In April, the Kristoff Viente was announced with very little fanfare. In fact the press release of what would be launched at the 2024 PCA trade show only contained a short paragraph about the cigar.
Started in 2004, Glen Case would create his cigar company while he worked as a banker. Since then Kristoff cigar company has seen times of mediocracy though in the past 6-7 years or so the company would see more constancy in their cigars and some releases that received critical acclaim. This happened right around the time when Jarrid Trudeau was named Vice President of National Sales.
Anyway, back to the Kristoff Viente. It is said to be available in four sizes but the cigar has trickled out to stores with my local shop only having one size in stock currently, thus the rare review of a 60 ring gauge perfecto.
Cigar Review: Kristoff Viente
Size: 6.5 x 60 Perfecto
Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
Binder: Indonesia
Fillers: Nicaragua, U.S.A. Pennsylvania
Factory: Tabacalera von Eicken
Release Date: April 2024
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: An unevenly colored Arapiraca wrapper from Brazil adorns the cigar thats some thin veins, a fair amount of tooth and a lot of oils. The black and silver dual band is large but I walked past it numerous times until it was pointed out to me. In the hand the cigar has a seriously hefty weight to it and no soft spots.
The Taste: The cold draw of the cigar is meaty with an abundance of leather and despite not using any Dominican tobacco the cigar is undeniably Dominican made. For me it is a taste that sets Dominican cigars apart from Nicaragua or Cuba. The foot of the cigar is musty and damp like an old barn. After we toast the cigar the initial notes are roasted coffee.
As we move into our first third of the Kristoff Viente it continues to serve up a profile that was very different than the cold draw. There is a wonderful sweetness of Italian cream, roasted coffee and brown sugar. Despite its dark appearance the cigar comes off as medium in strength at best. As the first third comes to a close the strength creeps upward and leather notes begin to emerge. The retrohale offers up nougat sweetness.
The second third sees some leather notes that at times are dominant and at times they slide in the background behind some coffee notes. Occasional notes of chocolate compliment a brown sugar sweets that comes and goes. The nougat from the retrohale makes it to the palate before becoming earthy has the second third comes to a close. The retrohale has a some sunflower seeds, leather and a hint of nougat.
The final third brings the cigar to a perceived full strength with an abundance of leather, earth, nuts and coffee. There is a subtle sweetness on the finish that comes and goes. For the first time the cigar has some pepper on the lips and palate while the retrohale sees added black pepper and a subtle mocha. The dark flavors and strength are right in my wheelhouse and I don’t want to put the cigar down.
Conclusion: A 60 ring perfecto isn’t my size of choice. However, if I am going 60 ring at least the perfecto allows me to cut in a way that is preferred. The Kristoff Viente is a tasty cigar that continues to move Kristoff in a direction that allows me to enjoy their product. This strong full bodied smoke is bursting with flavor and complexity that has me looking forward to trying it in a more tradition formal.
Score: 92
Price: $15.00
