San Cristobal - Clasico

San Cristobal Clasico - The San Cristobal series is a joint effort between Ashton Cigars and blender/Cigar Jedi - Mr. Pepin. One can only expect pure excellence from a team as formidable as this. The cigar premiered in 2007 and has received a lot of rave reviews from the cigar community.
Ashton owned rights to the San Cristobal name for years, but wanted to wait for a bad-ass cigar to use it. That's why they called in Pepin. It's no secret the man can blend a cigar.
It is said that this cigar took 2 years to create from concept to blend. The San Cristobal is produced in Pepin's Esteli factory, and is a Nicaraguan Puro.

Prelight- The cigar looks great. The Clasico size is a 5"x 50 gauge - standard Robusto. The wrapper is oily and almost maduro dark. It really has a rich dark chocolate color to it. The color matches the aroma too. This cigar smells of sweet cocoa. The prelight draw is effortless and tastes of coffee.
I'm a sucker for attractive bands, and this band is classy and extravagant all-in-one. An imprinted gold foil with a multi-colored parrot - wings spread. The look of the band gives you a feel of the islands. Style points!




Sparking it- Puff...Puff...and away we go. The cigar starts off with Pepin's signature spice. Within a few drags, chocolate and hints of coffee come in full swing. I'm about an inch and half in and I am savoring each drag off this cigar. Truly a great flavor profile.
While I find a lot of cigars have a chocolate or coffee like taste, this cigar really hits it on the head. I don't have think about what I'm tasting, I'm just tasting it straight up.
The construction is off the hook as well. The cigar smokes great and the ash holds on tight.



Smoking it- Yet another grand-slam Pepin creation. I've smoked these cigars here and there, but I base this review on the final cigar from a 5-pack I ordered. This cigar is good right out of the box, but the flavors get deep and rich with only 2 or 3 months of rest. I can't imagine how a year or two would treat this cigar.
The ash held on for what seemed like forever, it only fell off when I started to toil with the band. I've had no issues with any San Cristobal I've smoked, but the sample for this review, burned like a champ. Great construction, amazing taste, flawless burn.
While coffee and cocoa reign supreme in the flavor department, the cigar showed a lot of complexity. The creamy smoke produced hints of cinnamon, caramel and a few other confectionery flavors.

Overall- A

Compared to the San Cristobal Seleccion Del Sol
These two cigars differ in strength and flavor. But they stand head to head on quality and construction. The Seleccion Del Sol is a newer, medium-strength cigar compared to the original San Cristobal.
Other than the quality, I didn't find any similarities in the flavor profile. Both are smooth and creamy smokes, but have unique identities. I'll surely be pairing these two for an afternoon and after-dinner smoke.
If I had to pick one, I'd go with the original San Cristobal.
Check out the review on the Seleccion Del Sol by clicking on the side bar - San Cristobal.

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-