PDR 1878 Get One PDQ

It’s easy to write about this cigar.  And there is plenty to write.  Abe Flores of PDR Cigars was born to make great cigars and this is no exception.  When you first look at this stick it seems unusual.  Many cigars today are called shaggy foot sticks.  They have binder and filler that extends beyond the wrapper creating a shaggy foot to the cigar.  But that is not what you find here.  Actually, it’s just the opposite.  Here, there is extra wrapper that is sort of folded in on itself at the foot of the cigar (see the photo at the right).  When I smoked the cigar I thought it gave a quick taste of the wrapper alone.  And, indeed this is what the maker said. “I wanted to get a big hit of the wrapper up front” Abe Flores says.  “Most others are giving that type of thing with the shaggy foot, but I think there is more flavor int he wrapper”.  And, he’s right.

When you first look at the cigar you obviously notice the extra wrapper at the foot.  You also notice the pigtail at the head.  Because of the pigtail, I used a traditional guillotine to cut my cigar,  I had no problems.  It lit well and produced dense smoke.  The cigar is a reddish brown color and looks spectacular.

This cigar is exceptionally well constructed.  And, of course, that’s not surprising either.  Flores, who hails from the DR, own a factory that he personally supervises dividing his time between the Dominican and Miami.  That supervision results in cigars that are well made, not only for PDR but also for other companies as well.  The draw on my stick was open and clean.  It burned evenly holding a tight ash of almost black and later dark grey.

My notes for flavor are concise.  I write that this is exactly what a medium bodies cigar should be.  The cigar starts off earthy with a nutty taste.  As I progress through the smoke I get a creaminess to go along with my nuts.  The last third adds a bit of spice like a nutmeg to the taste.  All in all a perfect ‘lunch’ cigar.  It is rare that I give out a 5 in any category and this top mark is well deserved.

Value is very good.  At around $5.50 per stick this cigar could easily sell for twice as much and still be competitive in the market.  I love this cigar and can’t imagine not having some in my humidor.