REVIEW: Pinar Del Rio Reserva Limitada

Cigar Name: Pinar Del Rio Reserva Limitada
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: Torpedo 6.5” x 52

Strength: Full
Body: Full
Price: $2.00-3.50/each

Smoking Time: Hour and a Half

Pinar Del Rio is a true Boutique cigar maker.  They make a few blends and are under the radar for the most part.  You can find them online and in brick and mortars.  Because they are small, they don’t seem to advertise a lot.  However, if you search online for them, you will find a STRONG following.  For two reasons 1.) they are very inexpensive and 2.) they are GOOD.  I was unsure myself so I picked up a few samplers.  This is my first of many PDR’s!     

Appearance: This has a dark maduro wrapper with lots of oils.  The label is white with gold and silver and it has a good looking ribbon around the foot.  It is very impressive looking cigar that is well put together from top to bottom.            10/10

Construction:  Well made with no seams, stems, cracks or soft spots.          9/10

Burn:   There were a couple of touch ups but nothing to be concerned about.    8/10

Aroma:  Leather, coffee and tobacco.        8/10

Draw: Cold it was very good.  Once lit, it was a dream.  This is very well made for the price.  This is better made than some $15.00 cigars I have had.       10/10

Flavor:  Cedar, leather and dirt.  Lots of coffee.  10/10

Availability: I don’t know of any stores that carry them locally but I know they are making the rounds around the country.  Easy to find online.         8/10

Personal Overall Experience: For such an inexpensive cigar, this smokes like a dream.  I never found myself wanting for more or less of anything.  For the price, this could be considered a yard cigar but it could easily be given as a gift and someone would think you spent a lot on it.    Seriously, this is a FANTASTIC value.  I hope it stays that way.  28/30

Total: 91/100

Matt

REVIEW: Nub Maduro 464

Cigar Name: Nub Maduro 464
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Torpedo 64 x 4”

Strength: Medium
Body: Medium
Price: $2.00-8.00 Each

Smoking Time: One hour

The Nub cigar is a neat concept that was the brain child of Sam Leccia of Olivia Cigars.  Sam left the company in 2010 but Olivia still makes these.  As I have mentioned before, Olivia is one of my favorite manufactures because of their consistency.  The Nub is designed to be the “sweet spot” of the entire cigar.  Let’s see.     

Appearance: Very toothy with a good looking, dark maduro wrapper with a torpedo shape.    8/10

Construction: I can only imagine how hard it is to make this small of a cigar while still maintaining the flavor profile.  That said it seems they accomplished what they wanted to.  Very solid and no soft spots or blemishes.          9/10

Burn:   Not bad.  The edge held for the entirety of the cigar but towards the end I did feel the heat from the flame on my lips.           8/10

Aroma:  Not a lot of aroma really.  Some coffee and sweetness but not much.      6/10

Draw: The draw was good considering the size of the cigar.  I think the torpedo shape helped that.       9/10

Flavor: Some coffee and campfire notes.  Not very complex and didn’t hold my attention for very long.    7/10

Availability: Easy to come by.  You can get these anywhere.  I got mine from Alcorns for about $4.60      10/10

Personal Overall Experience: Meh.  The concept is neat but it just is not my cup of tea.  I don’t really like the large ring cigars although this one was not too bad.  The ash did hold for a good 2/3 of the cigar which was cool but it didn’t add too much to the experience for me.  I think these would be good for a beginner but for me, they just didn’t get a rise out of me.    23/30

Total: 80/100

Matt