This box-pressed half corona makes a bold statement with its 3½"×46 frame and golden Ecuadorian Connecticut Desflorado wrapper. Part of PDR's tribute series to master blender Abe Flores, the 50-count box ($198) packs Dominican Olor binder and multi-origin fillers into a surprisingly complex short smoke. The oily maduro-esque wrapper contrasts sharply with its white-gold banding - like finding a vintage Rolex in a candy store.
Crackles to life with black pepper that'd make a jalapeño blush. The "Desflorado" wrapper (harvested from top primings) delivers concentrated caramel notes through dense smoke output. Watch that burn line though - the box-press needs occasional touch-ups.
Dominican tobacco takes center stage, serving espresso grounds dipped in honey. Nicaraguan fillers throw curveballs - one puff gives baking spices, the next offers damp earth. Retrohale reveals why Flores used Olor binder: it's like sniffing a freshly opened cocoa bag.
Leather tannins emerge at ¾ mark, but that signature sweetness persists. Despite small format, nicotine builds faster than expected. Best to nub it before the 25-minute mark unless you're chasing that buzz.
The "Desflorado" process isn't just marketing fluff - workers manually pluck the top 3 leaves before sun exposure. Combined with 5+ years aging on PDR's Dominican campus, it explains why a short cigar punches above its weight. That San Vicente tobacco in the filler? Grown in volcanic soil that makes Ometepe cigars jealous.
