Flores y Rodrigues CRV Azul robusto

[Don Fernando]

I’ve known Abe Flores for several years, since my previous employer started to distributing PDR cigars and every time Abe was in the country I would drive him around and do events with him. Actually, when I left my employer, which by the way wasn’t my choice, Abe was one of the few people from the industry that reached out to me. So I was happy to see Abe at Intertabac in Dortmund, which I went to visit even though I wasn’t in the industry anymore and Abe gave me a few cigars, including this one.

So I come home, select the cigars that I have gotten there and want to review in the months to come. One of these cigars was the Flores Y Rodriguez Connecticut Valley Reserve but with a blue ring and I couldn’t find any information on them online. Because I needed the information I reached out to Robbie Streitz on Facebook and his reply was that I’m very lucky to have gotten this cigar, since its a cigar that hasn’t been released yet (i’m writing this review late 2016, I work ahead) and will be released early 2017 in a very limited amount of 150 boxes and 250 jars of each size. The broadleaf rosado wrapper is beautiful, dark, oily, only one very thin vein with a beautiful triple cap and a great construction. The rings are quite simple, lets start with the blue cloth on the foot, just a piece of blue cloth to protect the cigar, then the 2nd ring, which is dark brown with a triple golden line, the middle one small white dots on both and in the middle of the cigar it says Connecticut Valley Reserve in golden lettering. The top band is a regular Flores y Rodriguez band with a golden logo in a golden dotted circle, white lettering and a golden outline. The blue used to fill the background is a vibrant medium dark blue and I must say, the printer did an awesome job as the gold and the blue really pop.

The cigar has a medium strong barnyard aroma with some ammonia and white pepper. I punched the cigar and notice that the wrapper is quite thick. The cold draw has the right amount of resistance and I taste raisin with a mild pepper in the aftertaste. I lit the cigar with my soft flame. I taste coffee with cinnamon and five spices. After a centimeter the cigar is a bit sour with wood and a mild bitterness at the back of my throat. In the front of my mouth it feels smoky.

After a third the cigar has a herbal and mild peppery flavor profile with a little bit of citrus and sweetness. Halfway it’s a cedar flavor with a little bit of pepper on the background. I also taste a mild cinnamon again. Slowly the citrus returns and gets stronger. The cinnamon gets a bit stronger and it’s mixed with nutmeg and citrus. Near the end I taste a strong nut flavor with some spice and citrus and a peppery aftertaste.

The smoke is thick, white and plentiful, just how I like it with a close to perfect draw. The ash is almost white, firm and beautifully layered. The burn is great, quite straight. The cigar is medium full to full bodied and full flavored, well balanced with a nice evolution. The smoke time is an hour and thirty minutes.

Would I buy this cigar again? Since it’s such a limited release that will be impossible but maybe I get lucky.

Score: 93

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