Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata

The Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata is one of four new cigar blends that has been introduced in Kristoff’s Galerones line.  We’ve been covering and reviewing this line extensively on Cigar Coop.  The Galerones line is not just a set of new cigars, but has marked a radical change in direction for the products being released by Kristoff. The Galerones line features more sleek packaging, and incorporates tobaccos Kristoff has not previously used.  On top of that the Galerones is made in a different factory – Abe Flores’ PDR Cigars factory.  Each of the four blends of the Galerones line are distinct.  The Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata is the third of the four cigar line we have reviewed on Cigar Coop.  This line has proven to be solid so far and the Ceniza de Plata does not disappoint here.

For this cigar experience, I opted to smoke the Ceniza de Plata in the Toro size.  The San Andres Mexican wrapper to the Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata has a dark roasted coffee color to it. Upon close examination you can see some darker marbling on the wrapper.  While the wrapper has a slight amount of oil on the surface, it also has a little bit of a bumpy feel to it.  There are some visible veins and visible wrapper seams.

The banding and packaging also have a big change when it comes to the Galerones Series.  The bands have more of a glossy look and this is reflected on the Ceniza de Plata.

Packaging of the Kristoff Ceniza de Plata

There are two bands on the Ceniza de Plata.  The primary band has a brown, black, yellow, and gold color scheme. The top section of the band has a gradiant effect between the brown at the top and the yellow at the bottom.  On that background is the text “KRISTOFF” in a slightly curved arrangement in gold.  The remainder of the top section of the band has gold adornments – including a crown on top.  The lower section of the band has a black background.  The text “GALERONES” sits on top of that background in a a duller gold font. Below that text is the text “SERIES” in a orange/yellow colored font.  On the left side of the black background is the text “D.Republic” and on the right side is the text “Glen Case” – both in gold scripted font.  The remainder of the band has gold trim.

Immediately below that band is a secondary band.  It has a black background as well.  The text “KRISTOFF” sits on top of the background in gold font.  Below that is the text “CENIZA DE PLATA” in yellow font with gold trim, and just below that is Glen Case’s name in gold cursive font surrounded by a yellow/orange stripe on each side..  To the left and right is the text “GALERONES” in a dull gold font.  There is also gold trim on the band.

Preparation for the Cigar Experience

Prior to lighting up my Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata, I opted to place a straight cut to remove the cap.  Once the cap was clipped, I moved on to the pre-light draw.  The dry draw yielded notes of roasted coffee, black cherry, and some mild spice.  Overall I considered this to be an excellent pre-light draw.  At this point, I was ready to light up my Ceniza de Plata and see what the smoking phase would deliver.

Flavor Profile

The start to the Ceniza de Plata provided a mix of mocha and earth notes.  I picked up some background pepper notes.  I could also detect the pepper on the retro-hale – and it seemed to be more of a white pepper variant through the nasal passages.  As the cigar moved through the first five percent, the mocha notes got richer – taking on a deeper chocolate flavor.  The earth notes moved to the background joining the pepper notes.  There was also a nice creamy undertone in the background.

As the Ceniza de Plata progressed through the first half, the chocolate and mocha soon separated into two distinct notes.  It was the chocolate notes that gave this cigar its sweetness.  Both of these flavors alternated in terms of which one had the edge in the forefront.  The pepper and cream notes were secondary flavors.  Meanwhile the earth notes had switched to more of a nut flavor.  This nut flavor was more of a tertiary note.

In the second half the pepper joined the mocha and chocolate notes in the forefront.  It seemed like the mocha notes now had a slight edge here.  The creamy undertone remained in the background.  This is the way the flavor profile held until the end.  The close to the Ceniza de Plata was flavorful and there was no harshness.  The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn and Draw

Overall the burn performed quite well on the Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata.  The burn line remained relatively straight and did not require much in the way of touch-ups.  The burn rate and burn temperature were also ideal.  The ash was definitely a cross between white and gray.  It actually did seem to have some silvery qualities to it.  There was some minor flaking from time to time from this ash.

Burn of the Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata

The draw was excellent on the Ceniza de Plata.  It was not too loose and not too tight.  It made this a very enjoyable cigar to puff on from start to finish.

Strength and Body

The Ceniza de Plata was advertised as a medium to full-bodied smoke, but from my perspective I actually felt the flavors were bolder and heavier on the pallet.  I found this to be a full-bodied smoke from start to finish.  In fact, I think the full-bodied flavors worked excellent with this particular blend.  As for the strength, I found that was in the medium to full range of the spectrum.  When comparing strength versus body, I definitely gave the edge to the body.

Final Thoughts

If you have read many of my assessments on Cigar Coop, you will know that Mexican wrapper is hit or miss with me.  In many cases, I have found the San Andres Mexican wrapper to be too pungent and can overwhelm a blend.  I’ve seen factories like Casa Fernandez master how to use this without overwhelming the blend.  After smoking the Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata and AFR-75 by PDR Cigars, I now feel blender Abe Flores falls into this category.  The Galerones line is shaping up to be the best line I’ve had from Kristoff – and this one is another winner.  While it does have a little bit of strength, this is a great cigar for a novice to graduate to something stronger.  Experienced cigar enthusiast and fans of Mexican wrapper should like this cigar.  As for myself, this is a cigar I’d smoke again – and its one worthy of a box split.

Summary

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Full
Finish: Good
Assessement: 3.5 – Box Split
Score: 92

References

Source: Purchased
Stogie Geeks Podcast: Episode 76
Stogie Feed: Kristoff Galerones Ceniza de Plata Toro