Since 2006 Two Guys Smoke Shop has had the Firecracker as part of the repertoire. Past makers of the Firecracker include My Father Cigars, La Flor Dominicana, Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust, RoMaCraft, Fratello and an ongoing production by Jose Dominguez. This year David Garofalo gave the task to Glen Case and Kristoff Cigars. The cigars went on sale June 24th, 2019 via 2GuysCigars.com and we offer our review today.
Cigar Review: Pistoff Kristoff
Wrapper: San Andres
Binder: Indonesia
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Length: 3.5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Size: Firecracker
The Look: Packaged in a cedar flip top box the Pistoff Kristoff Firecracker is laid out in two rows of 10 cigars. Inside the box, the cigar features a dark, oily San Andres wrapper along with the signature fuse that is tucked inside the red and black band. In addition to the fuse the cigar also returns to having a closed foot after the Mi Querida version last year failed to incorporate it. In the hand the cigar has an average weight and there is a subtle coarseness to the wrapper.
The Notes: The cold draw of the Pistoff Kristoff Firecracker has notes of Bavarian Pretzels along with a hint of dark chocolate and touch of nutmeg. The aroma off the closed for has a fair amount of red pepper to hit which makes my nostrils tingle.
Once we quickly light the closed foot of the cigar we are met with an onslaught of red pepper on both the retrohale and the palate. The initial draw wakes you up instantly with a full frontal assault of red pepper, but as the pepper begins to subside slightly there is a subtle sweetness that develops along with a hint of licorice.
Moving on to the second half of the cigar the pepper notes transcend into more of a white pepper feel and the cigar also develops a subtle sweet characteristic along with some notes of wood that is reminiscent of maple. The retrohale continues with an abundance of pepper and as the cigar comes to a close I definitely feel the effects of the nicotine kick from the Firecracker.
This is a cigar that in my opinion has a retrohale that borders on obscene. I personally try to retrohale every couple of puffs but throughout the duration of the cigar each retrohale almost made me sneeze and my eyes water. It’s like eating some hot fries despite how hot they can get, you can’t help but want more.
The Finish: When you have a long history of Firecrackers the question is always asked how does it compare to the ones that came before. This was a blend definitely worthy of inclusion of the history of the Firecracker. There is a lot about the cigar that for me embodies what the Firecracker is. First off its front loaded with pepper, so when you light it up you are hit with that strong pepper profile. For me it is a Top 3 release of the Firecracker and if you include the show on Saturday, I have now smoked 11 Firecrackers since Friday. I guess its time for me to grab a second box so I have enough for the Fourth of July.
Score: 93
Price: $6.99 / $119.99
Pistoff Kristoff Firecracker
Pistoff Kristoff Firecracker Foot
Pistoff Kristoff Firecracker Burn
