Cigar Info
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
This is the fabled “Cuban Peso” or Peso Cigar. This is the cigar that the every day working Cuban citizen smokes. They are not for tourists and not sold in the duty free shops and resorts, making them harder to find for visitors of the island. There are a few brands you can buy, depending on where in Cuba you are staying. In the Holguin area, it is the El Selecto brand (Holguin). They come in a plain paper bundle of 25. The entire bundle costs 1 CUC, hence the Peso name as the CUC is valued at about 25 CUP which are the pesos the local people shop with.
While these cheap cigars will probably not hold up against the more well known brands coming out of Cuba like Montecristo, they still offer an enjoyable experience. They are not color-sorted, and they are machine rolled, but the tobacco is solid. They are still made in the same factories that produce the high end cigar brands, so you still have some quality control. The tobacco used in these blends is sometimes tobacco that was rejected for use in expensive cigars. We reviewed another batch of these back in 2016, check out that review.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Petit Corona Length: 5.1″
Ring Gauge: 39
Country of Origin: Cuba
Wrapper: Cuba
Binder: Cuba
Filler: Cuba
Number of reviewers: 6 —- Milton (mjohnsoniii) Robert (NavyPiper) Brian (B-daddy) Jason (bigslowrock) Emmett (rhetorik) Ian (Sp@rky426)
Price: $.16 (yes, that’s correct)
Contributed by: Craig (WyldKnyght)
Initial Impressions – Cuban Peso | Selectos Brevas
Appearance: 84
“Medium/Light brown wrapper. Lumpy, wrinkly, veiny. (Looks like it’s wearing a pair of pants two sizes too big.)” –Brian (B-daddy) “Not a beauty contest winner here. Lots of veins, uneven color, squished shape and water spots.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Aroma: 91
“Nice aroma with tobacco and hay.” –Jason (bigslowrock) “The smell is actually quite good, I’m getting hay and tocacco.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
Construction: 87
“The construction was unlike any I have experienced so far. It wasn’t straight but crooked, the wrapper was paper thin with cracks and blemishes. After cutting the cap, it was so tight at the head, it was impossible to get a pre-light draw. It looked like twigs were under the wrapper throughout its length.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
First Third
Flavor: 87
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Pleasant cedar and hay with peanuts and very mild cocoa. Picking up some twang here and there.” –Ian (Sp@rky426)
“As I initially light it, the draw is terrible on the first few puffs. I’m getting notes of cedar and hay. It’s almost Cuban-esque and I’m really excited because I haven’t smoked many ISOMs. It’s “ok” but with the force that’s used to puff, it’s making the cigar hotter and not really enjoyable. Let’s hope it opens up a bit soon. C’MON CIGAR!” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
Second Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium
“This third isn’t too different from the previous, mostly wood and barnyard with a little bit of salt and pumpkin spice that could be twang.” –Emmett (rhetorik) “Bitter. Maybe some green pepper and grass. A little bit of leather. Then the flavors turn papery, cheap tasting. Improves a touch toward the end of the second third. Some wood notes come through.” –Jason (bigslowrock)
Final Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“The flavors have mellowed out a bit to spices of a lower strength. Now I’m getting notes of nutmeg with some dark chocolate or maybe even mocha. Although very light, the flavors compliment each other nicely. VERY enjoyable. Sorry that it’s almost done. I’d hoped that it would have started off as good.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
“I start picking up some floral/perfumey flavors in the final third. Some toasted oak now on the draw. The finish gets a little longer and pretty bitter. The cigar gets very hot and mushy with more than an inch to go. I put it out.” –Brian (B-daddy)
Overall Impressions – Cuban Peso | Selectos Brevas
Draw: 81
“Draw – there was no draw! After cutting the cap, I tried to get a pre-light draw flavor, and there was nothing. Had to use a reaming tool to get some kind of a draw. Had to continue reaming it throughout the entire smoke to keep it open. Was greatly disappointed with the draw aspect of the cigar.” –Robert (NavyPiper) “Nice draw for a cigar that seemed so wet.”-Ian (Sp@rky426)
Burn: 88
“The short filler just didn’t want to burn well! Plenty of relights. No ash retention” –Jason (bigslowrock) “Despite the issues with the cigar, the burn was pretty good, staying fairly straight the entire time. The ash length would get to a little over 1/2 inch before dropping, but after the first third, it began flowering and wouldn’t stay together.” –Robert (NavyPiper)
Overall Experience: 88
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body: Medium
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this were a Cuban cigar, but at times it seemed Non-Cuban. Initially, I wondered if I’d make it to the end with the draw that was very hard, the heat and flavor that was almost non-existent but after the first third it was very enjoyable. I could see myself purchasing a few or maybe even a box of these to enjoy in the future.” –Milton (mjohnsoniii)
“This stick, while looking and starting off like an ugly duckling, had a decent flavor after the furniture polish taste went away. Actually began to enjoy it after that. “-Robert (NavyPiper)
“I didn’t enjoy this cigar. The plugged draw certainly didn’t help but the flavors were a bit harsh and unpleasant.”-Brian (B-daddy)
“Despite the fact that this one was plugged, I got hints of some nice flavors. If this was a VERY cheap stick, I would take a flyer on it and hope that my cigar was just a bad apple.” –Jason (bigslowrock)
“Overall, this cigar could have been a lot better, but I have a feeling it’s a cheap stick to begin with. The flavors were actually good at times, but the other problems outweigh those benefits. With an improved draw I could see this being a good budget Cuban, although I’m guessing machine-made, which I would probably not seek out. I would smoke it again, but I don’t think I would go out of my way to find any more.” –Emmett (rhetorik)
“Nice mild/medium cigar, not pretty at all but I would smoke another given it’s a decent price.” –Ian (Sp@rky426)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 66
Total Score: 87 (fair)
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