Kristoff aims to have a taste and a richness in each of their cigars that a true lover of the leaf is looking for, and the Criollo is no different. Made in the same nature as an elite Cuban smoke, Kristoff Criollo is a wonderful medium-bodies cigar which is very full of flavor. Made up of Cuban-seed Dominican and Nicaraguan filler, Olor Dominican Binder, and a oily Honduran Criollo wrapper, this Dominican-made stogie is a perfect cigar for all hours of the day. Despite being medium-bodied, the flavors are plentiful and the complexity of the smoke is outstanding.
The traditional Kristoff band adorns the Criollo and almost blends into the wrapper leaf. Beautifully packaged in cedar boxes surrounded by loose tobacco, Kristoff Criollo has a tight pigtail on the cap and is left unfinished on the foot. The pre-light aroma had a very floral note and this continued after the first couple of puffs. Strong aspects of cedar and earth were mixes with an almost citrus nature which was very pleasant. By the last half of the Criollo, the floral tendencies became muted and we were left with an amazing smoke with a wood-like quality. With each draw an amazing amount of velvety and smooth smoke entered our palate to give us the best possible smoking experience we could have.
Kristoff Criollo has an amazing complex flavor that changed with every third of the cigar, yet maintained a medium-body throughout. The floral and citrus accents paired perfectly with a red wine or possibly a stronger, dryer white. For a heavier smoke we would highly recommend the Kristoff Ligero.