Flores y Rodriguez Exclusivo Short Perfecto

Back in 2013 Pinar Del Rio released a new series for their Flores y Rodriguez line, the Exclusivo. It was 10 blends that were to be released to 10 separate retailers, with each retailer receiving a specific and unique size.

Towards the end of the year when I did the original review of the Short Perfecto from Atlantic Cigar Co., only six retailers had been announced. Almost two full years later, Pinar Del Rio’s site still only lists six retailers, which leads me to believe those last four sizes of the blend were never released. Having run across the last sample I had of the Short Perfecto and realizing it had been so long, I thought it was about time for a redux.

Looking back, this is what I originally had to say about the cigar:

While the idea of a single store release isn’t new, the idea of a blend that gets to be tweaked into a unique version for a single store release is definitely fun. Atlantic’s Short Perfecto is a shape and size that I enjoy because it’s an hour and a half smoke that is a little different from your everyday Robusto. While reading through my description of the cigar, there are a couple of flavors that just don’t seem to belong with the rest on paper, however once you actually get to taste them together it works. If you think the profile sounds like your cup of tea I can easily suggest picking up a five pack, or even a box if you’re feeling adventurous. With the current price well-below MSRP it’s not a hard decision to make.

• Cigar Reviewed: Flores y Rodriguez Exclusivo Short Perfecto
• Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
• Factory: PDR Cigars
• Wrapper: Dominican Republic Habana Vuelta Abajo Maduro
• Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo ’98
• Filler: Nicaraguan
• Size: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 60
• Vitola: Short Perfecto
• MSRP: $6.50 (Box of 24, $156)
• Date Released: February 2013
• Number of Cigars Released: 50 Boxes of 24 Cigars (1,200 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Redux: 1

If you asked me to guess how long the cigar had been sitting in my humidor, I would have had a hard time guessing as it looked exactly like it did when it was first released. The dark brown wrapper is rough, though the wrapper seems more oily than I described it previously. There’s still a little give to cigar, though more firm throughout and slightly more give around the bulge. Sweet tobacco and fresh hay make up the wrapper’s aroma while the cold draw is more complex, with notes of raisins, chocolate, cinnamon, freshly cut hay and some light herbal notes.

Starting into the first third the cigar is significantly less sweet than I remember. Having previously described it was an almost syrupy profile, the black pepper and meatiness is much more prominent, with only some sweetness in the background. Roasted peppers quickly join the meatiness and black pepper, which make for a bold profile tempered just enough by the sweet caramelized sugars in the background. The second third brings in a cinnamon note to the mix, while the of rest of the profile doesn’t see any change. Moving into the final third cedar has added itself into the mix, though in the background, with cinnamon, roasted peppers, black pepper and that persistent meatiness still making up an interesting but enjoyable profile up front.

Starting off the draw was much more open than the perfecto tip would lead you to believe it to be. As before the burn suffered slightly as it made it past the bulge, needing a little encouragement from my lighter. Past that the burn wasn’t what I would call even, but it was close enough that I didn’t need to do any other touch ups. The draw started off snug but acceptable, opening up to the ideal range once past the bulge. Ash held on firmly, with only a slight bit of flakiness on otherwise firm and dense ash.

Brian Burt

I have been smoking cigars since 2005 and reviewing them as a hobby since 2010. Initially, I started out small with a 50-count humidor and only smoking one or two cigars a month. Not knowing anybody else that smoked cigars, it was only an occasional hobby that I took part in. In March of 2010, I joined Nublive and Cigar Asylum, connecting me with many people who also shared an interest in cigars. Reading what they had to say about brands I had never heard of, I quickly immersed myself in the boutique brands of the industry and it was then that cigars transformed from a hobby into a passion.