Patoro Serie P

These cigars are a luxury brand founded by Swiss entrepreneur Patrick J. Martin in 2001. He worked for the cigar brand Davidoff in the 1990s before venturing out on his own with Patoro cigars. The name is derived from the "Pat" in Patrick and "oro," the Spanish word for gold. The cigars are manufactured at Corporación Cigar Export, S.R.L. (Augusto Reyes) in the Dominican Republic and, interestingly, distributed by CLE Cigars, the new venture of Christian Eiroa.

Patrick has since brought in significant reinforcements. Dr. Pablo Richard Schneider, the grandson of longtime Davidoff CEO Dr. Ernst Schneider, joined the company in 2014 and is expected to play a crucial role in driving the expansion. Pablo is a doctor by profession and is part of the Schneider family that received generous compensation from Oettinger. During his visit here at the Cigarworld Lounge in the spring of 2015, we had the opportunity to extensively discuss his new role and challenges. He comes across as very personable and, despite his grandfather's fame, he has no airs.

Until 2014, only two series were produced for the European market, the Gran Anejo Reserva and the Platino. This Patoro Serie P presented here was introduced to the US market in 2014 but has only now made its way to Germany. The blends have been created with slight variations.

The European version available to us features a wrapper from Cameroon, as well as binder and filler tobaccos from the Dominican Republic. The US version features a wrapper from Brazil. Introduced in September 2015 initially in three vitolas, the names of the individual formats are inspired by different names for champagne bottles.

In terms of flavor, it starts off quite classic with lots of wood, earth, and spices. The aroma changes noticeably as the smoke progresses. It becomes somewhat more floral and slightly sweet, maintaining this character even in the final third.