Vitola:

My buddy Kyle is out paintballing, and I am coincidentally broke, so here I am sitting in the middle of some godforsaken farmland in Chino, spectating. I’ve got many an hour to kill, so what better time for a cigar? I’ve got here with me a Pinar Del Rio Sun Grown Habano Liga Cubana No. 5. Very nice presentation. Very nice embossed labels and a festive ribbon on the end of each one. Just a side note: the ribbon is nice and all, but I’ve noticed that, without taking it off, the first inch of the cigar does not season properly even at a solid 80% humidity. For those who are planning to smoke a cigar with a ribbon on it, I’d recommend removing the ribbon prior to seasoning the cigar. I’ve learned from my mistake and have made sure to do so this time.  For those who don’t know this cigar by its name, it’s the one with the red ribbon and label. It’s a small cigar, rolled fairly well without too many blemishes, and a fancy pigtail knot on the cap of the cigar. The tobacco is a dark caramel color. Time to light up.

First Third:

I have tried to punch-cut these in the past after cutting off the pigtail, but since the cap is twisted closed, there is a lot of excess tobacco, and the use of a punch cutter leaves you with a lot of loose flaps of tobacco near the cut. So, for this occasion I’ve used my guillotine cutter. Now that I can taste the first third properly, I can say that the smell is fairly unique. The bouquet of the cigar is currently that of raisins and leather. I also daresay I sense a little bit of licorice in the mix as well. I think one would describe this smell as a “chewy” scent. The finish on the palate is fairly clean, save for a little bit of a leathery taste. Very pleasant. I feel as though a nice brandy would complement the raisin and leather fairly well. It’s a shame I don’t have any on me right now.

Second Third:

The first third burned away relatively quickly, mainly due to the dimensions of the cigar (5 x 52 or 54 I believe). The cigar itself does not burn away quickly though, as I can see the shine of a fair amount of oil in the sunlight. The flavors have changed since the second third—the finish on the palate is slightly more bitter. The chewiness of the smoke is a lot less pronounced, and I smell a lot more straight tobacco as opposed to the raisins and licorice. The leathery smell and taste is still there, although it seems to be fading a little bit. The burn has been fairly even, save for a little bit of canoeing in the first third which corrected itself relatively quickly.

Final Third:

I am now entering the final third. The aromas have not changed very much, but the taste is more distinctively leathery now.

I’ve smoked down about a third of the final third, and still no change in the scent of the smoke.

After smoking a little bit, I sense a little bit of savoriness coming out. I think it is perhaps a little bit too light though, as I really have to try to pick it up. Unfortunately, the cigar is too unbearably hot to smoke, so I have to put it out.

Verdict:

This cigar was very pleasant in the beginning, but was a little bit of a letdown in the final third. But overall, it was a fairly pleasant cigar to smoke. The presentation, construction, draw, burn, and smoking time were great, but this stick was a little lacking in the flavor department towards the end. It is a good amateur smoke, as it isn’t too large of a cigar and the tastes aren’t very bitter.

Total Smoking Time: 40 minutes