Kristoff San Andrés Staff Review
When I’m craving a well-made smoke that’s affordable but a step above a typical yard ‘gar bundle, Kristoff is a brand that’s easy to embrace. Today, I’m smoking Kristoff San Andrés in a 5.5-by-54 Robusto, a dark and rugged smoke that’s very much in keeping most other cigars in the brand’s portfolio.
As the name indicates, Kristoff San Andrés boasts a dark and oily San Andrés wrapper leaf. Underneath it lies a binder, grown from Cuban seeds planted in Ecuador, and a hearty core of Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos. Since launching the company in 2004, Kristoff brand founder Glen Case has had his cigars produced at the Charles Fairmorn factory in the Dominican Republic which has resulted in an extensive portfolio of consistent, budget-friendly blends. Kristoff cigars have a very distinctive look thanks to their rugged wrappers, pigtail caps, and covered feet. And they’re packed in rustic 20-count boxes filled with loose tobacco scraps.
Kristoff San Andrés exhibits a particularly dark complexion when I pull a Robusto from a new box. The wrapper displays a web of thick veins which I expect will impart hearty taste and aroma. I get a distinct bouquet of wood, potting soil, chocolate, and dark fruit when I lean in to smell the box with the lid open. Once I twist the cap off my Robusto, tasting notes of milk chocolate, cedar, and black pepper mingle with hints of pinot noir in a tasty and complex cold draw.
The second I start toasting the foot, intense and peppery notes of cocoa overwhelm my nasal passage and my palate thanks to the pronounced taste of the wrapper from the cigar’s closed foot. As the binder and filler tobaccos start cooking, the intensity of the first minute or two settles into a mellower profile of malted chocolate with a blend of creamy, peppery, and floral nuances. Kristoff San Andrés develops with velvety texture that provides a welcome contrast from the cigar’s potent spiciness.
Strong notes of leather and earth command the lion’s share of the cigar’s taste as the first third comes to an end. The spice remains plentiful and continues to sting in the retrohale, but accompanying notes of chocolate and espresso bean add enough dimension to prevent the cigar from becoming a one-sided spice bomb. The second half of the cigar reveals a charry and crisp taste with a deep campfire aroma.
Kristoff San Andrés is an excellent opportunity to experience Cuban-seed tobaccos alongside a classic San Andrés wrapper. This combination naturally kicks out a spicy taste, especially with the Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos that complete the blend, but it stays balanced for the most part. About fifty-minutes have passed once I strip the band off and power through the nub.
The draw on Kristoff San Andrés is superb, but the ash was flaky in a few spots, and it burned uneven on and off. Subtle performance issues aside, I can’t leave price out of the equation in my final evaluation of Kristoff San Andrés. For under ten bucks apiece, or under nine when you factor in the discount for a full box, you’re getting a reliable blend you can add to your regular rotation, especially if you’re accustomed to spicier cigars. I’m rating Kristoff San Andrés 87 points and consider it similar to the Kristoff Pistoff I reviewed earlier, but with a smoother finish.
