5 Kristoff Reviews

[Tobias Lutz]

Disclaimer: These are reviews I did for another site, in another time. The photos no longer exist, but the information will hopefully remain useful to some.

I. Kristoff Criollo Robusto: a review
Wrapper: Cuban Seed Honduran Criollo
Binder: Cuban Seed Dominican
Filler: Cuban Seed Dominican, Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
Robusto – 5.5 x 54

This was an attractive cigar with an untrimmed foot and a pigtail head. The wrapper was medium brown in color with some darker variegation, particularly along the small veins. I removed the excess leaf from around the foot and it had an odor of dry grass and toasted bread crust. Not too long ago I learned that a pigtail head is meant to be bitten off (or more accurately held between your teeth while you pull the cigar outward). I did this and it came off perfectly. The cold draw had hints of sweetness and hay. The pull was very nice; firm but not liking trying to suck cement through a Slurpee straw. I toasted the foot with a torch and finished lighting it with a couple wooden matches.

The cigar began with a nice medium body and a faintly herbal flavor that had a bit of spiciness to it (sort of like fresh tarragon). This blended with a light cedar taste in the retrohale. The burn line was sharp with a pale grey ash.

The 2/3 mark began with an interesting aftertaste of anise or licorice. I held the smoke in my mouth for about five seconds before blowing it out and being left with this flavor. The woody taste in the first section became more prevalent. The spiciness that went with the vegetal flavor shifted to more of a light black pepper taste.

As I approached the nub I had a tunneling issue because I was smoking on a covered porch while it was raining and the ambient humidity screwed with the wrapper. With a couple purges I was able to correct the tunnel without a flame. The pepper receded but it was replaced with a faint charcoal taste that was the only unpleasant part of the entire cigar. This did pass rather quickly and the stick finished with the same cedar note it displayed early on.

The total smoke time was 80 minutes. This was not a full bodied cigar but was still substantial enough that I would not want to smoke it in the morning. It had great construction, was attractive and the spiciness was interesting. The transition into the nub had an unpleasant taste but that could have been caused by the tunneling and subsequent purging.

Overall: 8.6/10

II. Kristoff Sumatra: A review
Size: Robusto (5.5 x 54)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: Cuban Seed Dominican, Cuban Seed Nicaraguan

This was a nice looking cigar with a pigtail head and untrimmed tobacco around the foot. There were no medium or large sized veins and the wrapper was a medium brown with a slight oily sheen to it. The foot smelled of dry grass and wet cardboard. The wrapper had a very mild hay scent. I cut it with a guillotine cutter. The draw was good. A little more on the tight side, but still within the acceptable range. The flavor was very mild, a little toasty and reminiscent of grass clippings. I used a torch to toast the foot before finishing the light with a match.

First 1/3:
This cigar is very mild and through the first section it did not produce any overwhelming flavors. Its smoke was somewhat creamy with muted hints of white pepper. It reminded me of a béchamel sauce- very clean and concise rather than jumbled with several tastes that can’t be drawn out individually.

Second 1/3:
As the cigar progressed I noticed wood flavors. Nothing lick hickory or cedar, but a less specific fresh hewn lumber taste. Some of the retrohales seemed to have a little spice- kind of like rosemary, spice with a woody essence in its own right. Going into the nub I was disappointed by the lack of sweetness in the cigar.

The nub:
The Kristoff site claims it has a “sweet finish” and true to their word a spicy sweetness appeared in the final third of the stick. It was like a pastry with a sugary, peppery crust. In the end thought it was too little, too late to make this a really memorable smoke. I know this stick has been given a rating as high as 93, but I would not place it that far up there. I thought both of Kristoff’s maduro offerings were more flavorful and that they had more interesting profiles. This isn’t a bad stick, but I wouldn’t call it a great one either.

This is definitely an “all-day” smoke. I think I would particularly enjoy it outdoors, perhaps during a round of golf.

Pros: Good construction and mild enough to enjoy any time of day.
Cons: Nothing stood out to make it a great cigar. Flavors were identifiable, but not highly impressive.
Overall: 8/10

III. Kristoff Ligero Maduro: A Review

Blend
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Cuban Seed Dominican
Filler: Cuban Seed Dominican, Cuban Seed Honduran

This (and all Kristoffs really) is a very attractive cigar. The wrapper is dark, but not exceedingly oily. There were a couple veins running down the length of mine and the head was “knotted”. I’m not familiar with the term for this style of cap, but it is interesting and in my opinion increases the visual appeal of the stick. The foot is untrimmed giving the cigar a sort of rustic appearance.

The foot smelled delicious like tobacco with allspice and cardamom stirred in. Due to the “knot” I used a guillotine cutter on this cigar. The draw was good with the flavor of toasted pastry and faint cocoa. I put a torch to the foot and then lit with a soft flame.

1/3:
This smoke was surprisingly mild from the start. I reminded me of a CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro because it wasn’t harsh through the initial light and the first ½”. There were nice flavors of earth and loam. The first part of the cigar reminded me of the smell you find on a hiking trail late in the evening when it has rained steadily all throughout the day.

2/3:
The smoke was rich but not astringent. I began to pick up the hints of cocoa about halfway through the stick. It was not strong and was blended well with the savory dark tobacco flavor. The profile of the cigar never surpassed medium in my opinion, making it suitable for any time of day.

The Nub:
The nub of this stick was tastier than most. It maintained crispness rather than the flavors being muddled into a “catch-all” profile where the nub seems more like a filter for the rest of the cigar. I purged at 2” to go and while the tastes became more prominent, nothing was overwhelming or unpleasant. Right at the very end there was a delicious smokiness like woodchips that was first noticeable in the retrohale and then in the final couple draws.

The stick burned well with only one touch-up and it produced a beautiful tight grey ash. Total smoking time was 80 minutes. This will sound really weird, but for some reason I kept thinking how much I would enjoy this cigar after a nice meal with lamb. Not sure why the idea got stuck in my head, but this would definitely be a good post-meal smoke on the porch with a glass of port. My mother was visiting when I smoked it and she commented on how pleasant the room note was (even though we were outside )

Pros- Unique, but quality construction. A maduro without pepper. Room note.
Cons- I like to punch my cigars and the design forced me to cut it.
Overall- 8.5/10

IV. Kristoff Ligero Maduro: A Review

Blend
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Cuban Seed Dominican
Filler: Cuban Seed Dominican, Cuban Seed Honduran

This (and all Kristoffs really) is a very attractive cigar. The wrapper is dark, but not exceedingly oily. There were a couple veins running down the length of mine and the head was “knotted”. I’m not familiar with the term for this style of cap, but it is interesting and in my opinion increases the visual appeal of the stick. The foot is untrimmed giving the cigar a sort of rustic appearance.

The foot smelled delicious like tobacco with allspice and cardamom stirred in. Due to the “knot” I used a guillotine cutter on this cigar. The draw was good with the flavor of toasted pastry and faint cocoa. I put a torch to the foot and then lit with a soft flame.

1/3:
This smoke was surprisingly mild from the start. I reminded me of a CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro because it wasn’t harsh through the initial light and the first ½”. There were nice flavors of earth and loam. The first part of the cigar reminded me of the smell you find on a hiking trail late in the evening when it has rained steadily all throughout the day.

2/3:
The smoke was rich but not astringent. I began to pick up the hints of cocoa about halfway through the stick. It was not strong and was blended well with the savory dark tobacco flavor. The profile of the cigar never surpassed medium in my opinion, making it suitable for any time of day.

The Nub:
The nub of this stick was tastier than most. It maintained crispness rather than the flavors being muddled into a “catch-all” profile where the nub seems more like a filter for the rest of the cigar. I purged at 2” to go and while the tastes became more prominent, nothing was overwhelming or unpleasant. Right at the very end there was a delicious smokiness like woodchips that was first noticeable in the retrohale and then in the final couple draws.

The stick burned well with only one touch-up and it produced a beautiful tight grey ash. Total smoking time was 80 minutes. This will sound really weird, but for some reason I kept thinking how much I would enjoy this cigar after a nice meal with lamb. Not sure why the idea got stuck in my head, but this would definitely be a good post-meal smoke on the porch with a glass of port. My mother was visiting when I smoked it and she commented on how pleasant the room note was (even though we were outside )

Pros- Unique, but quality construction. A maduro without pepper. Room note.
Cons- I like to punch my cigars and the design forced me to cut it.
Overall- 8.5/10

[Tobias Lutz]

V. Kristoff GC Signature Series Robusto- a review

Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Cuban Seed Honduran
Filler: Cuban Seed Dominican, Cuban Seed Honduran, Cuban Seed Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto – 5.5 x 54

This cigar had a very dark maduro wrapper with a gorgeous oily sheen. It was moderately toothy with a couple medium veins. Like most Kristoffs, the foot was untrimmed and the head was pigtailed. The foot smelled delicious with a very “dark” scent. It was like an amalgam of chocolate, coffee beans, and molasses. I bit the head and the cold draw was firm and comfortable with hints of cocoa and a little bit of pepper. I toasted the cigar, burning off the excess wrapper with a torch, and then finished lighting with a wooden match.

This cigar started out fairly bold with a decent splash of spice amidst espresso flavor and a prevalent cedar taste in the retrohale. The profile was not overwhelming, but was definitely more stout than the Kristoff Maduro or any of the other cigars I have smoked from this brand.

In the second third the cedar moved to the background a bit as the cigar progressed and a very faint sweetness emerged. It was slightly tart, like a Bing cherry or a peach that has not fully ripened. The spice level also settled down toward the middle of the smoke. The burn was perfect with sturdy layers of grey-white ash.

The spice stepped back up in the nub of the cigar, but it did not negate the more pervasive fruit nuance that grew in spite of it. I expected this cigar to move more towards a bitter-sweet espresso finish, but instead it mellowed to some degree and concluded with a very satisfying profile that had touches of dark chocolate.

Total smoking time was 80 minutes. This cigar was too strong, in my opinion, to be enjoyed early in the day, but the richness of flavor and the fuller body made it an excellent cigar to smoke immediately after dinner. The finish was far and away the best part, but that is not to say the rest of the cigar gave me anything to complain about. This one had about 6 months rest on it and I’d be interested to see what one tastes like after a year or more.

Overall: 9.1/10