Review: Mercer Pinar del Río Pirámides
UPDATES:
I emailed Drew to ask about the shipping issues that were brought up in the comments, and this is what he wrote me back:
“While our shipping from Merida is $20, we are not charging for any Mercer PdR shipping (for orders of 5 cigars or more). We are asking customers to select “In-store Pick-up”, which is no cost. This is just for our accounting.”To Foe (re: Ash color):
Honestly, the ash IS that white…I was as surprised as you were, but there you go…you can see it in all of the photographs, and in different lighting (the photo for the Second Third shot was taken in the sun, while all the others were taken in the shade, and all were taken with natural light (i.e. no flash or any other light was used). Having said that, different monitors show different contrast and color, so it is possible you are seeing a lighter shade then what I am.
I have also received a few emails asking why I mentioned in the review that these are shipping from the U.S., as it could possibility bring more attention to the fact that there are some Cubans shipping from within the country. I asked Drew about me including it as well, and he is fine with it. The bottom line is that these are unbanded cigars, of undetermined origin, and even if they were intercepted, there is no way to prove where they came from.
For those of you that don’t know…
Last month, rumors started around the forums that there would be some custom rolled cuban cigars from the Pinar del Rio region in Cuba on the market, by a specific vendor. Just recently, it came to be known that vendor is Mercer Cigars in Merida, Mexico (www.MercerCigars.com).
They are (from left to right):
The VERY interesting thing to me about how Drew is selling these (and a damn good idea, IMHO) is that all three vitolas of these Mercer Custom PdRs are being shipped not from another country in, but from INSIDE the U.S.A. Because of this, there is very little chance that they will get picked up by anyone other then you (re: the crazy debacle in Chicago earlier this month).
You (i.e. the cigar smoking public) will most likely see a HUGE increase in the marketing and sale of these “Custom Cuban” cigars by various sites (for example, COH and PE both have their versions)…One of the main reasons is simple economics, as the profit margin on a Custom Rolled cuban cigar (no matter how good or bad it is) is quite a bit higher then on an RE or EL…Another main reason there is an increase in the sale of these cigars is that some vendors think that the number of Habanos Regional Editions (and to a lesser extent, the Limited Editions) are getting a bit out of hand, with very little differentiation between them, and Custom Rolled cigars are the “next big thing” for specific retailers…Custom Rolls are also easier to get into the U.S., since they are rarely banded…
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But enough of that, let’s get down to business, shall we?
- Cigar Reviewed: Mercer PdR (Pinar del Rio) Custom Cuban
- Country of Origin: Cuba
- Wrapper: Cuba
- Binder: Cuba
- Filler: Cuba
- Size: 6.75 inches
- Ring Gauge: 52
- Vitola: Piramide
- Est. Price: $15.00 each
- Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 3
- Date Released: 2010
- Box Code: NA
- Packages available: Single, 5 pack, 25 Count Bundle
The cigar itself is an almost perfect looking specimen, with a dark brown wrapper that is quite smooth and almost dripping with oil…I do love the unfinished foot (always have) and the cigar is very firm when squeezed, just short of being hard…The Wrapper has an extremely strong Barnyard smell (which always seems to be stronger on custom cigars, at least to me, compared to regular release sticks) along with some hay and chocolate…It is extremely well rolled, in fact, so well rolled that I dropped it while photographing it from a height of about 3 feet, and it suffered no issues whatsoever…Predraw has quite a bit of spicy oak and hay…
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The First Third starts out with the perfect amount of spice, leather, earth and a bit of dark chocolate…not overly sweet, but there is some nice espresso and pepper on the retrohale as well…
The Second Third definatly has more of a sweet profile, but still keeps the flavors of chocolate, espresso, leather and hay…the spice that was present in the First Third has receeded the background at this point, but there is still enough there to effect the flavors…
The Ash is also EXTREMELY white, and well formed (as you can see from the photo below)…
The Final Third is basically a great combination of all of the flavors from the first 2 thirds…The profile also turns more spicy then sweet again, (especially on the retrohale) and I was able to easily nub it without getting any harshness at all…
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Final Notes:
- I smoked samples of all three vitolas (Piramide, Sublime and Canonazos) and in my opinion, the Pyramide is the best overall example of the blend…It has a better ratio of spice, rich flavors and strenth, whereas the Sublime is a bit less complex (and has a bit less spice throughout) while the Canonazos is a bit TOO spicy and less complex…
- The Smoke coming from the Piramide had a wonderful sweet leather note, but interestingly, there was quite a bit less (density wise) then the Sublime, which smoked like a freight train…
- The Burn and Draw were PERFECTION on the Canonazos and Piramide, and close to it on the Sublime (the burn wavered just a bit, but nothing to get excited over)…Just wonderful construction on all three vitolas, making them a joy to smoke…
- I think the spice and strength that are present in all three of the vitolas make them prime candidates to age…
- While there was a nice Nicotine kick in the last third of the cigar (Piramide), I would not say this is the strongest cuban I have smoked…I would put it as a firm “Medium +” strength level (overall)…
- If you want to purchase some of these cigars, Mercer Cigars is the exclusive online seller, and you can find the website HERE.
- Final Smoking Time was 1 Hour and 35 minutes…
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The Bottom Line: I can honestly say that I would rather smoke one of these (or any number of other Custom Cubans) then 90% of the overwhelming number of Regional Editions that have been released (and they cost a bit less then most REs as well, on average)…These are a great example of how wonderful and rich a Custom Cuban can be…Throw in the fact that they are shipped from within the U.S.A (ESPECIALLY in these days) and these are almost a no brainer purchase, especially if you have always wanted to try an example of a Custom Cuban…I will be getting some more of these for sure, to enjoy now and to see how they age…
Final Score: 92
These wonderful-sounding cigars seem not to appear anywhere on the manufacturer's web site. What's up with that?
Komodota- You are very kind, and we give our humble thanks to everyone here who has helped get the word out about these wonderful sticks. Please accept our thanks: Free Shipping for all Mercer PdR, when you mention thesmokingstogie.
Keep at it guys.
Cheers
Drew P
First and foremost, I need to give three fantastic shout outs before proceeding:
To Steve for this excellent site and review of this particular cigar.
To Lindsay Heller, as it was her review of this cigar that I saw first that led me to search out information/reviews and availability. And for her introducing me/connecting me to Drew.
And to Drew himself. Folks, we are talking about world class, benchmark service. You need to be a customer of his to truly appreciate what it is to experience Platinum Level customer service.
So as they say on this site, let's get down to business. I tried this cigar on two consecutive days, and the verdict is in. YUM-MEEEE!! A bonafide winner and one I plan to stock up on. Its almost like you don't want a lot of people to know about it so you can buy them out and hoard them all for yourself. However, cigar aficionados are not like other people. We love sharing the 411 on a good stick so as much as I would like the world to not know about it, I am telling the world to go out and buy these - and fast!
For sometime now, I have been debating on the best way to provide feedback to reviews such as the one Lindsay and Steve did on this cigar. I decided that rather than try to compose my review/feedback in the manner of the true experts, Steve, Lindsay, Barry, Ed, The Stogie Guys, The Cigar Inspector, etc; it was better to simply either affirm or not affirm what they said in terms of taste, burn, whatever.
So to the point, everything that Steve and Lindsay pointed out in terms of how this cigar tasted. CHECK. Actually, make that DOUBLE CHECK. This is one fabulous cigar. However, I did have some uneven burn issues and a couple of relights. But nothing about those two issues took anything away from how great this cigar is. Mine were ultra fresh; perhaps too fresh. A little soft for me. I like a cigar to be a little on the medium-firm side. As such, I will be ageing these all the way down to 62% humidity. This cigar definitely has ageing potential, especially due to the amount of oils. It is also a gorgeous looking cigar. Perhaps one of the best looking I have ever seen. As they come unbanded, I am glad they do. A band would take a lot away from the look of the cigar. Something akin to how some women look better "with" unmentionables on while some are truly stunning in the raw, (My vote would be Jessica Biel, but that's just my opinion.)
Ok, now the funny part of all this. This matter of the bright white ash. Its TRUE. I called myself taking pictures of this cigar throughout my smoking it (nothing fancy, just my Blackberry phone camera) and I wound up deleting all of the pictures except for one because the ash part of the pictures seemed abnormally bright. It wasn't until I came back to this site to re-read Steve's review and compare tasting notes that he too mentioned it (and to Foe - sorry my man but it IS WHITE as white can be) that I can attest to the fact that ITS @!#$%+ WHITE! But that just adds to the overall allure of the cigar; the bright white ash contrasting with the dark brown, oily wrapper. Simply beautiful.
Verdict. A very very strong affirmation of Steve and Lindsay's respective reviews. A definite must try and a must buy.
FYI -- I would revise the first update. There is no free shipping on these. I even emailed Mercer your update but they made me pay the $20. Actions speak louder than words ...
Chekk12 - Also don't forget, i was the one who reviewed the macho so blame me if you have a poor experience :)
Now Foe has me thinking.I ordered a box of the 601 macho based on Brooks review.
I had forgotten about them so now I will have to smoke one to prove or disprove this conspiracy.lol
Congrats to Drew on his marketing coup.
Foe - Perhaps you are taking these reviews a bit too serious. There are many review sites out there with ratings of certain cigars all over the map. Everyone is different and everyone experiences a cigar a different way. These reviews aren't law, they are just meant to give you a basic idea of how a cigar is smoking. I for one read and look at a lot of bloggers sites and i look at them for one reason....entertainment. Its fun to look at the videos and pictures and get a basic idea about a cigar but under no circumstances do i expect to have the same palate or experience the exact same flavors as the person reviewing the cigars. Reviews between two people often don't match up and i wouldn't expect them to.
Thanks, Brooks - more custom sticks that I've got to chase! How are their other custom sticks (Handsome Jimmy, etc)?
In reference to Foe's comment above regarding the 601 Macho: I've smoked two of them and one of them was certainly a 95. It smoked with a distinct charcuterie flavor - it was salty and fatty, like bacon, which I've NEVER had in a cigar before. The second one I smoked was still great, but didn't offer such a unique taste as the first.
I'm a little confused on the "ships from within the US" aspect of this... when I visited the site, the shipping options presented were "Mexpost registrado" or "Air express". Neither sounds like it's being shipped from within the US... in fact, wouldn't that be illegal, as this owuld mean the cigars themselves were already in the US?
Thanks for the review. Something I'm definitely interested in trying.
@foe.. i guess whether it's worth it depends on your budget and what you're willing to spend on a smoke. In any case any score of a cigar is purely someone's opinion. If you're not willing to drop $15/stick on a 92 rated cigar, then don't.
I'm willing to take the chance. Worst case, I can always trade them off or let them age a while and revisit.
Okay, this is one review I gotta take exception to...
How is a score of 92 for a bundled $15 smoke worth the "squeeze?"
And sorry, but I gotta call shenanigans on that bright white ash. I'm no expert on Habanos, not by a long shot...but I've smoked more than my fair share over the past two decades and have never seen that kind of ash produced by a Cuban puro...not even close.
While I'm at it, I got another bone to pick (to use a really horrible phrase)...anyway, about the 601 LE Macho...that's not a 95-worthy smoke to my palate...I'm curious if anyone else has purchased these after reading that review and is willing to share his/her opinion on it.
Sorry if I'm being hyper-critical. Feel free to set me straight in the harshest terms possible. I'm an idiot, I know it, and I can take it..
Respect. Trust. Thanks.
Hey Brooks,
Are these less likely to get confiscated because of where they ship from?
Excellent review, gorgeous photos. I'll be smoking the ones i have today, and will post my review of these cigars soon. Thanks for sharing!
I would love to get some of these if they would not get confiscated....
Seriously? Jeeeeez.