My Weekend Cigar: Kristoff Criollo Torpedo
A few weeks ago, I was in the Famous Smoke Shop cigar store and noticed something new on one of the display cases: Kristoff cigars. I had read about these cigars, and discovered they received some very respectable tasting scores, but never had the pleasure. Since they arrived, a lot of the FSS store customers were trying them out and spoke very highly of them, so this weekend it was my turn.
John D., one of our regulars who shares a similar palate to mine (IOW, we like a lot of the same cigars), highly recommended the Kristoff Criollo Torpedo, so I purchased one last week and finally had a chance to relax with it yesterday.
Made in the Dominican Republic, the Kristoff Criollo Torpedo is rolled to 6 1/8" x 52, and a very handsome cigar to look at, too. The blend consists of Dominican Olor and Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a buttery-smooth Nicaraguan Habano Criollo wrapper leaf with a semi-shaggy foot. (The tobacco is not hanging loose; it's tucked under the foot.) The cigar was well packed, and I used a V-cutter to clip it. The pre-light flavors were somewhat woody and nutty.
Once lit, the cigar took nicely, exposing a clean burn. The smoke at this stage was rather mild and predominantly "woody" in flavor. I found the smoke to be very mellow, and so smooth that I didn't even need to drink anything with it for at least the first few inches. The flavor was highly consistent through the first half with a base of wood and nut flavors, a hint of almond, and just a trace of sweetness on the finish. During one drag I tasted a note of anise, but for the most part the cigar did not gain much in the way of strength, which made it extremely enjoyable.
During the second half, it turned into what I would call a "solid medium-bodied cigar that's extremely mellow." I should also note here that this cigar displayed one of the best ashes I've seen. It was firm, and when tapped-off revealed a beautiful oval-shaped cherry. Although the woodiness intensified a little, the smoke did not exhibit any additional flavors.
Overall, it was quite enjoyable. I only drank spring water while smoking it, but I would have preferred to smoke it with a good Port, my usual favorite. However, I like drinking water with a new cigar, since it allows me to better assess the flavors in the cigar.
The Kristoff Criollo Torpedo gets high marks from me, and I look forward to trying the other cigars in the Kristoff line, particularly the Ligero and Maduro selections.
Thanks John. You picked another winner.
If you've smoked a Kristoff cigar, please share your opinion by leaving a comment below.
~ Gary Korb
John D., one of our regulars who shares a similar palate to mine (IOW, we like a lot of the same cigars), highly recommended the Kristoff Criollo Torpedo, so I purchased one last week and finally had a chance to relax with it yesterday.
Made in the Dominican Republic, the Kristoff Criollo Torpedo is rolled to 6 1/8" x 52, and a very handsome cigar to look at, too. The blend consists of Dominican Olor and Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in a buttery-smooth Nicaraguan Habano Criollo wrapper leaf with a semi-shaggy foot. (The tobacco is not hanging loose; it's tucked under the foot.) The cigar was well packed, and I used a V-cutter to clip it. The pre-light flavors were somewhat woody and nutty.
Once lit, the cigar took nicely, exposing a clean burn. The smoke at this stage was rather mild and predominantly "woody" in flavor. I found the smoke to be very mellow, and so smooth that I didn't even need to drink anything with it for at least the first few inches. The flavor was highly consistent through the first half with a base of wood and nut flavors, a hint of almond, and just a trace of sweetness on the finish. During one drag I tasted a note of anise, but for the most part the cigar did not gain much in the way of strength, which made it extremely enjoyable.
During the second half, it turned into what I would call a "solid medium-bodied cigar that's extremely mellow." I should also note here that this cigar displayed one of the best ashes I've seen. It was firm, and when tapped-off revealed a beautiful oval-shaped cherry. Although the woodiness intensified a little, the smoke did not exhibit any additional flavors.
Overall, it was quite enjoyable. I only drank spring water while smoking it, but I would have preferred to smoke it with a good Port, my usual favorite. However, I like drinking water with a new cigar, since it allows me to better assess the flavors in the cigar.
The Kristoff Criollo Torpedo gets high marks from me, and I look forward to trying the other cigars in the Kristoff line, particularly the Ligero and Maduro selections.
Thanks John. You picked another winner.
If you've smoked a Kristoff cigar, please share your opinion by leaving a comment below.
~ Gary Korb
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