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The final of the short smokes series, what a rollercoaster of emotions! Here we go with the El Principe...
First Impressions
A very solid little stick. Not quite beautiful, with some mildly prominent veins, wrinkles and blemishes, but very pleasant with its light milk-chocolate wrapper. I was fortunate to get to enjoy this smoke with a pastry and cup of tea courtesy of the misses, so my bias is strong from the outset!
I dive in while the midday sun is still shining.
PXL_20240211_135002984~2.jpgPXL_20240211_134939413.jpgPXL_20240211_134944312.jpgPXL_20240211_134947546.jpg
Lighting Up
I give the foot an adequate toasting, checking the embers with a quick waft and gentle blow, to let my first draw be unimpeded by any butane. Within a few puffs, the edge rips quickly up into a wavy burn line, I check and see what appears to be a tiny void. I give the stick a bit of extra time to recover, being gentle to try and avoid any touch ups. It recovers. The initial puffs are earthy, very mild, but with a surprising amount of kick to the retro.
PXL_20240211_135228884.jpgPXL_20240211_135602522.jpg
As I progress, a light fruitiness develops alongside a slight sourness that I find works quite well together. The burn has fully stabilised and the construction, other than the initial hiccup, is good. Smoke is light, but enough. Deeper into the first third, the experience is building: more mellow, more cream. The kick on the retro has reduced. There's a subtle floral aroma.
PXL_20240211_140359315.jpg
The 2/3rd has very little in the way of change. The mellow and cream are here to stay. There are still some hints of fruity character, some light floral aspects, but they're hidden for the most part and hard to tease out.
PXL_20240211_140927179.jpg PXL_20240211_141416575.jpg
Hitting the last stretch, the final third sees the welcome addition of some woody/cedar notes, but likewise an unwanted addition in the sourness having become a lot more present; it's unpleasant but not unbearable. The floral flavour in enhanced, some vegetal notes are also there. It's weirdly becoming my favourite part of the cigar, a really rare thing. If that sourness hadn't hit hard at the end, it would have been a champion finish.
PXL_20240211_142415634.jpgPXL_20240211_142815658.jpgPXL_20240211_143334827.jpg
Final Thoughts
Having digested both my pastry and my thoughts, I think I may like this blend more than the cigar itself. It's hard to know without experimenting, but I feel like this may be a situation in which the format is too small to really appreciate the very subtle and mild flavours presented. A larger format could be the missing piece of the puzzle, or again it could all come down to age. I definitely will be looking at other San Cristobal vitolas to enjoy, just for the science, of course.
I don't think the El Principe is entirely without merit. It would have a role to play in many people's humidors, of that I'm sure. Often I like a bit more punch, but my tastes have changed, and maybe I'll learn to love that mild cream once more.
Final Score
7/10
First Impressions
A very solid little stick. Not quite beautiful, with some mildly prominent veins, wrinkles and blemishes, but very pleasant with its light milk-chocolate wrapper. I was fortunate to get to enjoy this smoke with a pastry and cup of tea courtesy of the misses, so my bias is strong from the outset!
I dive in while the midday sun is still shining.
PXL_20240211_135002984~2.jpgPXL_20240211_134939413.jpgPXL_20240211_134944312.jpgPXL_20240211_134947546.jpg
Lighting Up
I give the foot an adequate toasting, checking the embers with a quick waft and gentle blow, to let my first draw be unimpeded by any butane. Within a few puffs, the edge rips quickly up into a wavy burn line, I check and see what appears to be a tiny void. I give the stick a bit of extra time to recover, being gentle to try and avoid any touch ups. It recovers. The initial puffs are earthy, very mild, but with a surprising amount of kick to the retro.
PXL_20240211_135228884.jpgPXL_20240211_135602522.jpg
As I progress, a light fruitiness develops alongside a slight sourness that I find works quite well together. The burn has fully stabilised and the construction, other than the initial hiccup, is good. Smoke is light, but enough. Deeper into the first third, the experience is building: more mellow, more cream. The kick on the retro has reduced. There's a subtle floral aroma.
PXL_20240211_140359315.jpg
The 2/3rd has very little in the way of change. The mellow and cream are here to stay. There are still some hints of fruity character, some light floral aspects, but they're hidden for the most part and hard to tease out.
PXL_20240211_140927179.jpg PXL_20240211_141416575.jpg
Hitting the last stretch, the final third sees the welcome addition of some woody/cedar notes, but likewise an unwanted addition in the sourness having become a lot more present; it's unpleasant but not unbearable. The floral flavour in enhanced, some vegetal notes are also there. It's weirdly becoming my favourite part of the cigar, a really rare thing. If that sourness hadn't hit hard at the end, it would have been a champion finish.
PXL_20240211_142415634.jpgPXL_20240211_142815658.jpgPXL_20240211_143334827.jpg
Final Thoughts
Having digested both my pastry and my thoughts, I think I may like this blend more than the cigar itself. It's hard to know without experimenting, but I feel like this may be a situation in which the format is too small to really appreciate the very subtle and mild flavours presented. A larger format could be the missing piece of the puzzle, or again it could all come down to age. I definitely will be looking at other San Cristobal vitolas to enjoy, just for the science, of course.
I don't think the El Principe is entirely without merit. It would have a role to play in many people's humidors, of that I'm sure. Often I like a bit more punch, but my tastes have changed, and maybe I'll learn to love that mild cream once more.
Final Score
7/10
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