Back in the summer of 2016, Kristoff released their strongest cigar to date, Pistoff Kristoff. Late last year it was announced on The Cigar Authority Podcast that the company would be making the Firecracker based on the Pistoff blend. This time around however, the cigar goes to another extreme with the aptly named Extremely Pistoff Kristoff. It’s available now and today we review the latest offering from Glen Case.
Cigar Review: Pistoff Kristoff
Wrapper: San Andres
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Nicragua
Length: 8.5″
Ring Gauge: 60
Size: Extremely
The Look: The Extremely Pistoff Kristoff is packaged in boxes of 10 with the cigars laid out horizontally in two rows of five. This monstrosity of the cigar features a pigtail cap and a closed foot. The stick features the primary band of red and black with a secondary band denoting the size, Extremely. The San Andres wrapper which is designated on the shelf talker attached to the box as a Natural is loaded with oils and a thin network of veins. In the hand the cigar is firm with no voids of tobacco and a pretty hefty weight.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Pistoff Kristoff has a sweetness that is reminiscent of a caramel coated apple with a touch of earth while the aroma off the foot and wrapper has some chocolate elements to it. Once we quickly light up the closed foot the first notes are cashew and pepper.
As we move into the first third the cigar is nutty in taste with hints of brown sugar and toffee. The retrohale adds some more sweetness that lingers long on the finish. As the first third comes to a close with hints of toasty goodness.
As we move into the second third the toasty quality that ended the first third is in full effect as it serves as the dominant note with some subtle sweetness in the background. There retrohale serves up a slightly floral component with a touch of licorice and cinnamon.
As we start the last third the Extremely Pistoff Kristoff sees the licorice notes carry over the palate, as some pepper and cinnamon begin to show up in abundance on the retrohale. The finish is moderate to long in length with a slightly earthy feel to it.
The Finish: If you have commitment issues this isn’t the cigar for you as at 8.5 inches you are in it for the long haul. My total smoking time was just shy of 5 hours, but results will vary as I was working, but the cigar never went out once and it burned exceptionally well. In this format, the cigar did not seem as strong as the smaller more traditional sizes but it was definitely more robust in terms of flavor. Smoking it didn’t leave me pissed off because it’s yet another great cigar from Kristoff.
Score: 91
Price: $10.99 / $99.99