Just when you thought master Don Pepin had done it all. The San Cristobal Quintessence reaffirms Pepin’s reputation as the best blender in the business with a deeply complex, wonderfully balanced smoke for the ages. In the robust, sweet, and rounded Quintessence, an elegant Ecuadorian Habano wrapper sits atop a mix of the finest aged binder and filler tobaccos grown on the Garcia family’s Nicaraguan estates. This rich recipe gives way to a gourmet tasting profile with notes of molasses, coffee, black pepper, and dried fruit, perfectly complimented by hints of fig, sugarcane, and spices. A cool and calming aroma floods the senses as the smoke builds in sophistication and complexity. It just doesn’t get much better than this. SOC