Originally Posted by Ion_Warp_Drive:
Got to agree. Kristoff has to be one of my favorites at the moment. I particularly like the Maduro Ligero, but one of my all time favorites is the Camacho Pre-Embargo. I have had the privilege to enjoy this stick twice. Very pricy($25), but affordable if you get one as part of a sampler on Cigar.com. The only legal cuban in the US because the tobacco is from a bale that predates the Cuban embargo. Gotta love loopholes. :-)
That bale sure has been spread a long ways. Amazing how thousands of cigars can continue to be rolled out of these "legendary" bales. See the blurb below on another "famous" cigar rolled with Pre-Embargo tobacco. Its been many years since I dared smoke the Pinar 3000 but they taste nothing like the Pre-Embargo Partagas I had the pleasure of sampling a few weeks ago with some friends.
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The current tobacco being used by Armando Ramos to construct the PINAR line of Pre Embargo Cuban Cigars came from the Grossman Estate in Tampa. The Grossman family was involved in the cigar business in Tampa when everything being rolled was Cuban tobacco. The Sr. Grossman died almost 25 years ago and a large quantity of pre embargo Cuban tobacco was tied up in Probate while his estate was being settled. One of his sons finally inherited the tobacco and realizing the value, decided to hold on to it. The tobacco had been in a 70F/70% environment since it was imported in '56, '58'and '60. In the late stages of the Clinton administration, rumors were that the Embargo would be lifted as one of Clinton's last acts as President. The Grossman son, if this happened, realized that his holdings would be be greatly devalued. He sold his tobacco to the Puros International de Armando Ramos, Inc. (PINAR) in 1999. The tobacco is sent to Equador to be rolled and blended and then shipped back to the US. It has gone through Customs 3 times and is well documented to be authentic.
The P3000 Pinar
After painstakingly sorting and classifying every single leaf, we
combined several of the Cuban tobaccos (with an emphasis on Ligero for
classic Cuban strength, despite the tobaccos age). The result, rolled
100% from Cuban leaf (filler, binder & wrapper) is the quintessential
Cuban cigar. The flavor is deep, rich and complex, but with over 40
years of aging on the tobacco, it is also incredibly smooth and easy
smoking. Compared to the original, crude PINARs, a richer, stronger
Cuban blend, better Cuban tobacco, more Cuban flavor.
P3000 Edicion Limitado Maduro
Of course, 45 years ago, there was no such thing as Cuban Maduro. So
there is no processed, cooked or colored PINAR maduro. However, when
you take a 300lb. bale of Cuban wrapper tobacco and let it rest
comfortably for 45 years, some of he oils migrate to the center of the
bale. A degree of low-level fermentation even continues there. We
hand-select wrapper leaf from the very center of each bale, dark and
fairly dripping with flavorful oils, and use that as the wrapper for the
E.L. Maduros. The flavor is a little denser, a little milder and a
little sweeter, but still, a pure 100% Cuban Pinar.
P3000 el FEROZ "the Ferocious One"
Amidst the 46,000 pounds of tobacco that made up the Grossman purchase
was one shipment of extremely spicy Cuban wrapper. This tobacco was
shipped in barrels rather than bales (not uncommon at the time). As far
as we can tell, these were actually sherry casks. The incredible spice
of this wrapper was perfectly mellowed by the subtle hint of oak and
sherry imparted by the barrels over nearly 50 years. EL FEROZ combines
this wrapper with a double dose of pre-embargo ligero, to create the
true powerhouse of the P3000 line-up.
P3000 Cuban Criollo
Long before corojo leaf from Honduras became all the rage; long before
Corojo became the Cuban wrapper of choice in the 1960's, classic criollo
was the mainstay of Cuban wrapper, for nearly 500 years. Nearly ALL
cigar tobaccos grown in the Americas are derivative of that particular
seed. About a quarter of the wrapper in the Grossman purchase was a
rich, simple Cuban Criollo. Slightly lighter in color than the other
PINAR wrappers, rounded and mellow in flavor, with a solid foundation of
spice characteristics.
Habanito - 100 % Pre Embargo Cuban Tobacco - mixed filler. These cigars are the best value in the store. The cigars are made from the rough leaf edges and trimmings from the P3000's. They are sold at a small fraction of the cost of the P3000.
P2000 - 70% Pre Embargo Cuban Tobacco with 30% Equadorian. The same richness of taste but about 20% less in cost.
P2000 - Fiero Negro - 70% Pre Embargo Cuban Tobacco. 30% Equadorian Liguero leaves gives this cigar some real strength with the taste of the aged Cuban tobacco. If you like a strong cigar, this one is a real "lung buster".
Magus - An excellent Equadorian cigar. Armando Ramos uses a little known drying and curing technique to enhance the flavor of these fine cigars. Bold flavor with a smooth finish.
AR / Robaina - 40% Pre Embargo Cuban Tobacco. 60% Equadorian tobacco grown from 1st generation Cuban seeds. It also features a delightful Sun Grown Wrapper from Equador. For around $5 each, this is one of my favorite cigars in the store. If you like Sun Grown wrappers, this is a "Must Smoke"
Javier Vizcaino - 35% Pre Embargo Cuban Tobacco. 65% Equadorian with a true Connecticut Shade Wrapper. For those customers who want the taste of aged Cuban tobacco without the strength. The true Connecticut Shade wrapper imparts a smoothness to the smoke yet still allows the Cuban flavor to come through.
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