Kristoff Criollo Cigars are produced by probably the hardest working gentleman in the world of cigars, “Glen Case” also the man behind the well regarded Vengeance cigars. Glen Case and his company of fellow cigar lovers have been in the production end of cigars since the early 1990’s. The Kristoff cigar line has won awards and the accolades of cigar store proprietors as well as cigar lover around the world. Glen will proudly tell you that one of his favorite blends of cigars is the Kristoff Criollo cigar. Every single Kristoff Criollo cigar is fully handmade in the Dominican Republic with highly aged and sought after Dominican, Honduran filler, and wrapped in a lush Criollo wrapper leaf to complete this amazing smoke.

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The quantities on all Kristoff Criollo cigars is very restrained and with good reason, every single cigar is hand inspected to be certain that every Kristoff Criollo cigar is leaving the warehouse without any flaws. The Kristoff Criollo cigars have been earning some fantastic ratings since they first were unveiled in the cigar industry in 2009. These are easily some of the finest cigars in circulation today. If you are ready to try a new cigar with a bold new flavor, the Kristoff Criollo cigars are an absolute first choice.

Kristoff Criollo cigars house a matured blend of Dominican Olor and Cuban-seed Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos, wrapped in Nicaraguan Habano Criollo. Kristoff Criollo cigars are packaged in a cedar box and packaged with loose tobacco on the perimeter, the Kristoff Criollo cigar has an elegant pre-embargo feel to it. With an oily, medium brown wrapper, pigtail and shaggy foot, you can expect a true medium-bodied cigar with notes of roasted almond, a touch of spice and a elegantly sweet finish. In a nutshell, Kristoff Criollo cigars are a complex, medium bodied cigar with excellent flavors all around at a competitive price and fantastic construction.

Kristoff Criollo Cigars are available online here at MyDiscountCigar.com

Visit Kristoff online.

Cigar Review of the Kristoff Criollo by Cigar Jack's

Brand: Exclusive Cigars (Kristoff)
Line: Criollo
Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Criollo
Binder: Cuban seed Orlor Dominican
Filler: Cuban seed Orlor Dominican, Nicaraguan
Body: Medium
Strength: Medium

As you know, there's more to cigars than just Cohibas or Montecristos, and part of what makes cigar smoking an interesting hobby, I believe, is when you stumble upon  new and boutique brands that specialize in smaller production.

Having said that, I recently met Glen Case, president of Aurora, Ill.-based Exclusive Cigars, at a local herf featuring his line of Kristoff cigars. Since I had a small lunch, I chose to light up his Criollo stick. (I'll be reviewing the Kristoff Maduro at a later date.)

The Kristoff Criollo has a slightly veiny, oily wrapper and a bit of a spongy feel, reminiscent of a Graycliff. Its pigtail and shaggy, closed foot give it a rustic, old-time look, but you'll immediately be drawn towards the Kristoffs because of its box, which features unfinished wood lined with loose tobacco.

Anyway, the first half of the Criollo is spicy, with hints of toasted almonds, but it smooths out in the second half. It's still spicy, mind you, but the aftertaste is reminiscent of dried fruit and caramel.

Verdict: The Kristoff Criollo is a complex, enjoyable, tasty stick, that I would recommend to experienced smokers. It has an even burn, and some nice white ash, but you may find the draw a tad inconsistent. I smoked four of the Kristoff Criollos, and three of them drew completely well. The last one, however, was a bit plugged.

Anyway, three out of four ain't bad, and maybe there are some construction issues to work out. In the meantime, I'd smoke Kristoffs again in a heartbeat, depending on the price.

Similar cigars: It's a bit stronger and more complex, I think, than the CAO Criollo.

Thanks Daniel!

Check out our latest review of the newest J. Fuego cigar, the J. Fuego Sangre de Cristo Corona Gorda. A excellent addition to his already stellar lineup of the J. Fuego 777 Maduro, J. Fuego 777 Corojo and the J. Fuego 777 Zero, this new comer is sticking around for sure!

Check out our indepth review of the CAO Sopranos Associate.

All CAO Sopranos are available online..

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Cain Daytona Cigars available at My Discount Cigar

Cain Daytona cigars have recently been released as a new brand for the Studio Tobac project. Cain Daytona have a very smooth complexity that varies from all other Cain cigar blends. The Oliva cigar family has earned an impressive reputation in the world of premium cigars over the last 5 years. As one of the cigar world's most notable cigar manufacturers, their impressively high rated cigars are generally only found at the most premium of cigar retailers world wide. In 2007, Oliva Cigars received an incredible  '94' rating from Cigar Aficionado for their Oliva Serie ‘V' line of cigars. They have also put out a series of  highly acclaimed blends with Cain, Cain 'F,' and Nub. Cain Daytona cigars come from Nicaragua. The filler is an impressive blend of long filler full-bodied ligero leaves from the Jalapa Valley in Nicaragua, but the cigar is wrapped with a milder Habano wrapper for a mellow, medium-bodied smoking experience. If you've tried the other Cain blends within their lineup and have found that it's a bit too strong or overwhelming - then the Cain Daytona Cigars are the blend you should try.

Cain Daytona Cigar Review by A Cigar Smoker's Journal:

Cigar: Cain Daytona 646
Size: 6 x 46 (Corona)
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano
Binder: Nicaragua Habano
Filler: Nicaragua (100% Jalapa Valley)
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Cain Daytona Corona 646 My Discount Cigar"][/caption]

Appearance and Construction: I really dig the shade of orange used on the band, which is on the foot of the Cain Daytona. I’ve said it before, so I’ll say it again. I think some of the Studio Tobac colors and designs would look sweet as a NASCAR sponsor and I am not a fan of the sport. Once the first few laps pass, and there are no major wrecks I lose interest. I’m not looking for anyone to get hurt, but there are only so many left hand turns you can watch. As for the cigar itself there are a few veins present on the Cain Daytona some of which run vertical which I don’t see to often. The cigar is rolled well, though the foot seems to be a little bit loose.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the Cain Daytona cigar is a little bit musky to the nose but there is also a slight berry like existence present as well. The draw from this cigar serves up notes of earth with a classic barnyard edge to it and an underlying sweetness. Once lit there is some spice present and a red pepper through the nose, but it doesn’t wreck you. As I smoke the first third of the Cain Daytona, notes of espresso are dominant and are compliment with some nuts and some caramel sweetness. As we approach the second third the nuts begin to take center stage with some spices and a continued sweetness.  The final third has some floral notes especially through the nose. Also present in the Cain Daytona are some caramel and nuts with a slightly earthy finish.

Smoking Characteristics: The Cain Daytona Corona 646 had a perfect draw that produced a nice volume of thick smoke that had a toasty aroma to the nose. The cigar produced a mostly light color ash with some salt & pepper effects to it that held on very well for a corona. The burn was crisp, but the carbon line stood out some, perhaps suggesting the cigars were a little young and could use some more aging.

Conclusion: The Cain Daytona is the perfect answer for those who felt the Cain was too strong and was all about strength, not flavor. This medium bodied smoke has a nice subtle complexity and is extremely smooth. I forsee a box purchase for myself in the near future and it left me anticipating future releases from Studio Tobac.

Rating: 91

Thanks for the Cain Daytona cigar review Barry!

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EP Carillo Cigars at My Discount Cigar

E.P. Carrillo cigars is the inaugural launch of Ernesto Perez-Carrillo's new venture, EPC Cigar Co. After over thirty years in the cigar business and selling his first venture (the world famous brand La Gloria Cubana) to Swedish Match, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo started E.P. Carillo Cigar Co. with his son, Ernie, and daughter, Lissette, to form a unique boutique cigar brand that is distinguished by its distinctive flavors and aromas, and superb construction.

The E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 blend of cigars consists of rare tobaccos aged 2-5 years including an Ecuadorian wrapper that was grown in extremely limited quantities. E.P. Carillo Cigar Co. has ownership of all of the inventory of this wrapper, and maintains exclusive rights to all future production of this sought after tobacco. Due to the extreme scarcity of this wrapper, E.P. Carrillo Edición Inaugural 2009 will be produced in limited quantities.

Cigar Aficionado names the EP Carillo Cigar #8 Cigar of the Year!

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo has been making cigars for a very, very long time. He learned his world renowned cigar craft from his father, working in Little Havana, Miami at their tiny factory called El Credito Cigars, the birthplace of the non-Cuban La Gloria Cubana. That cigar quickly became one of the first genuine hits of the cigar boom, and exploded into something much more popular. Later Ernesto Perez-Carrillo sold his cigar venture to Swedish Match AB, and in March 2009 he left the company to create a new cigar business with his son and daughter: EPC Cigar Co. He has come out with four cigars since 2009: the E.P. Carrillo Short Run, his so-called “core” line, and two limited editions, one each year. The E.P. Carrillo Elencos Limited Edition is his newest, andsome say his best, a mellow and leathery cigar that blends flavors of sweetness  and coffee. The only real problem with this cigar is its rarity—the E.P. Carrillo  is only producing 1,000 boxes, each containing 10 cigars. Perez-Carrillo is back and has already made a bold statement that he is a legend both of the past and of today.

E.P. Carillo Cigar Review by our friends at ToastedFoot

The E.P. Carrillo “Core” line was released this year at IPCPR in New Orleans and features a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos wrapped up in an Ecaudorian wrapper. This line of the E.P. Carrillo is meant to be the regular production cigar for E.P. Carrillo Cigar Company and is priced between six and nine dollars per stick, depending on which of the various sizes you choose: Churchill Especial, Club 52, Encantos, Golosos, Predilectos Torpedos, and Regalias Real are the sizes available in this line of cigars. We have reviewed two other E.P. Carrillo cigars on Toasted Foot. The Short Run, which can be viewed here, and the E.P. Carrillo Edicion Inaugural 2009,  viewed here.

Now, on to the toast...

Pre-light, 1.8:
Picking up the E.P. Carrillo Encantos, the first thing I notice is how well constructed this cigar is. The brown wrapper is in great shape with just a hint of tooth in between the fingers. The cigar is well packed with no soft spots and on top of the head is a cap that is constructed extremely well. The pre-light aroma is of light tobacco but as I move towards the foot, the notes turn to a  more mature tobacco with a hint of light spice.

Burn, 1.9:
Cut, toasted, and lit, the E.P. Carrillo Encantos has a fantastic draw that produces plenty of smoke. The ash layers nicely and holds well past an inch, which is where I usually let them go in the tray as opposed to my shirt. The cigars required no touch up or re-lights and the smoke temperature was excellent throughout.  This is one of the most well constructed cigars I have smoked in a long time.

Flavor, 2.8:
The first puff on the EP Carillo Encantos produces a base of solid tobacco that is somewhat creamy, with just a hint of light spice. Into the second third the notes firm up a bit and the tobacco seems to take on a woody profile, with the spice staying in the background. Into the second third, the spice is more present and there are a variety of notes competing for attention. I cannot identify them all, but it was a nice blend of cedar, dried fruits, and lively tobacco.  The last third finds a bit more spice introduced into the mix, but the cigar is still well balanced and I hate to see this one end.

Overall, 2.8:
This is yet another solid offering from E.P. Carrillo cigars and family. The cigar leans more toward medium body to me, but is full of flavor. The finish is solid throughout and the cigar is consistent from start to finish. I recommend this smoke and you will probably be seeing it in a 2010 Top 10 list here and there.

(Total: 9.3)

Thank you ToastedFoot!