New NC-Pinar Del Rio Sungrown Torpedo

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These are new and have just started to show up in shops across the Country.

Named for the famed Pinar growing region of Cuba. The Blend choices are the Sun-grown and the Oscuro. I happened to be in Azucar when They were unpacking the first shipment of them. So, my first one was right off the truck, so to speak. After I tried the Oscuro Robusto I went back and picked up several more to try.





CIGAR:

Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown Torpedo 6.5 x 48.

B & M price's range are $7 to $10 dollars. The small amount of info that I have, post's the prices slightly less than that, but I go by what I see in the Shops. This unit has a rounded foot instead of a sharp point. The large band is Gold with Brown Red and Green accents. It's odd that the band is Huge, but You have look hard to read the actual name on the band.
I like the Shapes as a rule, so this was a logical unit to review.



APPEARANCE:

This is Medium Hued Beauty. The toothy Wrapper changes color along the body.These are clearly First Release Units, I can only guess their age. There is a light carpet of Plume across all surfaces, except the cap. That alone is a strong indicator of better that average pre distribution aging.


CONSTRUCTION:

The body is firm without lumps or soft spots. There is 3/4ths of an inch of cap. The Head is rounded down nicely. It has a well turned out appearance.


PRE-LIGHT:

The Aroma coming of the Wrapper has nice spice notes with an earthy background. I clip it to roughly 30 ring opening and test the draw. It has a crisp, but acceptable draw. I lightly scorch the Foot and it smells good.


ACTION:

I apply the triple torch flame to the foot and We're Off!
A clean but spicy fist puff. The cigar comes to temp very quickly and the draw opens up considerably. The spice flavor becomes more rich in content. The burn is slightly wobbly, but self correcting.
This unit smokes well. The Taste on the palate has eased in the pepper department and increased in the toasty bread and an almost cinnamon after taste.
This unit reeks of extra age.
The Oscuro Robusto and Toro both lacked this extra dimension in taste. Possibly age and or Blend.
One inch in and This one is already memorable. I re-clip the Head to open up the draw and relight. The after taste is Medium-Full, closer to Medium. My sinuses have been activated. That happens only with Camacho's, Antano's, RP Edges, Opus-x and the Odd Habby.

Ash is a nice light Grey with a medium firm consistency, drops off near one inch. Two inches in I remove the Band with no issue. The big Band looks Like a Championship Wrestling Belt.
Plenty of smoke on the draw and a light wisp at rest.
I really like this Cigar! The flavors in the mouth are super, a nice tingle and it has my mouth watering, literally.
Not a lot of cigars do that for me. Savory is not a common adjective with me and cigars, but that's what this one is.
What a nice surprise.
With many Sun-grown Blends, the effort is to produce a sharp powerful cigar. The Folks behind this cigar blend, approaches it in a very different way. Yes, it has a nice spicy touch, but it develops several different flavors to round out the experience.

At the three inch mark, I re-clip the head as it had closed up a bit and had a slight sharpness that disappeared as soon as I clipped it. There may be a oil build up factor. I have had to clip this smoke several times, but that's certainly a minor point.
This Baby continues to deliver, several different flavors.
Now there is unusual Olive flavor. (no really! )

Towards the end (last1.5 inches) it went south pretty quick. It developed harsh notes and an a undefinable taste that announced the time to retire.

So, that's what I did.



CONCLUSION:

This was an interesting and busy smoke. I Very Much liked 3/4th of it. Instant flavor development and several nice transitions before the end. I would be interested in learning more about the Blend and the age. I would also like to see the online retailers pricing, levels.
The Sun-grown was a completely different animal from the Oscuro Blend. I liked the Oscuro and am glad I had that line first. The Oscuro was a competent performer with a steady profile throughout. But, the Sun-grown really got my attention. I'll buy more of these. I think that They were aged longer to get past their aggressive nature. I would wager that the Freshie's are far less enjoyable. The age may be a significant factor for enjoyment, because of the aggressive Blend.

All in All, I think that these are a Blend to watch........and smoke!




Cheers!



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