El Criollito

These cigars were created by the brand owner Abe Flores specifically for the Spanish market, in collaboration with his Spanish distributor and renowned local retailers. Originally intended as a limited edition, the El Criollito cigars (roughly “the little Criollo”) were later added to the regular lineup for the US market following the IPCPR cigar trade show in 2017. As a result, they were initially not easy to obtain there, giving the series a special twist: essentially a “European Edition”!

El Criollito: Abe Flores’ Exclusive Creation for the Spanish Market

For the wrapper, the gentlemen chose a Criollo Rosado from Ecuador, the binder is a Mexican San Andrés, and the filler is a rich blend from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. Initially, there were six formats, with the smallest vitola being a Purito and the largest a massive 7x70 Setenta. Over time, additional vitolas have been introduced. All PDR cigars are produced in Abe’s Tabacalera PDR in Tamboril in the Dominican Republic.

Abe Flores and the El Criollito Series: A “European Edition” Conquers the USA

Most of the vitolas offered here are quite substantial in terms of ring gauge. You either love it or hate it—there’s probably no middle ground in judging them! As mentioned earlier, the name is a diminutive form of the tobacco variety Criollo. It is used both as the wrapper and entirely for the filler. Criollo is known for being rich and highly aromatic. Originally, Criollo was one of the first tobacco varieties to exist in the Caribbean. For a long time, it served as the filler tobacco for the Cuban cigar industry. When the Habano 2000 variety encountered issues with pest resistance, its hybrid successor emerged in the form of the very well-known Criollo 98. In autumn 2018, the Short Gordo and the Purito were added.