Meet the PDR Small Batch Reserve Maduro Torpedo - a box-pressed figurado sporting a Brazilian Habano cloak over Dominican/Nicaraguan guts. This 6.5"x52 stogie packs 24 sticks per box at $171, rolling out medium-full punches with Cuban entubar technique. Dark wrapper oils glisten like fresh asphalt under summer sun, though construction remains tight as drumskin.
The cold draw serves espresso grounds with walnut shell bitterness. Initial puffs deliver black cherry syrup over charred oak, smoke output modest but dense. Ash holds firm in ¾" segments, combustion line razor-straight. Retrohale carries unexpected cinnamon zing cutting through the earthiness.
At the bulge point, transitions get meaty - literally. Barbecue beef notes emerge alongside molasses-glazed pecans. Smoke production doubles, requiring slower pacing to prevent tongue bite. The Dominican Criollo binder flexes its muscles here with white pepper through nostrils.
Approaching the band, Nicaraguan fillers take command. Dark chocolate bitterness intensifies with licorice undertones, mouthfeel turning syrupy. Last inch brings damp earth funk that splits opinion - some purge here, others chase the nicotine rush through clenched teeth.
