Suriel Cigars is a new name to me, I hadn’t heard of them until the company’s co-founder, Emilio Rodriguez, reached out to me to try his cigars. Suriel Cigars are offered in two blends, one size in each, and  both have a natural Brazilian wrapper. We are used to seeing the maduro Brazilian wrapper, but these are both a caramel colored shade of brown.  The cigars are made in the Kelner Boutique Factory under the supervision of Hendrick Kelner, Jr. in Santiago, Dominican Republic. I had the pleasure of smoking each of these this week, even though it’s finally winter here in Pennsylvania and has gotten quite cold, a little bit of propane and my enclosed back porch provided I reasonably comfortable smoking situation.  I have to say, for cigar with blue bands, these were pretty darned good.
I started with the Suriel Toro Majestouso, a 6″ x 56 parejo with a little pigtail cap. The blend is the Cubra Brazilian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and filler from the DR, Nicaragua, Peru and the United States. There’s a lot going on with this blend of fillers, and I found it to be a very pleasing cigar, very smooth, elegant and complex. There was a creamy base with so nice, yet subtle, exotic spice and floral flavors. The construction was perfect, it had a straight burn and an ideal draw. Â I really enjoyed this cigar, it would be a great cigar to have in the morning with a cup of coffee, although I certainly appreciated it as my evening cigar. Â I look forward to smoking more of these cigars.
I also smoked the Suriel Day and Night, offered in a Robusto size, measuring 5″ x 50ish, with a regular capped head. This is another pretty cigar, the wrapper looks to be the same Cubra Brazilian leaf, with Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian fillers and a Dominican binder. For me, the difference between this and the Toro were day and night, while the blend appears similar, it had a markedly different flavor. I got an underlying sour-bread kind of flavor throughout the cigar. The description of the components is vague, the varietals could be different, or the presence of whatever variety of USA tobacco really makes a big difference in the flavors. It wouldn’t be any fun if they both tasted the same, right? Â Again, the construction was spot on, which one would expect from a Kelner product, and I managed a good hour and a half of smoking pleasure, even though that sour-bread flavor isn’t one I really look for in a cigar.
These were both good cigars, although my personal preference leans toward the Toro Majestouso.  I don’t yet know where these are available, but if you come across some, give them a shot.
That’s all for now, until the next time,
CigarCraig
