HVC PAN CALIENTE CIGAR REVIEW 2024
In 2016, Reinier Lorenzo gave the cigar community the HVC Pan Caliente. Developed by Eduardo Fernandez of Aganorsa cigars and a team that included underage kids as young as 12, this Nicaraguan puro (the wrapper is Ecuadorian) features an aged Corojo 99 wrapper from Jalapa over Nicaraguan binder and filler. He considers it a “classic” Cuban blend and estimates production at 75,000-100,000 cigars annually.
The first thing I noticed about HVC Pan Caliente was its dark wrapper that featured some moderately sized veins. The cigar had a firm feel when squeezed. Sporting two bands, one red on silver with gold highlights featuring the letters HVC in large print and the words PAN CALIENTE written below them; and one brown on silver reminiscent of a tobacco leaf with gold highlights featuring the words NICARAGUA and PURO printed on them respectively.
When smelling the foot of this cigar I got notes of hay along with baking spices such as cinnamon. The pre-light draw was perfect but did not give off many flavors besides tobacco sweetness which is quite common for me.
COLD DRAW
The first few puffs were light but had an interesting spice to them which I could not put my finger on at first. After smoking for about ten minutes though things started heating up so to speak; pun intended! All jokes aside though there were flavors present throughout this smoke ranging from sweet creaminess all the way down through salty leather tones!
This stick burnt nice & straight leaving behind a slightly flaky white ash which held on firm until tapped off into my ashtray after each inch or so.
FIRST THIRD
During second third more body developed giving way to hints of earthiness\woodyness combined with cocoa powder sprinkled among rich deep roasted coffee beans then topped off with layer after layer molasses sweetness!
SECOND AND FINAL THIRD
Cigars in general, especially those with all Nicaraguan tobaccos, get my juices flowing and make me sweat like I’ve just played two hours of basketball. But for being true to its medium-bodied status, the Pan Caliente was a good smoke strength-wise.
PAIRINGS
This was my third time trying this cigar and I went with a completely different paring than my other two smoking sessions.
The first time I smoked this gem I had it in the evening while drinking a bourbon on the rocks. It was an overall very intense experience.
The second time I smoked the Pan Caliente, I went for it midday after lunch. I brewed myself a cup of coffee to pair with it and they went together like peas in a pod.
This time around, I smoked it right after dinner while pairing it with some pieces of chocolate and a glass of red wine. This was the go-to pairing for this specific cigar. The syrup notes that I picked up on in the second third paired almost too perfectly with my beverage and food choice.
If you’re trying out the HVC Pan Caliente, make sure you crack open a bottle of red along side your favorite chocolate candy treat.
IN CONCLUSION
Each size under the HVC Pan Caliente cigar comes in a box of 25 for about $140. Therefore, each individual stick is priced at just about $6.00 per stick.
That’s highway robbery for all the greatness you’re getting from this cigar.
I would recommend throwing any size of the HVC Pan Caliente into your humidor if you have room or are able to make room. If you’re a fan of medium bodied Nicaraguan puros that are spicy as well as complex then this is your stick!
