#4 2024 Cigar of the Year


#4 2024 Cigar of the Year – Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro

SPECIFICATIONS

rapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan (Condega)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Condega, Estelí, Jalapa).
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Factory: Tabacalera von Eicken
Toro: 6 1/4 x 54
Price: $10.50

Sponsor: No
Samples Provided for Initial Review: No
Review: Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro
Appearances on Countdown (By Year/Company): 3 (2019, 2023, 2024)

The Details

Coming in at #4 on the 2024 Cigar of the Year Countdown is the Kristoff Tres Compadres Toro.

The name Tres Compadres means “three friends.” In this case, it is a tribute from Kristoff owner Glen Case to two of his close friends who recently passed away, Chuck Finch and Rolando Villamil. Case would often refer to the three of them as the three amigos. Rolando Villamil is a name that may be pretty familiar if you cover the cigar industry, as he ran Tabacalera Von Eicken in the Dominican Republic, where all of Kristoff’s cigars are produced.

In addition to being a special tribute from Case, the Tres Compadres marks an essential step in the evolution of the Kristoff brand.  The Kristoff portfolio did not have puro blends – namely, blends with tobacco from a single country. All of that would change in 2023 when Kristoff released two puro blends containing 100% Nicaraguan tobacco: Kristoff Tres Compadres and Kristoff Nicaragua. The wrapper is Nicaraguan Habano, the remainder of the blend uses tobaccos from Condega, Estelí, and Jalapa. The Toro is a little thicker and little longer than your average Toro measuring 6 ¼ x 54.

The Tres Compadres Toro delivered a nice amount of complexity including notes of natural tobacco, earth, berry, cream, cedar, and pepper. These flavors were medium-bodied. As for the strength, the Tres Compadres Toro started out mild to medium before progressing to medium in the second third. The flavors are nuanced and balanced making for an excellent smoking experience.

For Kristoff this is the third time they have placed a cigar on a Cigar Coop Countdown – and all three of those have been in the top ten, and two of those times they have been in the top five. Kristoff also lands the Dominican Republic its 7th cigar on the 2024 Countdown.


 

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