{"id":502,"date":"2011-10-19T19:14:12","date_gmt":"2011-10-19T19:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/?p=502"},"modified":"2012-07-25T12:30:17","modified_gmt":"2012-07-25T16:30:17","slug":"cigar-review-san-cristobal-elegancia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/cigar-review-san-cristobal-elegancia\/","title":{"rendered":"Cigar Review: San Cristobal Elegancia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Don Pepin has been and remains one of the hottest names in the cigar world for years, so it only makes sense that his blending expertise is in high demand.\u00a0 Ashton cigars came to Pepin a few years ago, and the relaunched San Cristobal line was the result – a full-bodied Nicaraguan puro with a corojo wrapper that pulls no punches.\u00a0 Recently, though, it seems as if the industry has seen an all-out assault of full-bodied smokes, while milder\u00a0offerings have been left in the dust.\u00a0 Enter Pepin (again), with a focus this time on a milder version of San Cristobal, but still with an assurance that this will not be “just another mild Connecticut”.<\/p>\n

Cigar: San Cristobal Elegancia<\/a>
\nWrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
\nBinder: Nicaragua
\nFiller: Nicaragua<\/p>\n

Appearance:<\/p>\n\"\"<\/table>\n

The reddish hue of the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is quite attractive.\u00a0 The cigar is triple capped and exhibits an evenly packed foot.<\/p>\n

Pre-Light:<\/p>\n

The aroma off of the foot as well as the pre-light draw are quite similar: a simple sweet hay note and a very light spice.<\/p>\n

First Third:<\/p>\n

After lighting and taking the first puff, I was absolutely blown away at how unexpectedly full this cigar was at the beginning, particularly through the nose.\u00a0 No, it wasn’t as full as the regular San Cristobal, but it was certainly a surprise considering the wrapper.\u00a0 There are similarities to the regular line, but the Elegancia has more of an emphasis on white pepper accompanied by a toasty sweetness.\u00a0 A tangy, mineral-y taste that I find in many Nicaraguan cigars (and those from another little island country<\/del> – I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve never smoked those!) is also prevalent.\u00a0 After the first few puffs, the body is a solid medium, and strength is mild-medium.<\/p>\n

Second\u00a0Third:<\/p>\n

The path this cigar is on divulges far, far\u00a0away from the first third – almost a Jekyll\u00a0& Hyde experience!\u00a0 The pepper and tanginess almost completely disappear, and are replaced by toasted nuts, grains, and a buttery creaminess that remains on the roof of my mouth after the exhale.\u00a0 The pepper is much softer, and the tastes blend together nicely.\u00a0 Several puffs struck me as pecan-like.\u00a0 While the body has tamed down to a mild-medium, this is a milder\u00a0cigar that does not sacrifice flavor\u00a0for\u00a0a lower strength.<\/p>\n

Final\u00a0Third:<\/p>\n

A bit more complexity finds its way into the last third.\u00a0 While the pepper does make a return, it is slight,\u00a0and is accompanied by an oak and charred grain\/popcorn taste.\u00a0 The strength and body ramp up slightly,\u00a0but it is still quite different from the first third in this regard.\u00a0 The creaminess and sweetness both work their way out, and eventually the experience has come to an end.<\/p>\n

Conclusion:<\/p>\n

It’s good.\u00a0 Quite good.\u00a0 While I personally prefer stronger cigars, I was still able to appreciate the level of taste and complexity that the Elegancia offered.\u00a0 Ashton and Pepin have succeeded again, this time in bringing a milder smoke that can be enjoyed by almost any palate.<\/p>\n

Special Event:<\/strong>
\nEmerson’s Cigars on Granby Street in Norfolk will be having a Cigar Lunches On Granby St<\/a>. event on Friday, October 21st, featuring Ashton cigars!\u00a0 The event includes an Ashton cigar, pizza from Granby Street Pizza, soda\/water, as well as special deals, all for $7.\u00a0 The event runs from 11am-2pm, and tickets can be purchased at the store, online, or at the door.\u00a0 Come on out, it’s the best lunch deal you’re going to find (you don’t even have to give me a tip)!<\/p>\n

San Cristobal Elegancia is available in 5 sizes in 5 packs and 25 count boxes from Emerson’s Cigars by clicking here<\/a> and can be purchased at all 5 Emerson\u2019s Cigars locations or by calling us at 1-800-842-2990 to place an order.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Don Pepin has been and remains one of the hottest names in the cigar world for years, so it only makes sense that his blending expertise is in high demand.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[13,17,22,28,48],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCigar Review: San Cristobal Elegancia - Emerson's Cigars Online Cigar Lounge<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/cigar-review-san-cristobal-elegancia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cigar Review: San Cristobal Elegancia - Emerson's Cigars Online Cigar Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Don Pepin has been and remains one of the hottest names in the cigar world for years, so it only makes sense that his blending expertise is in high demand.\u00a0 […]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/cigar-review-san-cristobal-elegancia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Emerson's Cigars Online Cigar Lounge\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/emersonscigars\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-10-19T19:14:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-07-25T16:30:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/scelegancia.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"250\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Matthias\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@emersonscigars\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@emersonscigars\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Matthias\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/cigar-review-san-cristobal-elegancia\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/emersonscigars.com\/blog\/cigar-review-san-cristobal-elegancia\/\",\"name\":\"Cigar Review: San Cristobal Elegancia - 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