The Kristoff Maduro Torpedo - A Girl Likes A Challenge

Sometimes a girl likes a challenge.

Ladies tell me all the time how they have a "type." Me, while I enjoy cigars to be well put together and a little on the darker side, I am intrigued when I pass by a stick that looks a little different from all the rest. Sometimes it's the band that catches my attention. Or the sleek oily wrapper that makes my head turn. Or it's just the way it stands out amongst the hundred or so others. Heck, variety is a beautiful thing -- especially when it comes to cigars.

The Kristoff torpedo looks very different from other cigars. It  ends in a wrapped package-look at the foot with a pig tail that you screw off to reveal a ready made punch for smoking. Pre-lit, the stick has a beautiful deep tobacco & molasses smell with a dark Maduro wrapper.  Available in four sizes: Torpedo (6 1/8×52), Churchill (7×48), Robusto (5.5×54), and the Matador (6.5×56),  the Kristoff Maduro cigars contain a well-aged blend of Dominican Olor and Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos, encased in a dark, Brazilian Maduro wrapper. 

I have to tell you, I LOVE me some Brazilian  ... but, ohhh, yes we are talking cigars here ... LOL.

Not only was the look of the cigar a challenge (I had to ask Angelo at The Humidor in Bay Ridge) what to do with the pig tail, but the initial smoking aspect was a bit daunting.

The first 1/3 was hard to draw so I sliced off the punch hole, but it didn't seem to help. I puffed and re-lit the cigar thinking that the lack of smoke was because I didn't light it properly. Finally, the draw got better after an inch of ash appeared.

The cigar lists as a medium to full cigar, but I felt that the stick was overwhelmingly full for at least half of the smoke. Upon lighting the Maduro, you'll notice a strong earthy taste with notes of leather with a gritty dirt taste. If you enjoy a strong earthy flavor, you won't be disappointed her. However, this isn't my favorite profile.

Thankfully, I kept smoking because halfway through the profile changed to medium, smoothed out and a nutty, coffee flavor emerged making the second half of the stick thoroughly enjoyable. As I smoked a little further, notes of dark sweetness emerged making me think of molasses, which better complimented the underlying earth that was present throughout the experience. 

In addition to the flavor profile shifting, the smoke changed too producing billowing gray smoke.  The stick finishes with more leather and coffee holding its profile all the way to the end. 

If I could have cut the cigar in half it would have become one of my favorite cigars -- but, I've been told by more experienced smokers I can't do that. And, I don't think anyone should miss out on fully experiencing a stick -- for better or worse. I smoked a second Kristoff Maduro the next day to see if my taste buds were off or if that dirty gritty taste was still there -- and it wasn't as much as the first time.  

A robust cigar this certainly is ... And in the end I enjoyed the way the cigar played with my taste buds, giving me an opportunity to expand my palate while easing in different flavors.  I have smoked a second cigar and paired it with a cinnamon latte (no whip) and it was a wonderful accompaniment. The coffee balanced out the fullness of the smoke in the early 1/3, while cutting down on the earthy taste that isn't my style. What was really special was the way that the cinnamon tantalized with the nutty sweetness that emerged in the middle of the stick. It was pure enjoyment letting the smoke sit in my mouth with the cinnamon latte.

I think I may have been a little too excited over the coffee and Kristoff -- but that's what happens when a girl tries something completely unexpected. I encourage you to go beyond your typical type and try something different. You never know what's going to turn you on unless you try !

*Note: a portion of this review was originally published on Cigar Tipsters. I recommend you check out their other cigar reviews too:    http://www.cigartipsters.com

For more information about Kristoff Cigars, check out: http://kristoff.com/

Wishing you all long ashes --

Robusto Babe
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