San Cristóbal de La Habana (La Punta)

Cigar Reviewed: San Cristóbal de La Habana

⅓: Introduction of funky walnuts and sharp red pepper that stretches out the walnut note longer, graced by a subtle bready undertone. Hints of mulling spices and cream waft into the mix with that red pepper appreciating some miring of moist soil. The cream, bread and baking spice explode on the palate, making me question what happened with the first. Possibly the result of bad construction; no matter how good your ingredients are, if you can’t execute the dish properly-it just won’t deliver in the end. That unmistakable Cuban twang rides the coattails and in the background. Of all the spices, cinnamon steps out of the shadows and demands the lime-light, enveloping the walnuts and bread. Turning the tables into old vintage furniture, wiped down with lemon pledge before switching to lightly charred oak coating the walnut-adding a bitter aspect. Comes back hard to toffee filled baked bread and cinnamon.

⅔: Much of the 2ⁿᵈ third is carried from the notes of the 1ˢᵗ. Really leaning on cream, sweet toffee, baked bread with a malt funk and a warm cinnamon/nutmeg. The oak calmed down into a heavy toast. This third is so far the simplest but most boisterous and delicious. Bread morphs into a noticeable sourdough. A return to pepper, black this time with more char on the oak and a bitter clove dotting the sough dough. Bitterness softens as the third ends as we inch back to the lovely, earlier notes still keeping the pepper.

³⁄₃: Pepper falls, leaving cream, toffee, bread, nougat cinnamon and malt funk-a whole lot of lip smacking goodness. Nutmeg and clove creep back, charring oak and a touch of these darker, bitter characteristics. Once more becoming cinnamon dusted baked brioche, a slight moist soil minerality and earthiness, toffee and nougat to round off the nub.

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Duration : 1hr 30mins

Cost: $21.⁵⁴ USD

Ratings:

89.5/100

Very satisfying. Not overly complex but the notes expressed are decadent! Almost like it fits right between a Partagas Serie D & P yet unique unto itself. The first I smoked was likely faulted by poor construction leading to overheating, despite using a draw tool. This one just kept oozing flavor throughout. Fantastic; Highly recommend!