There aren’t a ton of cigars that show up in my humidor and I have no clue what they are, but the A. Flores 1975 Serie Privada 46 (SP 46) from PDR Cigars fits the bill.

It obviously is another size of the A. Flores 1975 Serie Privada line that PDR Cigars introduced at the 2012 IPCPR Convention & Trade Show, but honestly, I had no clue this particular cigar existed. The box indicates it was produced for Hawaii, more specifically it was actually made for R. Field Wine Company, the Hawaiian store who has exclusive releases from Illusione, My Father and Tatuaje among others.

A Flores Serie Privada 46 Box 1

A Flores Serie 1975 Privada 46 Box 2

The 6 x 46 parejo features an aggressive box-press that reminds you of a super-sized version of a Kit Kat given how rectangular it ends up being. Production was extremely limited just 42 boxes of 24 were made in both the 1975 Serie Privada and 1975 Serie Privada Natural. It was released at an event on Oct. 17 with PDR Cigars owner Abe Flores, for who the line is named after.

A Flores 1975 Serie Privada 46 1

  • Cigar Reviewed: A. Flores 1975 Serie Privada 46
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: PDR Cigars
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
  • Binder: Nicaragua Habano
  • Filler: Dominican Corojo & Nicaraguan Habano
  • Size: 6 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 46
  • Vitola: Corona Gorda
  • MSRP: $8.50 (Boxes of 24, $204)
  • Date Released: Oct. 17, 2014
  • Number of Cigars Released: 42 Boxes of 24 Cigars (1,008 Total Cigars)
  • Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 3

There are a few cigars with noticeable rectangular presses, but to see it this aggressively in a small ring gauge is somewhat odd. Whatever the case, I like the appearance of the Ecuadorian habano maduro wrapper and the bands, which while inspired by Romeo y Julieta, look quite good. It’s a pretty pungent aroma from the A. Flores 1975 with a mocha core surrounded by notes of barnyard and ammonia. The foot is noticeably sweeter, largely because of the lack of barnyard and aroma, but there’s an added pepper around what comes off as a much earthier profile. From the cold draw I get dried fruits, touches of spice and some generic earth; not exactly what I was expecting.

I admittedly do not smoke a ton of PDR products and while I remember having this blend two years ago, I do not remember what I thought of it. The SP 46 rendition of the line starts out pretty full with a toasty nuttiness, touches of some spice and white pepper all around the tongue. It’s an odd start, my mouth has a ton of salivation as soon as the smoke hits my tastebuds, but then it appears as if things are going to instantaneously dry, but it never comes. As the first third gets going, it’s a semisweet profile with earth and leather upfront, white pepper and green licorice through the nose and the slightest bit of hickory and grass on the finish of the A. Flores 1975. Construction differs between the samples I smoked with one needing touch-ups and another burning flawless. Regardless, the draw is quite good and smoke production is about average.

A Flores 1975 Serie Privada 46 2

On the samples I smoked, strength was all over the place in the first third. More often than not “full” would be involved in my description, but there were stretches where the nicotine was barely detachable. Whatever the case, by the second third, that’s no longer the case. The PDR is now solidly full, with a profile to match. I pick up both grains and oaks for about an inch, it reminds me of a bourbon, but the notes are separated—the former in the mouth and the latter in the nose—so I don’t get the full-on bourbon flavor. Elsewhere, the white pepper is replaced by a much stronger and harsher black pepper. Chocolate emerges from the earthy core alongside the grain flavor, it’s a bit intense, but enjoyable nonetheless. The finish is relatively non-existent after the halfway mark, but I do find some apple sweetness up until the halfway mark. There is no real change in construction in the second third of the SP 46, the cigar that has issues required further touch-ups, the others remain fine.

A Flores 1975 Serie Privada 46 3

The oak notes are completely gone by the one-inch make, but the grain and bittersweet cocoa remains. Unfortunately, the black pepper has now taken over the abandoned finish and remains the most dominant flavor. It’s challenging to be overly excited about the developments given the final third is a far less complex version of the second third and I don’t think the reduction of flavors is making any of the aforementioned notes clearer, or more enjoyable. Construction remains the same with one sample having issues. I manage to smoke the cigar to about the three-quarters of an inch mark before things become too hot and I’m forced to put the SP 46 down.

A Flores 1975 Serie Privada 46 4

 Final Notes

  • While the rectangular press is nothing new, it’s a bit odd to see it in this small of a ring gauge. It reduces the overall feel in the mouth quite a bit, not that I think a 46 is too much.
  • Unfortunately, the unique size and some loose bands made this one of the most challenging cigars to photograph for our standard first third shot. The cigar and bands kept slipping.
  • For those concerned about the draw, this was actually one of the easiest draws from this small of a cigar.
  • Construction on two samples was great, however one cigar needed constant touch-ups and attention.
  • While it’s not a gut-punching dose of nicotine, the SP 46 is still a full cigar.
  • PDR Cigars has actually made a ton of single store exclusives over the years, so it’s not exactly a surprise to see this one. Of note, the company released the AFR-75 Limitada Paka Ali’i for Hawaiian retailers in July. It was right before the IPCPR Convention & Trade Show began, so it admittedly got lost amongst the flood of new products.
  • Cigars for this review were sent to halfwheel by R. Field Wine Co.
  • Final smoking time was one hour and 30 minutes.
  • The only place to purchase the A. Flores 1975 SP 46 is at R. Field Wine Co., who does ship. You can reach them at 808.596.9463.
86 Overall Score

As a cigar to sit around and smoke with some friends alongside some brown liquor—the SP 46 is a pretty good option. It can take abusive regarding the pace of smoking, delivers full flavor and body and has an enjoyable flavor. Yet, at no point is the profile ever particularly complex—and that does not help it in a technical analysis like this. I would have no issue throwing this in a cigar case for another one of those late night get togethers—but, alone and with nothing but water, the imperfections stand out.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.