A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of sitting with Lauren Ferraro (CLE Rep) and Pablo Schneider (Patoro Owner) and sample this new cigar distributed in the USA by CLE (Christian Eiroa).
If the name Schneider doesn’t sounds familiar, it should as Pablo Schneider is the grandson of the famous Dr. Schneider who once owned Davidoff and looking at the boxes there is a similarity to that lineage. The wood style boxes are very much in the same mold as his grandfather’s famous brand. The labels have gold text, but with a more modern twist of orange.
The question is how does the cigar taste….
Cigar: Patoro
Size: 5.5 x 43 (Corona)
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium-Full
Source: Two Guys Smoke Shop
The Look: The orange band stands out as it is a color not generally used in the cigar industry. The gold text which is embossed stating Patoro gets slightly lost in the contrast and a secondary line states since 2001. Patoro exists in Europe with a different blend which has been changed for the American market. The Brazilian wrapper is oily and a nice coffee brown in color. There are some seams on the roll, but the cigar is well packed with a nice weight to it.
The Notes: Opting to use a punch cutter off of a Vertigo Lighter the cold draw served up some sweetness similar to a Tootsie Roll and elements of cedar. The aroma off the foot serves up hay and wood notes.
Once the corona is lit the flavors are there from the get go. There is some spice through the nose similar to black pepper and an exorbitant amount of earth and wood with hints of nutmeg that grabs your palate with authority.
In the second third of the cigar the spice remains through the nose though it is muted compared to the first third. A honey like sweetness develops in the second third with a slightly floral notes. The spicy undertones creates a nice canvas on which the sweetness creates a picture.
The last third of the Patoro sees the earthy notes come to the forefront with a slightly bitter finish over subtle notes of nutmeg and honey.
The Burn: The Patoro has one of those ashes that are flawless and exceptionally smooth. It is white in color except for some darkness near the foot on one side. Once it burns past that spot it is as white as can be and firm. Having a corona cigar with an ash that holds for nearly the first half of the smoke is a rarity. The draw of the smoke is iconic with just enough resistance and it remains lit from first light to last puff.
The Finish: Dare I say epic, there is very little not to like about Patoro. The cigar has a wonderful complexity and some intense flavors that make this cigar standout. The byline for the brand is, “Premium is silver, Patoro is gold” and we couldn’t agree more. It’s gold I tell you, gold.
Price: $8.19 / $144.99
Score: 95
Patoro
Patoro Foot
Patoro Burn
