty of water as I smoked this cigar. The notes of Bustelo coffee were joined by the occasional nutty note,  but for the most part it was a very dry smoke to this point. As we reached the final third there was a brief period of sweetness, but the cigar began to burn hot and finish was a very dry earth

Burn/Ash/Draw (19/25): The burn of this cigar is very jagged, and needed to be touched up. The ash was a medium gray that did hold on well and looked very cool with the excessive veins visible as ash. The draw was tough and while annoying, I have had worse.

Overall (19/25): I know some people love the Kristoff line of cigars, but I am not one of them. The flavor profile reminds me of the days playing baseball, sliding into third base and getting a mouthful of dirt. Thankfully the notes changed at times, but the finish was a very dry dirt. No thanks, I’ll pass.

Rating: 77
Price: $8.75

Cigar Review: Tatuaje Frank

Tatuaje Frank

Today’s cigar is another Pete Johnson creation. I realize my blog is one step from a Pete Johnson fan site, but when he comes out with a cigar, I have to get my hands it as soon as possible. It has become an obsession. With this cigar being limited to 666 boxes of 13 I needed some help getting my hands on a few. Thankfully a BOTL from cigarlive.com hooked a brother up!

Each year at Halloween Pete Johnson releases a special blend for the holiday and names it after a movie monster. This year was The Frank for Frankenstein, and next year it will be The Drac for Dracula. I would assume next year will be a belicoso to recreate the fangs.

Cigar: Tatuaje The Frank
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 7.58 x 49 (Box Press Double Corona)
Wrapper: Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

As of today I am using a new format for my reviews that will actually break down how I get my score. Let me know if you approve by voting on the poll at the bottom….

Appearance & Construction (20/20): The cigar has a nice slight box press appearance with a lot of veins, but being this cigar is meant as a tribute to Frankenstein it works very well. The cigar features a triple cap that is done to perfection. The wrapper has a silky appearance and an amazing amount of oils. Under close inspection the cigar has absolutely no issues what so ever.

Flavor/Notes (27/30): This is one complex cigar to break down. There are some underlying notes that make it very hard to pin down. The 1st third of smoke started off with a blast of pepper which is expected since Don Pepin Garcia had his hands on producing these. The blast of pepper seems to be his trademark. As we work our way down the first third notes of dark chocolate emerge with what reminds me of an almond extract which created a wow factor. The second third the notes of almond extract remain, but begin to fade. The dominant note is a rich dark chocolate that is so defined and so tasty it is better then any Halloween treat you got as a kid. The final third of the cigar some notes of leather creep in and I hope with some aging this will disappear. As I got near the nub the cigar was at it’s best and I was left with a nice dark chocolate finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The cigar had a really nice burn line that while not straight, it was never really jagged, nor did it need touching up. The ash was tight, white and held for long periods. At one point I had a nice 3.5″ ash. The draw was perfect throughout and if you add it all up it made the cigar a pleasure to smoke.

Overall (24/25): From start to finish this cigar was incredible. My smoking conditions added to it, with there being a fog over the water and an eerie quiet was at my smoke location with the only sound being breaking waves in the distance. This smoke had a lot of hype surrounding it, and very rarely does a cigar meet the hype in my opinion. This cigar however meets and exceeds the hype.

Rating: 94
Price: $13.00