Cigar Review: Pinar Del Rio 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura

Posted by toasted on Aug 16, 2010 in Reviews | 9 comments

We’ve had some great fellas agree to step in as I take a break to be with my family, as we welcomed our new son.

Today we have another guest review from Tony! I first met Tony through the Cigar Asylum and he has become a friend on Toasted Foot as well. He has an excellent palate and you can find Tony on Facebook or on Cigar Asylum. Please show Tony some love in the comments section – you must have treated him well last time, because he came back! Be sure to check out his first review with us, the Illusione ~mk~. Thanks Tony!

Size: 5 1/4 X 44, Corona

Wrapper: Brazilian Aripriaca

Binder: 1998 Dominican Criollo

Filler: 1998 Nicaraguan & Dominican Criollo

Strength: Medium

Price: Box of 20, $76.50

I’m back for another guest review for Toasted Foot.

I haven’t had much experience with Pinar Del Rio cigars but after recently getting a few to try I decided to do this review on the PDR 1878 Capa Madura. This cigar was created by Abraham Flores out of the Tabacos Don Leoncio Factory.  Featuring a triple-fermented maduro wrapper – this is an all Cuban seed cigar, which is where it gets the name Cubano Especial (Special Blend of Cuban Seed Tobaccos). Abe wanted to make a cigar that could be smoked at any time of the day and I believe he succeeded.

Pre-light:
This smoke has an intimidating look with a dark maduro wrapper and a double black and silver banding, finished by a beautiful pigtail cap. The cigar is firm throughout with a couple of pronounced veins and a dry, rough texture. The cold draw is that of rich tobacco with a slight sweetness that is difficult to describe.

Flavor and Burn:
The cigar lights easily; the first draw is spicy with a bit of a grassy flavor and no sweetness to speak of. Getting into the first third, the grassy flavor disappears and a tangy, earthy flavor begins to come through. This stick draws easily and it takes no effort to get mouthfuls of thick smoke. The ash is dark grey with black banding and the burn line is thin and straight. Towards the end of the first third the flavors shift to the sweetness that I detected during the cold draw with a dry finish of faint cocoa.

Into the second third, the cigar is billowing smoke both on the draw and while sitting in the ash tray. The ash falls after holding strong for about 2 inches and the sweetness picks up as the earthy flavors fade into the background. It is hard for me to pinpoint what the sweetness is. I guess the best way to describe it is a fruity, almost citrusy flavor with a tanginess that is very appealing. The strength begins to mellow to the mild side of medium. The smoke is smooth when exhaling through the sinuses, allowing the sweetness to really shine.

As the final third begins, the earthy flavors start to pick up, as well as the strength. A slight spice can be detected on the nose exhale. The sweetness fades a bit but is still easily enjoyable all the way to the end.

Overall:
In conclusion, this cigar really surprised me. With a great price and plenty of flavor, I would easily recommend this to either a person that likes a lighter cigar or someone who really enjoys a maduro and is looking for a nice morning or early afternoon smoke. It is a pretty straight-forward smoke that took about 45 minutes to nub. It has definitely opened my eyes regarding Pinar Del Rio and I now look forward to trying all of their lines.