Basic Information:

Name – Flores y Rodriguez 10th Anniversary Reserva Limitada

Size – Robosto

Wrapper – Ecuador Habano

Tobacco Blend – ​ Dominican and Nicaraguan

Pricing – $9.00

Body – Medium

Construction/Appearance:

Band is white with green background and white font. The logo is a shield and with a crown on top similar to a crest.

Second band is black with gold trim and font.

Cigar is almost an amber brown. Really beautiful stick. One big vein, visible and some noticeable seams. Triple cap.

Pre-Light:

Aroma: The scent of ​​sweet raisin and florals come to the nose immediately.

Type of Cut: V-cut

Cold Draw:  ​

The cold draw had a nice draw, with raisin, cedar mixed with some light florals. Really pleasant and matched expectations from the aromas picked up earlier.

After Toast: 

First Third – Real leathery taste right out of the gate. A super dry leather.  Got a nice kick of black pepper on the retro hale. Heavy smoke output. Really rich and earthy on the palate as well. A coating like texture smothers the inside of your mouth. Interestingly chewy smoke. Some slight espresso notes followed by a spice begins to come through at about the 15-minute mark. On the finish, I actually got a bit of green apple. Crazy short spurts of transition so far. Truly a lot to take in a short period of time. Leather comes back full force to finish the first third. Burn is beautiful. Ash is a dark gray and dense, holding strong.

Second Third – Leather backs off a bit and leads into bitter chocolate flavor mixed with a nutty note. Pepper still holding on the after burn. Few minutes later, leather comes back with some a white pepper note and slight baking spices, but this is subtle. Burns still perfect. Ash fell off around the 2-inch mark.

Final Third – The finish is simple with dark chocolate and spice picking up as the predominant notes to send you off after a pleasant hour and fifteen-minute smoke.

Suggested Pairing:

Woodford Reserved Double Oaked

Wine – Ponzi Pinot Grigio

Overall Experience:

I thought the Flores y Rodriguez 10th Anniversary Reserva Limitada  started better than it finished although it was all very good. I really enjoyed the multiple layers and complexity of the first third. It really took my palate for a whirl. I would not recommend this stick for beginners, but for those seasoned cigar enthusiasts out there pick it up and give it a shot.

Ratings

Cigar Aficionado – Figurado – 91pts., Robosto – 87pts.

About PDR Cigars (Flores y Rodriguez Cigars) – http://www.pdrcigars.com/