In addition to coffee, another vice I have is a good cigar. I don't smoke anywhere near what I used to, so now I save them for special occasions. Today's victory cigar was a PDR 1878. I received this during a Lite Up Charlotte event at Outland cigars. These are great events where 100% of the profits go to The Bloom Project (http://bloomproject.org/bloom.html).
Appearance and Construction: A medium dark cigar with mild oils. The cigar had a good weight and a well packed foot. The band was black with silver lettering and a small second band. The top of the cigar had pig tail which had popped off by the time I was ready to smoke it, so there was no need to cut it!
Flavor & Notes: The draw was a mix of chocolate and raisin and the foot is slightly musky with some notes of wood. Once the cigar is lit there are noticeable wood notes with a touch of leather. The second third of the cigar has some complexity as the notes become a little citric and the wood continues and some bitter chocolate begins to develop as well. As we close out of the the final third of the cigar the wood remains, and the bitter chocolate smooths out some with a slightly leather like finish.
Smoking Characteristics: The PDR 1878 Capa Madura is a well-made cigar with a excellent burn all the way through. The draw was great even with the small pig tail hole and the cigar produced moderate amounts of smoke.
Conclusion: An excellent cigar from Pinar Del Rio. I believe the stick retails for $5 so it is a great value, which is why I rate high. A good beginner smoke as there is no buzz at all.
