HVC 500 Years Anniversary Salomon

Two years ago, HVC Cigars began shipping the first vitola in a new limited release commemorating the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, Cuba. Somewhat appropriately named 500 Years Anniversary, the line is made up of Nicaraguan tobaccos sourced from AGANORSA: a corojo 99 wrapper from Jalapa, a binder also from Jalapa, and criollo 98 and corojo 99 fillers grown in the Estelí and Jalapa regions of Nicaragua.

That first size in the line was the HVC 500 Years Anniversary Tesoros, a 5 7/8 x 52 robusto extra that is the same size used for the Cohiba Siglo VI. The 5 5/8 x 46 Selectos vitola followed in May 2020, while 4 1/2 x 52 Shorts size was added as an exclusive for Privada Cigar Club that same year.

In April 2021, HVC announced that the 500 Years Anniversary would become a regular production line. A fourth size was debuted during the 2022 PCA Convention & Tradeshow, specifically a 6 3/4 x 56 salomon vitola priced at $13.50 per cigar that is packaged in 15-count boxes. Interestingly, the Salomon is being rolled at Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. de Reinier Lorenzo—HVC’s new factory in Estelí, Nicaragua—instead of the AGANORSA Leaf’s Agricola Ganadera Norteña S.A. factory, which is where the original 500 Years and the two subsequent sizes have been made.

There are currently four different vitolas under the HVC 500 Years Anniversary line:

• HVC 500 Years Anniversary Tesoros (5 7/8 x 52)
• HVC 500 Years Anniversary Selectos (5 5/8 x 46)
• HVC 500 Years Anniversary Shorts (4 1/2 x 52)
• HVC 500 Years Anniversary Salomon (6 3/4 x 56)

The HVC 500 Years Anniversary Salomon was sold exclusively to retailers who placed orders during the 2022 PCA Convention & Trade Show and boxes began shipping to stores in early September.

• Cigar Reviewed: HVC 500 Years Anniversary Salomon
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos HVC S.A. de Reinier Lorenzo
• Wrapper: Nicaragua (Corojo 99 Jalapa)
• Binder: Nicaragua (Jalapa)
• Filler: Nicaragua (Criollo 98 & Corojo 99)
• Length: 6 3/4 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 56
• Vitola: Salomon
• MSRP: $13.50 (Box of 15, $202.50)
• Release Date: September 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

From both a visual and physical perspective, the HVC 500 Years Salomon is quite imposing with its combination of torpedo cap, tapered foot and close to seven inches in length. The wrapper is a gorgeous reddish-milk chocolate brown color that is fairly smooth to the touch. While there is not much oil noticeable, there is no lack of overt veins running up and down its length. All three cigars are extremely firm when squeezed—just short of rock hard—and one has a small soft spot near the foot on the right-hand side. Aroma from the wrapper is strong and sweet hay, barnyard, cedar, cocoa nibs, leather tack and generic sweetness. The foot brings notes of creamy nuts, dark chocolate, freshly brewed coffee, cedar, earth and raisins. After a Dickman cut, the cold draw is dominated by flavors of creamy hay and raisin sweetness with milk chocolate, cashews, earth, espresso beans, leather and very slight black pepper following behind.

While the draw is a bit tight in the first few puffs—not all that unusual when it comes to perfecto vitolas—it gets noticeably better after that, allowing me to taste flavors of earth and hay as well as some distinct mineral saltiness on my lips. Both of those quickly recede to the background, replaced by the main flavor combination of creamy cashews and aged cedar. Secondary notes include not only the aforementioned earth and hay but also leather, cinnamon, espresso beans, cocoa nibs and a slight vegetal flavor that comes and goes. There is also an abundance of black pepper on the retrohale, but it is nicely balanced by a massive amount of cotton candy sweetness that does a great job of increasing the overall complexity of the profile. Flavor starts out with a bang at a solid medium, while the body is at mild plus and the strength ends the first third at a point just under medium. In terms of construction, the draw is excellent on all three cigars after the burn line passes the nub, is plenty of thick smoke and there are no issues with the burn lines.

Cashew remains one of the main flavors in the profile during the second third of the cigar, but the aged cedar note from the first third is replaced by a powdery cocoa nib flavor. Additional notes of cinnamon, creamy hay, gritty earth, leather and ground coffee flit in and out at various points, but the slight vegetal flavor that was present in the first third has totally disappeared by the halfway point. The retrohale continues to be dominated by a combination of black pepper and cotton candy sweetness—the latter of which seems to be getting stronger as the second third burns down—and the mineral saltiness on my lips remains strong enough to make an impact on the overall profile. Flavor increases to just over medium, the body increases to just under medium, but the strength features a substantial increase to end at medium-full. Construction-wise, the draw and smoke production continue along their excellent paths, but one cigar needed two burn corrections to keep it on track.

While the flavors of powdery cocoa nibs and creamy cashews continue to top the profile, the strength in the blend continues to increase until it breaks through the full mark halfway through the final third. This aggressive strength causes some balance issues with the rest of the profile, which also includes notes of toasted bread, earth, bitter espresso beans, dry hay, cinnamon and a slight citrus peel flavor. Unfortunately, there is also an increase in the amount of black pepper on the retrohale as well as a noticeable decrease in the cotton candy sweetness, which has a negative effect on the overall balance. The body ends the cigar slightly over medium while the flavor hits at a point just under the full mark. Finally, only one cigar needs a quick correction to stay on track, but all three continue to exhibit close-to-perfect draws and copious amounts of smoke emanating from the foot.

Final Notes

• Havana, Cuba is not only the inspiration for the name of the HVC brand—the acronym stands for Havana City—but it is also the hometown of company founder Reinier Lorenzo.
• The HVC 500 Years Anniversary Tesoros took the 19th place in halfwheel’s Top 25 of 2019.
• While both the Tesoros and the Selectos were originally released with a Edición Limitada secondary band, the Salomon does not include it.

• Each of the cigars I smoked developed small cracks at some point, but none of them became enough of an issue to affect the construction in any major way.
• I would be very interested to see if the full strength hits in the final third of this cigar dissipates a bit over time to not only help with the overall balance, but also to allow more of the cotton candy sweetness to emerge.
• The cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time for all three cigars averaged two hours and 29 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase any of the HVC 500 Years Anniversary Salomon cigars, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. and Famous Smoke Shop has them in stock here.