Kristof San Andres Robusto

The cigar:

First impressions:

The wrapper has medium sized veins and no perceptible defects.
The roll is so firm that I’m afraid of possible draw issues but we shall see.
It is very heavy for its size and feels very tightly rolled.
The wrapper is a deep, dark, rich brown color.
This is an attractive cigar despite its intentional “unattractiveness” with the unfinished foot and curly-Q cap.
Pre-light draw is perfect. Aroma from the foot is garden-soil and chocolate. Taste is lots of milk chocolate, coffee with cream, and rum raisin.
Lighting this cigar is a little different thanks to the unfinished foot. It’s not better or worse, just different. I kind of like it, actually. Makes it a little bit more unique.

First third:

First few puffs are gunpowder and burnt coffee but not necessarily in a bad way.

Flavor has settled down a little bit
Very “earthy” flavors consisting of wood, earth, and an almost grassy flavor.
Yes, a very grassy aftertaste.
Maybe its just me but I feel like cigar flavors exist in categories on different areas of a spectrum and tend to sort of run together. There are “earthy” flavors such as wood, dirt, grass, leather, etc.; citrusy/fruity flavors; savory flavors such as pepper, coffee, chocolate, etc.; and sweet flavors like honey, milk, and raisin; and maybe a few other categories that I’m not considering.
This cigar is definitely strong in the earthy flavors.
I was expecting more sweet chocolatey flavors given the pre-light aroma but maybe they’ll develop later.
Okay, the aroma is definitely like milk chocolate with vanilla. Very appealing.
There’s a little bit of black pepper mixed in.

Middle third:

The flavors and aromas have evolved rapidly now.
The aroma has developed this wonderful fermented tobacco smell. Some people would use the term “barnyard” for this type of smell but I hate that description. It’s more like the cross between the fermentation area at a brewery, fresh topsoil, fresh mushrooms. It’s a wonderfully pleasing scent.
The flavors are now coffee, cream, stout, and black pepper. The earthy tones are still preset but more of a background flavor.
Okay, the coffee/cream flavors are dissipating now and we’re back to the earthy tones but with a lot more pepper.

Final third:

The flavors continue to change and evolve. The aroma is still the same as described in the middle third.
As soon as I crossed into the final third, there was a very strong nicotine hit that actually made my stomach queasy for a second. I was able to calm it with a few sips of water so the effect was very short-lived.
It’s developed a little bit of a salty flavor, kind of like salt-and-vinegar potato chips but with lots of black pepper.
I’m also getting a little bit of buttered popcorn flavor.
There’s beginning to be a lot of very dark roasted, almost burnt, espresso.
Okay, the burnt espresso is now the dominant flavor. Luckily, I really like very dark roasted coffee.
Towards the end, there’s a bit of a strong, acidic flavor that has developed which is not very pleasant to my palate.
The acidic flavor is becoming too overpowering and the aftertaste is like an ashtray. I put it down with less than an inch left. Total smoking time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Impressions:

Overall score: 7 (Recommended)
This was a very unique cigar. The flavor profile was very unusual but happened to be a profile that I enjoy. Not everyone will enjoy this cigar and it will likely NOT be appreciated by a novice smoker. When I first started smoking cigars, I would have found this cigar to be revolting. However, these days, I appreciate unique cigar experiences which this cigar offered. I suspect that the Mexican wrapper is what created the unique flavor profile. The construction was nearly flawless other than the fact that it burned slightly unevenly throughout the smoking time but it never required any touch-ups. I would definitely smoke this cigar again but I would have to be in the right mood. The aroma was downright intoxicating and I would gladly sit and enjoy the smell while someone else smoked it any day of the week.

Additional notes:

I’ve had the Kristoff Cameroon in the past and it also had very strong “earthy” flavors. I wonder if they use a similar blend of filler tobacco.