San Cristobal - Seleccion Del Sol

Seleccion Del Sol- New for 2009 the Seleccion Del Sol is an extension of Ashton's San Cristobal line. Yet another cigar blended by Jose "Pepin" Garcia, the original line of San Cristobals premiered in 2007. The Seleccion Del Sol is special because it is made with a sun-grown wrapper. Ashton's website says that the crops for this plant are grown on the Garcia family farm in Esteli, Nicaragua. The property is known for rich, almost black soil and bountiful amounts of sunlight. A Nicaraguan Puro, the Seleccion Del Sol is made with aged Nicaraguan tobacco- binder, wrapper and filler.

Prelight- The label on the San Cristobal may be one of the most eyecatching labels on the market, albeit a little unconventional. A colorful parrot adorns the label with wings spread. The cigar also has a label at the foot. The top and bottom edges of the wrap are a bright teal like the color of caribbean water. This seems like the perfect cigar for a beach hammock or a Jimmy Buffett concert. The cigar has a sweet tobacco smell and something about the aroma whispers a tropical breeze.
Ok, I apologize, that tropical breeze statement was a bit much. The cigar has nice construction and I notice no flaws. I also like the fresh firm feel of the stick. The prelight draw is delicious. I taste sweet cream with a smooth tobacco flavor on top. I'm usually not a fan of mild-medium bodied cigars, but maybe the Seleccion Del Sol can change my mind.

Sparking it- I've got some time to kill, so I reach for a Churchill size. (the Del Sol line only has 3 sizes) With lips to the end I take a few puffs. The draw is right where it should be and I exhale a large cloud of creamish-gray smoke. The prelight draw holds true to its promises in the flavor department. The first few drags were accented with spice, but that trails off as sweet takes over. The cigar's front end smoke smellslike vanilla and there isn't a lot of wasteful burn-off. I take a moment to look the cigar over and notice the wrapper is lifting a little bit near the cherry. I wet my finger and smooth out the issue. Hopefully this doesn't result in an unraveled wrapper. We'll see what happens.

Smoking it- The cigar is really good. The wrapper never presented me with any more problems. The flavor of this cigar is outstanding. Not too spicy and it isn't weak. The look of the cigar would make you think it was mild, but I find it to be medium bodied, with sweet flavoring. I usually enjoy fuller flavored cigars, but this cigar tastes so good I'll have to make an exception. It isn't very complex, but the cigar has variation and evolves throughout.
The ash on this stick burns to a nice whitish gray, and holds like mortar on a brick. It takes a little effort to get the ash off - proving a quality build on this cigar. Overall, I'm impressed with this cigar. Sweet cream, vanilla and mild spice all make their way into the taste. I recommend this stick for mild smokers looking for something with a little more body and taste. I also recommend this to full flavored smoker who need something smooth for early in the day or after breakfast. I drank a coffee with my smoke and it blended beautifully.

Overall- A-