HVC Cerro Sabrosito 2021 (XNYRW3)

[bishop532]

To me, HVC is one of the most Cubanesque NC brands on the market. The construction is generally strong and the flavors are always good. The founder, Reiner Lorenzo, is from Havana originally. Tonight, I decided to smoke a Cerro Sabrosito, which is a Nicaraguan short corona gorda I guess (4.5” and 46 RG - not sure what that’s called).

Cold draw was woody and chocolate-y (is that a word?). The wrapper was a nice dark Colorado color with maybe a hint of red. The cigar seemed just a touch underfilled, but it was uniform so nothing real squishy.

The warm weather in the Chicago area seems to be gone, so I bundled up before heading outside to smoke. I put the flame to it and the first few draws had a nice toasty cedar and coffee flavor. After a couple minutes, there were interesting cherry and cocoa notes joining in.

Despite feeling loose in the hand, construction was solid, as the ash held on for a good inch and a half or more. The cherry and coffee started to fade but the cocoa and cedar hung around as the second half started. They were joined by a nutty flavor, maybe almonds. Toward the end, the cedar and nutty flavors dominated, with a meaty note behind them. The finish had a lot of black pepper to it. 

This is one of my favorite NCs and it did not disappoint tonight. It’s complex for a small cigar and it burns for longer than many a robusto. I keep them with my Cubans, as they tend to be too wet at 69 rh. Definitely recommended if you like stronger cigars (I’d put this somewhere between Monte and Bolivar).

Total Smoking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Score: 92/100