Cigar Review: Pistoff Kristoff

Cigar: Pistoff Kristoff
Size: 6 x 60
Wrapper: San Andrés (Natural)
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaraguan
MSRP: $12.03 from The Clean Machine (my local B&M)

Happy 2019 to everyone. Hopefully, the new year has started out well for everyone out there. I stopped into my local B&M recently not only to pick up a few cigars but to get a car wash as my vehicle was in desperate need of a cleaning (this full service car wash has a fantastic walk-in humidor with a varied selection of cigars). While walking the humidor, I always try to pinpoint the cigars I know are new to the shop. To the left of the doorway resides the selection of Kristoff Cigars, a brand that I have enjoyed in the past but seem to pass along for others. This time however, I noticed a new Kristoff on the shelf. Supposedly named by a customer, the Pistoff Kristoff brings a strong, full bodied but deceptively smooth smoking experience to the Kristoff family. As it had been several months (at least) since I have smoked a Kristoff, I was more than happy to give them one a shot.

No construction on the cigar chosen for review. I bought two: One to enjoy first with the second to review. The pre-light aromas consisted of an enjoyable blend of leather and cloves while the cold draw (V cut on the guillotine) brought only fainy woody notes. The light gave way to a balanced draw and opening notes of something like some sort of slightly acidic herb and leather. The acidic herb – think freshly cut citrus herbs – gave a fresh flavor to the palette while the leather finished on the back end of the profile and aftertaste. As the description, this is a very smooth and easy smoking cigar with a medium-to-full bodied starting point. 33 minutes into the cigar was when the strength of the cigar began rising, along with the leathery notes of the cigar. The herbal notes mentioned above began mellowing around this point. Consistently throughout the 50 minutes of smoking, the cigar just kept getting stronger and stronger with heavier leather and the inclusion of a slight cocoa to the profile to finish things out. By the end, it was a very potent full bodied cigar that held long onto the palette after smoking. The final time on the Pistoff Kristoff was 1:30.

The cigar chosen for review, as well as the extra bought, both smoked without a single problem. All in all, it was a memorable cigar and one that will be sticking in my mind as this is the first Kristoff I felt that really made a full bodied splash (at least in recent memory). Well done.

By-The-Numbers
Pre-light: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 0.75/1
Total: 8.75/10

To recap the Pistoff Kristoff:

• The Pistoff Kristoff is the Kristoff you are looking for if you are wanting a strong, full bodied cigar. I enjoyed the flavors but would have liked to have seen a little bit more complexity.
• This one is going to be a prankster, as it’ll lure folks in with an easy start. If you are adverse to stronger cigars, look to others in the Kristoff family.
• I took a quarter point off of the value and I think that is because of my state’s tobacco taxes. I know you can find these online for a few dollars less.
• I will be considering these again in the future, when I am in need of something on the stronger side.

Before I leave you, I wanted to wrap up the final tally on this year’s Pick’em League. This year brought two winners with a tie score of 166 to the teams of ScoTaco and Pop Lockett Drop It. Both teams have been awarded Drew Estate Factory Smokes bundles. Thank you all for playing this season. Expect it back when the 2019 leagues form up.

Thank you so much for reading. I look forward to the next time I can share my thoughts with you.