San Cristobal Golden Hour
I’m excited to smoke the all-new San Cristobal Golden Hour in an alluring 6.125-by-52 box-pressed Torpedo called Dorado. San Cristobal cigars are blended and produced by world-famous father-and-son cigarmakers José ‘Pepin’ Garcia and Jaime Garcia for the Levin family, owners of the iconic Ashton brand. Golden Hour is named for twilight, when the horizon seizes our gaze with its riveting sunsets, inviting us to relax and reflect as the day winds down. It’s tough to contrive a finer moment to savor a cigar when you’re settling in on your front porch, rooftop deck, or a sandy beach.
The San Cristobal brand debuted in 2007, representing the first collaboration between the Garcia and Levin families. The portfolio has grown to include a collection of popular Cubanesque profiles, with the 95-rated Quintessence, 93-rated Revelation, and the original 93-rated San Cristobal blend. The Garcias also produce the bestselling La Aroma de Cuba brand for the Levins at their renowned My Father Cigars factory in Nicaragua.
Golden Hour is blended from a shimmering Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper leaf harvested in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, where nutrient-dense volcanic soil yields rich, flavorful crops. Under the wrapper is an elaborate blend of vintage Nicaraguan long-filler tobaccos harvested on Garcia family estates in Estelí, Jalapa, Condega, and Namanji. Every leaf of tobacco undergoes an extensive triple fermentation, ensuring optimal smoothness.
Skilled artisans trained by the Garcias meticulously craft each cigar according to the entubado method, resulting in impeccable airflow, and every cigar is finished with a Cuban-style triple cap. Dressed in a pair of vibrant mango bands featuring the brand’s tropical parrot, Golden Hour cigars are packaged in gorgeous 25-count boxes. Once I’ve slipped the cellophane off a Dorado from a fresh box, a fragrant bouquet of fresh tobacco, cedar, and saddle leather offers a persuasive invitation. The cigar’s reddish-brown wrapper glimmers with an oily, unblemished complexion from head to foot.
After clipping the head with my V-cutter, delicious impressions of molasses and spice resonate with a tangy undertone in the cold draw. Cutting a Torpedo with a V-cut preserves the integrity of the cigar’s tapered head while increasing the surface area in the draw, ensuring a concentrated, focused experience you can savor slowly.
An abundance of sweet and peppery flavor intrigues me the moment I begin toasting the foot of the Dorado. A wave of spicy aroma rolls through my nose with perfect vigor. Smoke Golden Hour at a laid-back pace to fully glean its strong and silky nuances. Notes of gourmet coffee, baking spices, and cedar resonate with a piquant aftertaste. Cinnamon and molasses emerge in a sequence of steady draws as a solid ash forms at the foot. The first half lasts thirty minutes, revealing spectacular flavor and performance.
The Dorado flaunts the dense, decadent taste of Golden Hour with outstanding composure, allowing its intricate flavors to ruminate on my palate in an unrushed fashion. The cigar builds into a considerable crescendo in the second half. Steadfast notes of cedar, molasses, and spice synthesize with whispers of hickory and fig in a brilliant finish you’ll long to pair with a vintage bourbon or Scotch.
Golden Hour unfolds with phenomenal consistency and balance, revealing Pepin and Jaime’s peak potential as masters of their craft. Tangy and sweet tasting notes evolve with stunning cadence throughout a compelling, Cubanesque profile before a lavish finish harmonizes on the palate. Hovering in the range of $12 to $13 per cigar, Golden Hour is easily a box-worthy blend once you’ve had the pleasure of trying it. Add this delicious, accessible gem to your humidor without hesitation and begin your next golden moment with the strike of a match.
