Initial Smoke 

Teasing the tongue with herbal tastes of dessert sage and smoked cedar planks, the blend opens with a light vibe. This is quickly consumed by a sweet, caramelized brown sugar note, and is followed by those crunchy cinnamon grahams we all dig. Mild, yet abundantly flavorful, the silken finish of citrus and mixed nuts with vanilla helps hit the winning jackpot numbers.

1st Half

Light leather, that is almost on the suede side of the tanning spectrum, settles in before long, and behind it comes the taste of buttered rum with a touch of salted toffee. The finish is still focused on vanilla and citrus, but the nuttiness has become bolder and makes for a mighty fine blend when met with the cinnamon. 

After some time, pastry dough appears, and together with dried tropical fruit flavors, forms a lovely little dessert cigar flavor profile. This is made even more complex by the introduction of toasted pistachios and an increase in brown sugar flavor, without a bump in sweetness. A "medium everything" sort of experience has formed, right here in the middle of the stick, and with it, habano nirvana is achieved. Well, consider my ass enlightened, ya'll...

2nd Half

But right as roasted mixed nuts begin to drop on you, and that vanilla bean finish begins to build, an odd little party crasher comes onto the scene. It's fucking olive brine. While it isn't an unpleasant taste (for those of us who like olives, at least), it isn't exactly what I was wanting or expecting in the midst of all of this habano dessert magic. A handful of black peppercorns in the final third throws another wet towel on the senses, tasting feeling out of place in the presence of all else. 

Thankfully, these uninvited tastes dissipate before too long, and the blend gets back to its regularly scheduled programming. Boozy, bourbon barrel old oak, creamy vanilla, dried cereal grains, a spoonful of oatmeal, and a return to those roasted mixed nut tastes salvage what could have been an entirely too obtuse final third.

Parting Puffs

By the time parting puffs come about, nut flavors have become all pecan and walnut, with a mixture of raw and roasted producing a delectable little balance. The blend has also grown increasingly tannin-strong, with a last little lick of vanilla leading into a dry, tingly finish that is clean and satisfying. All told, a cracking way to finish off an already excellent cigar.

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Ok, so here is where the big point deductions come into play. While the draw was plenty open for mass smoke production purposes, each of the three cigars smoked felt under-filled. This resulted in wandering burn lines, flaky ashes, dropped ashes, leaning ashes, and overheating concerns. While this may have been a batch issue, and I never needed to touch two of the three sticks with my torch, it is something worth watching out for if you snag up a fiver or box.

Final Thoughts

Beyond some sloppy construction inconsistencies that resulted in ash issues, and the unwarranted appearance of olive brine in the final third of my on-screen review smoke, Tres Compadres by Kristoff Cigars hit me with the right vibe every time. It's an impressively well-planned little habano blend that doesn't back down when it comes to medium-powered tastes, and is far more mild-mannered than menacing. 

I also respect the backstory from the first to the third degree, admire the band, and cannot get over how good the tobacco that makes it all possible tastes and smells pre-light. Once torched, I discovered that, yes, Glen Case still is the man when it comes to producing mellower, medium smokes, and this near dessert-like cigar proves my point... again.

Now, I will say that you will want to opt for a lighter beverage or even a tall glass of water when it comes time to smoke this stick. Straight liquor is going to trample the majority of the tastes and smells being detected, and trick your tongue into tasting something that isn't there. So change it up a bit, and opt for a milder beverage to go with this ultra-clean habano cigar from one of the best boutique cigar manufacturers in the biz.