Robusto, 5.5" x 54 ring gauge / approx. $9
The newest entry in the Kristoff line is the Sumatra, which I first saw at Uptown's Smoke Shop's Fall Cigar Extravaganza...and it is also where I received this cigar, as one of the vendor samples. The company's website describes this as a "medium-bodied cigar with velvety floral notes, spice, cinnamon and a smooth, sweet finish." It is composed of Cuban-seed Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Brazilian binder, and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The rather large robusto I smoked for this review was the first cigar of this blend I had smoked.
First the good: I like the band. Using red, gold and white, the design is distinctive and attractive. The seams are virtually undetectable and the pigtail on the cap is tight and tidy. The jury is still out on the appearance of the wrapper leaf, though. The mottling pattern made the cigar look like it had varicose veins. I cannot decide if it looks like modern art or is just unattractive...or both. I got notes of manure and cedar when I held the wrapper to my nose; from the foot I got earth and whiffs of chocolate. The wrapper leaf was smooth and somewhat oily and the cigar felt solidly packed. My Xikar XI cutter rended the Kristoff Sumatra pigtail-less, leaving a clean, free draw that had notes of wood and pepper spice.
I took my time and used my Xikar EX soft-flame to ignite the foot of this cigar. On the first few puffs, I got more of the cedar I had picked up prelight as well as a little chili pepper and a note of cinnamon. Although the draw did not seem plugged or even tight, I did not get a great deal of smoke through the cigar during the first third. The flavors of cedar continued to be out in front and there was a bit of a sweet citrus note as well.
After tapping ash I noticed that the ash for the filler was nearly as white as that of the wrapper leaf--something I cannot recall seeing very often. I still got mostly cedar and a citrusy tang through the second third, although I also got a bit of that floral overtone that Kristoff's website mentioned. This could have been the power of suggestion, though, and serves a reminder why it is sometimes better not to look at a manufacturer's website before smoking their cigar.
The flavor profile had not changed much as the last third started--the only difference of note was the introduction of some chili pepper spice. In the end, I enjoyed the Kristoff Sumatra but still felt it did not quite meet up to what I was expecting. The flavors were good, although not outstanding...it just seemed to me to lack the complexity of other similarly-priced cigars. It was a nice medium-bodied smoke that I might try again at some point, but I found it hard to get too enthusiastic about it. Still, I would recommend fans of Sumatra leaf to try this cigar, as well as those who appreciate Kristoff's other cigars...your experience may differ from mine.
Body: 6/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10
AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10
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