Cigar Review: Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata Robusto

Kristoff Cigars

It had to have been sometime in the mid-2000s, but I have a vague recollection of my first Kristoff cigar. I think it was an Original Corojo and I might just have to hunt down the label to confirm but otherwise knew nothing at the time about the brand or the cigar. The reason I remember it is because it was the first pigtailed cigar I'd ever had and thought it looked really cool, sort of like the first time I saw a culebra, but without having to wonder how to smoke it. Haven't a clue where it came from, a part of a sampler or gifted by a buddy, probably, but in those days I was buying cigars like there was no tomorrow and it somehow ended up in my humidor.

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I can say with certainty that I must have liked it. Otherwise, when the collection of various Kristoff's arrived at my door recently, I wouldn't have been as excited. Like most seasoned smokers, there exist a few cigars I've had that were so awful as to ruin the entire brand for me from now until eternity, no matter what. There are many more brands I am indifferent about, though I am open to changing my opinion through new releases or outright bribery. And then there are those that I've really enjoyed, sometimes fallen straight in love with, and will seek to try and smoke everything even tangentially related to them (I'm looking at you, Don Pepin).

With only a dim recollection of that initial cigar, Kristoff sat firmly in the second group. Now, with a full-on sampler on my hands (didn't I say something about bribery?), I would have the opportunity to really put them to the test. I chose to start my exploration with the Ceniza de Plata, part of the Galerones series, mainly because I was intrigued by the lack of a curly head and uncut foot. Could Kristoff impress me without those? Let's find out.

Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata Robusto (5x52)

First the stats:

Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas; Binder: Ecuadorian Cuban seed; Filler: Triple Nicaraguan Cuban Seed

Pre-light impressions: Well-constructed, a touch oily, and solid from head to foot. I've seen people complain in the past about Kristoff being lightly filled, but I see no evidence of that here. There's not much of a scent other than sweet tobacco from the unlit stick, perhaps some barnyard or hay if I inhale deeply enough, but mostly I'm just itching to check out what's inside.

First third:

A perfect draw is hard to come by, but this stick comes pretty close. Maybe a little too firm for my preference, but I really haven't given the stick time to age and I didn't dry box it either, so I won't lay blame on the roller. The beginning flavors are mostly coffee with cream and cocoa. Probably easier to just say mocha, but there's no sweetness in it. Warm spice in the retro hale. The reason for the cigar's name, Ceniza de Plate meaning Silver Ash, becomes very evident after only a few puffs.

Here's something interesting: You'll notice there is a little 'collar' around the ash. That's my fault. I let the cigar sit a few minutes too long and pulled a few deep puffs to get it fully burning again. Since the outside had cooled but the filler still smoldered, it the wrapper quickly burned and flared out, creating the effect. If you could see the other side, you'd know that it wasn't even a uniform burn, requiring me to perform a quick fix with the quad torch. Again, all my own doing and a mistake I'll try to remember to avoid.

Second Third

Here we are back on track with the last shot before the label has to go. There was a little bitterness for some minutes after the touchup but it has mellowed into a soft citrus and now we're all good. As I work my way in, I'm finally catching some earthy sweetness on the tip of my tongue as I exhale, like cane sugar or molasses or maybe even maple syrup. The aroma is awesome, a little funky and a little floral, and I hope the neighbors are outside on this beautiful fall day to appreciate it.

Final Third

One nice thing about such a huge band is discovering there's plenty of cigars left to enjoy once they're removed. The burn remained well behaved once I started smoking at the proper rate, though it might be interesting to investigate how fast or slow smoking affects the ash's appearance and integrity. I'll leave that experiment for another day and another stick. As for the Ceniza de Plata, the flavors towards the end flattened out somewhat into mostly leather and espresso, but I still enjoyed it just fine to the nub. The strength didn't rise above medium at any time, which is somewhat surprising, but I'm not going to complain since I hate burning out my palate in the early afternoon. I'll save that for after dinner when I can get my whiskey on.

Impression: A good, solid start to what promises to be an enjoyable adventure through the various Kristoff frontmarks. I would prefer a little more action during the second half. But I hadn't given this cigar much time in the humidor, and I'd bet some rest would do it a world of good by swirling the those delicious flavors round and round on the inside. I'm rating the Galerones Ceniza de Plate an easy (7 out of 10, 3.5 stars out of 5, whatever) with room for improvement.

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