Cigar Review: PANA Triple Corojo Churchill

After a long week of classes and work, I finally found a couple of hours to pick up another PANA cigar for a review. Granted, the time I found was at 1:00am, but I don’t think it detracted from the review too much – no nodding off anyway. Next on the docket for a review of PANA’s blends was the PANA Triple Corojo, and I was pretty excited.  Then again, I get excited (and a bit nervous) any time I see “triple” anything (maduro, corojo, etc).  In any case, this really was is an excellent cigar, as I will try to describe below. In case you aren’t familiar with Pana Cigars, it is a new brand by Pablo Enchiton that launched midway through 2010. You can find the website here. Enchiton has developed four lines: the Ligero-Maduro, Connecticut Especial, Triple Corojo, and Triple Maduro.

Blend Specifics:

• Wrapper: Corojo Ecuador
• Binder: Corojo Dominicano
• Filler: Criollo 98 (Nicaragua), Corojo Dominicano, Piloto Cubano (DR)

Appearance & Construction:

The Corojo wrapper is a reddish brown with light oil on the wrapper. There are a few veins, but nothing significant, and there are no visible imperfections. The black and white band prominently displays “PANA” in large framed lettering. After clipping the pig-tail cap, I test the draw and it is (like other PANA cigars I’ve smoked) pretty liberal, but not too loose. The scent on the wrapper is subtle, but the foot reveals granola and leather.

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Taste & Smoking Characteristics:

The first few draws of this cigar produce large amounts of medium bodied smoke. The texture of the smoke is slightly creamy, and the main notes are black pepper, spice, and some leather. There is also a subtle sweetness to the aroma of the smoke which adds nicely to the experience. The more I smoke this cigar, the clearer it becomes that this stick would be paired very well with Mexican or Southern food. Smoking the cigar actually makes me imagine relaxing on a lounge chair on a hot arid evening in Arizona. About an inch in, the spice picks up considerably and so does the black pepper. The pepper continues to build into the second third of the cigar, and at one point builds a bit too much for my tastes. Still, very enjoyable.  The final third of the cigar tamed a bit on the pepper, but also got a bit hot which may be a result of the slightly more liberal draw. Not the best way to end a cigar, but I wasn’t crushed – it was a great smoke.

Conclusion:

This cigar is an experience. At $7.50, it isn’t a cheap stick, but I think that it will satisfy the Corojo lover in all of us, and I definitely recommend getting your hands on some as soon as you get the chance.

Final Grade: B+

Other PANA cigar reviews:

• PANA Ligero Maduro