Seth's Humidor

Out of the humidors I have, I keep one for the cigars I have yet to review. I find that this humidor is always filled and I mean that in a good way. Sometimes when looking for a cigar I get into the mood of "I don't want that," but with my review humidor I have tons of stuff in there I haven't had in a long time or just have not had. I was moving some cigars around in there when looking for a cigar and I stumbled across this particular smoke. I have enjoyed it on several occasions and have only reviewed the company’s portfolio a couple of times. I am a big fan of the Pinar Del Rio Cigar Company and haven’t had a cigar of theirs that was dull. They have really been getting a lot of publicity lately and with the batch of cigars they are making it is no surprise. The Habano Sun Grown Liga Cubana No. 5 is an incredible smoke and probably tied for second among this line and third among their entire production. Like the rest of the cigars in this line the fillers are a mixture of Nicaraguan and Dominican with a Criollo 98 binder from the Dominican Republic. The wrapper is a Cuban-seed tobacco that has been sun grown. I am a big fan of Habano wrappers and I am a major fan of sun grown tobacco as well. You don’t see many Habano wrappers from the Dominican Republic but when you do they are pretty damn good. Whether it be the Cien Anos, Opus X or Ashton ESG,they are all great. I chose the toro vitola in the lineup which is your standard 6” by 50 ring gauge size.      

With a reddish brown wrapper the cigar is very appealing to the eyes. The wrapper is not very oily but silkier. The aroma of the cigar is of spices and wood with hints of coffee beans as well. Upon lighting the cigar shows lots of leather, spices and wood notes and is medium in body. The cigar is burning perfectly and is producing a good amount of smoke. As I enter the second third of the cigar earthy and chocolate notes begin to emerge and it is accompanied by hints of spice as well. There are still a lot of wood notes present and the cigar is really beginning to show all of its flavors. I would say this cigar is full bodied but because of the balance and wonderful flavors of the cigar it is smoking wonderfully and remaining very smooth. Still burning evenly the cigar is perfect in the smoking characteristics category and I am looking forward to the final third. When I think of the final third abundance is the word that comes to mind. Whether it is in body or flavors, the cigar really shows everything in the end. From chocolate to spice and coffee to wood the final third has it all. I would love to smoke the final third of this cigar three times in a row and then one more time.

I am giving this cigar a 92 and this is the best one of the several I have had. The wrapper is fairly delicate on the cigar so when removing the bands be careful not to tear the wrapper. I love the cigars that Pinar Del Rio Cigar Company is making and I am looking forward to future blends. They have a cigar that every type of smoker would enjoy and whether you prefer milder or full bodied smokes, every one of them has a tremendous amount of flavor and complexity to it. Available at exceptional values you can’t go wrong with a box purchase of this smoke but if I were you I would get a collected works sample from Cigars International or Cigar.com and enjoy all these wonderful smokes. Along with a cigar for everyone they offer a variety of vitolas giving you the opportunity to choose a vitola you prefer. I am looking forward to reviewing the next two and the next one I choose is my favorite.