Cigar Review: PDR Flores y Rodriguez Connecticut Valley Reserve

Vitola: Figurado
Size: 6.5′ x 52 ring gauge
Price $17.00
Obtained From SmallBatchCigar.com as a review sample

Background

I hadn’t heard much about these cigars beforehand but Andrew at SmallBatch said I needed to give it a try.  The cigar was released at the 2015 IPCPR what looks like a limited edition.  There are 4 sizes that come in 15 count piano black boxes, with a total production of 1,800 boxes.  The sizes are robusto, 5″ x 52, belicoso 5.5″ x 54, grand toro 6″ x 54 and the subject of this review a figurado.  This was the first one I smoked.

Prelight

The wrapper on this sample was a very dark brown in color with some golden streaks to it.  It was slightly lumpy and the bunch was off as you can see by the shape of the head.  I don’t know if this was because they decided to hand roll these and not use a mold or something else.  The wrapper was very oily and some of the oils came off on my fingers.  Surprisingly it didn’t have much tooth to it.  When I gave it a squeeze there were no soft spots and only a slight amount of give.  Putting my nose to the wrapper I got a heavy aroma of leather and barnyard, with a light aroma of the same coming from the abbreviated foot.  After I clipped it and took a cold draw on it I noted some wood and sugar flavors with an ok draw.

Flavor

It starts off with a good amount of spice, chocolate and earth flavors.  The retrohale also had a nice red pepper burn to it as well.  After I moved past the shoulder in the foot I started to get some cinnamon, sugar and wood added to the taste.  The cigar starts at the upper end of medium strength.  When I got to the second third the spice tingle on my tongue started to build and the flavors changed slightly to chocolate earth and leather.  The strength built a bit during this third as well.  As I got into the final third the spice surprisingly died down, but didn’t go away.  However it did come back in the very last bit of the cigar.  The flavors in the final third were similar to the second third but slightly different; chocolate, coffee and leather.  The cigar moved into the full strength by the end as well.

Construction

The draw was a little tight to begin with but as soon as I got over the shoulder in the foot it opened up nicely.  The burn line was bit ragged throughout and needed a couple minor corrections.  I don’t know if that was due to me not lighting it evenly or a construction issue.

Value

To me even at the slightly discounted price Small Batch has them selling at it is a bit expensive.  I can get a Padron 1964 or a PG Symphony for the same price and I enjoy those much more.

Conclusions

I did enjoy this cigar, heck I enjoy almost any cigar with a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper.  However I didn’t get anything “special” from the cigar.  It didn’t wow me as it should have for the price and limited number produced.  I also think that at this price point construction should be spot on.  There wasn’t anything really bad, but nothing jumped out about it to me.  If you want to give it a try for yourself so you can tell me I’m full of it, head over to our sponsor Small Batch and give it a whirl.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 1.5/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7.5/10