HVC Selección No 1 Connecticut Review — HVC Selección No 1 Connecticut Poderosos Review

Today, we review the HVC Selección No. 1 Connecticut in the Poderosos (Toro) size. The Selección No. 1 Connecticut is the second Connecticut Shade cigar line that has been released by HVC, following up the Hot Cake Golden Line. It also is the third blend under HVC’s Selección No. 1 line. Selección No 1 gets its name because it was the first HVC line to come out of HVC’s own factory, Fabrica de Tabaccos HVC. Selección made its debut in 2022 with a Maduro release. This was followed up a year later with the Natural (Habano) release. Now, the Selección No. 1 Connecticut rounds out what could be considered a trilogy. One of the goals of the Selección No 1 Connecticut was to introduce a milder, creamier offering into the HVC portfolio.

HVC Cigars was founded in 2011 by Reinier Lorenzo. The name HVC stands for Havana City, which pays homage to Havana, Cuba, where Lorenzo grew up in post-revolutionary Cuba. While the company has been in business for 14 years, the past three years have seen it make some significant moves. In addition to opening its factory in 2022, the year before, HVC took control of its distribution by opening its own warehouse and company headquarters outside Miami, Florida.

Without further ado, let’s turn our attention back to the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos and see what this cigar brings to the table.

HVC Selección No 1 Connecticut Poderosos – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

In addition to the Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper, the Selección No. 1 Connecticut features all Nicaraguan tobaccos from Jalapa and Estelí for the binder and filler.

Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin
Factory: Fabrica de Tabaccos HVC, SA

Vitolas Offered

The Selección No 1 Connecticut comes in three sizes.

Esenciales 5 5/8 x 46
Short Robusto: 4 ½ x 52
Poderosos: 6 x 54

Appearance (*)

Connecticut Shade wrappers tend to be light and golden brown. In the case of the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos, this was a Connecticut Shade wrapper that I considered to be darker than most. Upon closer examination, a slight amount of toothiness was present. There wasn’t much in the way of oil on the surface of the wrapper. There were some thin, visible veins. The wrapper seams were minimally visible.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw (*)

Before lighting up the Selección No 1 Connecticut Poderosos, a straight cut was used to remove the cigar cap. Once the cap was detached, it was time to commence with the pre-light draw. The cold draw delivered a mix of buttercream and natural tobacco. This wasn’t an overly sweet pre-light draw but also one that satisfied me. It was time to toast the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos opened up with notes of buttercream and natural tobacco. As the cigar moved through the early phases, notes of toast and raisin emerged. Sometimes, I associate raisin flavors with poorly fermented or young tobacco, but this wasn’t the case here. The buttercream and natural were the primary notes early on, but by the middle of the second third, the buttercream joined the raisin and toast in the background, leaving the natural tobacco as the primary note. Meanwhile, there was a layer of cedar present on the retro-hale.

As the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos moved into the second third, earth notes emerged with the natural tobacco. Meanwhile, toast and raisin notes remained in the background. At the same time, some black pepper emerged on both the tongue and the retro-hale. The pepper was not overpowering, and cedar remained present in the retro-hale.

The final third still featured earth and natural tobacco as the primary notes. However, pepper had increased and become the most prominent secondary note. Meanwhile, toast and raisins were still present. This is how the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

The burn of the Selección No 1 Connecticut Poderosos performed well. This cigar did not need many touch-ups to maintain a straight burn path and a relatively straight burn line. The ash wasn’t overly firm, but it was also not loose. It was prone to some minor flaking and flowering, and its color was on the lighter side. As for the burn rate and burn temperature, both maintained ideal levels.

Draw

Each Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos sample was well-packed, resulting in some snugness in the draw. While I usually like a little resistance in the draw, this cigar had more than I prefer. At the same time, it did not require any relights.

Strength and Body

The Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos was one of the milder HVC cigars that I’ve had. The cigar started out with mild strength and mild to medium-bodied flavors. Through the smoking experience, there was a gradual increase in intensity. The cigar progressed to mild to medium strength and medium-bodied flavors by the second half.

In terms of strength versus body, the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos is where the body maintained the edge from start to finish.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES (*)

The classic bands —red, gold, and white—indicate the Selección No. 1 Connecticut. It comes in a white box, distinguished from the Maduro, which has a green box, and the Natural, which uses a yellow box. I think the Selección No. 1 Connecticut white box is the most elegant.

HVC Selección No 1 Connecticut Packaging (Short Robusto Box)

When I discussed the Natural, I mentioned that one of my critiques was that I thought the banding on each blend needed to be different to distinguish one from the other. I noted that there might be some confusion between the Maduro and the Natural wrappers. This is because the Selección No. 1 Connecticut wrapper is darker and could easily be mistaken for the Natural. However, the good news is that the Selección No. 1 Connecticut features a white footer ribbon, which makes it easier to identify.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

Regarding the Selección No. 1 line, if you rank the three blends, one goes to the top and one, necessarily, to the bottom. In the case of the Selección No. 1 Natural, the top-ranked blend goes to the Natural. The one that goes to the bottom is the Selección No. 1 Connecticut. It’s not a bad cigar, but the problem is that it lacks some wow power. I enjoyed the milder flavors better in the first and second half. Still, the positives outweigh the minuses. This is a cigar I would recommend to any cigar enthusiast. Coming in at a respectable 88 points, the Selección No. 1 Connecticut Poderosos is a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Natural Tobacco, Buttercream, Toast, Raisin, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Very Good
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Mild (1st Half), Mild to Medium (2nd Half)
Body: Mild to Medium (1st Half), Medium (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good