Today I once again introduce you to a new cigar brand that has come across my doorstep. The Pendrey Guillen (PG) Cigar company was founded by Carlos Alfonso Pendrey Guillen based of Danli, Honduras.
According to Carlos:
“Since I was young I have had a desire for a good “Habano”. My passion started ten years ago as a hobby and during my spare time I dedicated myself as much as I could to research everything about Habanos, their leaves, blends, flavors, and elaboration processes.
I started to delight in the world of cigars and realized that I wanted to give my full time to it. So, I decided to create my own cigars with non-traditional presentations and pursue my dream. Many sacrifices were done in the way to establish my new business, from building things from scratch with limited resources to countless hours of hard labor.
Being an entrepreneur has been an exiting experience. I have encountered multiple challenges but was able to succeed. With an initial investment of fifty dollars I made the first batch of cigars and a couple of hand carved boxes! Our quality product made it possible to have our first big order of sixty boxes of cigar and with that I established my small factory which I have been able to equip with all the necessary for conservation, temperature and humidity for a great cigar.
A key element in our success was the creation of a great TEAM and the mission of producing world class cigars.
During this process I lost my parents, and in their memory I have branded our cigars with the family name PG Cigars (Pendrey – Guillen).“
The company recently sent me some samples of their line and the first one that caught my attention is known as the LENCA. Instead of using a cigar band, the company uses a Handmade Fabric by the local Lenca Tribe that when removed can be use as a colorful Coaster. I like this a lot. They are giving back to their community.
The LENCA is offered in three different (6 x 52) torpedos:
- Maduro/Candela (barber pole)
- Maduro/Connecticut (barber pole)
- Maduro Oscuro
For this review I will focus on the LENCA Maduro/Connecticut (barber pole) which has a blend described as a triple ligero that includes:
- Wrapper – Maduro/Connecticut
- Binder – Habano
- Filler – Ligero (Jalapa, Jamastran, Habano) plus La Entrada, Criollo 98
The company notes that their products are sold in the United States, Central America, Europe and expanding to Asia. You can also buy them direct from their website.
Pre-Light Examination
The PG Cigars – Lenca Maduro/Connecticut blend is nicely constructed barber pole torpedo. I like the contrasting colors of the light and dark leaf. There is not a lot of oiling on the wrapper leaves. The cigar is fairly solid with just an extra give near cap. You will also notice the foot is left unfinished for a little extra artisanry.
The Lenca, as noted earlier uses a special cloth to adorn the cigar which is made my the local Lenca tribe. The company opted to stick a simple white piece of paper on the cloth and brand it LENCA. This is strangely eye catching and rather unique. Kudos for being bold.
I decided to open the cap using two methods. First I straight cut the tip down about a 1/4 inch with my double blade cutter and then I used “The Baller” cutter from CigarMedics to add a unique opening of the cap.
Running the cigar along the nose, I picked up a pungent earth note off the foot and an enticing baking spice along the barrel.
With the cap opened, it was time to give the Lenca some cold draw puffs. The draw was fine, with just enough restriction and much to my liking. It delivered notes of a fine growing spicy pepper, especially on the tip of the lounge.
With the pre-light examination in the rear view mirror, I reached for my double flame torch to warm the the exposed foot, which took to the heat quickly, and drew in the first puffs of peppery smoke that had a bit of a bite to it. Follow along as burn this one to ash.
Cigar Review Notes
- Peppery harsh bite to start which last for a good half inch of burn
- Bitter notes hit the palate
- Medium grey ash forms on top of a decent burn line
- Bitter tones down a bit as a sweet dry fruit enters
- Decent amount of spicy pepper on the retro
- Toasted cracker aroma wafts off the foot
- Nice ash drop and burn cone
- Dark Black Coffee notes begin to evolve
- Burn starts to get a bit wavy
- Spice notes increase as does the strength midway
- A pleasant nut enters to a nice dimension to the profile
- Bittersweet notes enter deep in second third
- A nuance of dark chocolate develops down to the final wrapped in the spice
- Barrel got squishy in the end
- Medium plus in strength
- Total Smoking Time was 1 hour and 40 minutes
Final Analysis
I don’t know how many times I say that price can be deceiving when selecting your cigars. Sometimes the high price ones don’t deliver and then there are low priced ones that treat you much better than you ever thought. The latter is the case with the PG Cigars – Lenca Barber Pole Torpedo Maduro/Connecticut. It was well constructed with a burn that was, for the most part, spot on – less a wavy burn in the second half and a squishy barrel in the final. The flavor started a little harsh but then settled into a decent array of flavors and aromas. I really enjoyed the nut that entered midway and lingers lightly on the palate. The late appearance of dark chocolate notes was a bonus and kept me interested through the final. Comin back to price, for $5.00 buy a box! I rate this a 91.
Point Deductions: (-1) Wavy Burn in second half; (-1) Harsh Bite during the start; (-1) Bitter notes; (-1) Squishy Barrel in Final
Bonus Points: (+1) Buy A Box
