San Cristobal Supremo Staff Review
Many people have asked me what my first favorite cigar was, and what drew me to that cigar. The answer is easy. I remember walking around a small cigar shop while I was in college a few years back and stumbling across a dark cigar with a parrot and old world map on the band. I picked up the cigar, smoked it at the lounge, and fell in love. It was truly love at first puff. That cigar was the original San Cristobal. Now, fast-forward almost a decade, San Cristobal is still one of my go-to cigars.
Today, I decided to grab a San Cristobal Supremo. The Supremo is one of the core sizes in the original portfolio and is blended by Jose ‘Pepin’ Garcia. A blend of Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos is finished off with a very oily Ecuador Habano Oscuro wrapper that is chocolate brown with a reddish hue. The leaf is flawless with a few very thin veins. Pre-light aromas include a hearty spice with a bittersweet chocolate hint. The cold draw is also quite sweet.
The initial flavors of San Cristobal grab my attention immediately. Crushed red pepper and black coffee notes are abundant. Once the tobacco warms up a bit, the pepper tends to mellow out, giving way to a sweet, earthy flavor with notes of cedar. The profile slowly evolves as I enter the meat and potatoes of this cigar. About halfway, a sweetness reminiscent of chocolate-covered cherries pokes through. The balance of sweet and spicy taste is unbelievable.
The final third of San Cristobal features the widest transition in flavor. The sweetness is heavily subdued when a rush of earthiness enters the fold. A light coffee note that pleases every inch of the palate accompanies the oak and leather flavors.
The one thing that I always loved about the original San Cristobal blend is that no matter how many times I smoke it, or what size I choose to smoke, I am always pleased with the excellent construction and wide range of flavors present at any given moment. The Supremo is a true testament to the attention to detail and quality of cigars produced at the Garcia family’s celebrated factory in Nicaragua.
As always, I would like to note that the strength of San Cristobal is around an 8 out of 10, putting this in the full-bodied category. I would not smoke this first thing in the morning, unless of course you just devoured a massive breakfast. Instead, I recommend pairing this cigar with a a hearty, full-bodied beer or a peaty Scotch after dinner. San Cristobal is definitely a cigar to sit down and enjoy at a gradual pace.
