San Cristobal de la Habana Oficios

Origin : Cuba
Format : Corona (Oficios)
Size : 135 x 17.07 mm (5.3 x 43)
Ring : 43
Hand-Made
Price : ~$180-250 for a box of 25
More info about purchasing San Cristobal de la Habana cigars...

San Cristobal de la Habana is the newest brand launched by Habanos SA. It started with 4 sizes in 1999 and three more were introduced in 2004 for the 5th Anniversary of the brand. Oficios, a 5.3 x 43 corona is one of them and proudly wears a second "La Casa del Habano" band indicating that this is one of the new vitolas.

Appearance :
This well-packed cigar is a pleasure to look at. The milk chocolate wrapper hardly has any visible veining and the golden double banding makes the cigar even more attractive. After clipping the end, I find a comfortable pre-draw full of woody flavors.

Construction :
I am very impressed with the construction on the Oficios. Both cigars that I smoked burned perfectly fine, had a great draw and produced considerable amounts of smoke. Five stars construction.

Flavor :
The cigar is instantly delicious. The first bouquet is cedary, with a certain depth. There is no initial aggressivity whatsoever. At the one inch point, strong earthy flavors appear as well as some black pepper in the back of the throat. Medium- to full-bodied, especially from the second third, the Oficios develops aromas of roasted coffee and becomes truly rich in flavors. The finish is quite strong but this stick is definitely worth to be nubbed.

Value :
The price varies a lot from one retailer to another. A price point under $8 would probably make me think about buying a box of these.

Overall Rating :
I am happy to have discovered this line. I enjoyed the Oficios a lot and hope it's not the best vitola San Cristobal has to offer (perhaps I'm in for another great surprise?). Worth a try!