Doc of Doc’s Cigar Corner
The featured cigar is the 1950 Cuban Classic Toro (6″ x 52) by Don Pepin Garcia.
One of Don Pepin’s original blends, this Classic (though not from Cuba) has gone a long way toward setting the standard for Central American cigars which can compete with Cuban products. Flavor and construction are reminiscent of a fine Cuban.
This resemblance to Cuban products may have something to do with Jose Pepin’s Cuban birth and working with his uncle in the cigar industry until he left Cuba for Nicaragua in 2001. At his tobacco farms in Nicaragua and Florida, he grows and blends Cuban-seed tobacco. The Cuban Classic is constructed from Nicaraguan binder and filler, topped by a silky Corojo wrapper.
Construction was uniformly good and consistent across several examples smoked for this review. All were V-cut, and had an easy pre-light draw. Burn was absolutely perfect and straight for 1 1/2 to 2 inches, afterward becoming no more than slightly uneven. There was one runner in the first example smoked, but it resolved quickly with positioning.
The flavor profile was very consistent in all examples. Shortly after lighting, a rich, sweet, smooth, and creamy natural tobacco tinged with light white pepper dominated. This was joined within 1/2 inch by a complex and variable mix of stronger spices (black and notes of red pepper), wood tones containing both cedar and oak (each predominating over the other at different times), rich loamy earth, and notes of leather.
This complex and variable profile persisted, steadily becoming stronger, until termination in all examples. There was no bitterness or unpleasant heat in any example.
Overall, the cigar is medium- to full-bodied, tending toward full-bodied due to the prominent spice and rich tones of natural tobacco and earth.
Rating: 97
This is an excellent after-dinner cigar. It should pair well with a richly-flavored wine such as a burgundy or a with a neat whiskey. It is slow-burning, so offers ample time for conversation.
Availability:
This cigar can be purchased locally [in Lubbock] from Smoker’s Haven at $8.50 per stick. Good Karma Cigar has them for $9.00 per stick. Online it is available from Cigars.com, CigarsInternational.com, Holts.com, and JRCigars.com, but it often seems to be backordered.
Enjoy!
Doc
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