Pinar del Rio Oscuro Liga Cubano No. 2
size: 6×50 toro
THE GET: This is number two of the three cigars my wife gave me for my birthday; the other two were a Chaveta Maduro, see my review here, and a Liga Privada Flying Feral Pig. She knew I wanted the FFP, but the other two she bought because she knew I hadn’t had them before and I would be able to make some new reviews.
THE PACKAGING: The Pinar del Rio Oscuro utilizes a triple band with its blue/gold/black color scheme. If you have been reading my posts than you know that I really like double bands, I’m not too sure about the triple band though. The third band is a blue ribbon and although it caught my wife’s eye, I 
might have passed on it; I am partial to foot bands though, so maybe not. How is that for being decisive? This cigar is a perfect match with my new cutter, so it makes for a good gift combo. These cigars come in walnut brown, wooden, cabinet style boxes of 20 that with the blue ribbon and the band style, actually makes a good presentation.
THE CIGAR: The Pinar del Rio Oscuro Liga Cubano is a dark brown, beautiful cigar that is not shy on natural oils in its toothy wrapper. The cigar is made up from a mixture of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobacco, a Dominican binder, and a rich Brazilian Oscuro wrapper; they are made in the Dominican Republic at the Flores y Rodriquez factory. From the PDR Cigars 
website, “PDR CIGARS has an 80-year-old history within its hallowed halls. Headed by Abraham Flores and the brothers Rodriguez, PDR hires only the most experienced rollers and it shows in the quality of every cigar.
Each puro is delicately handcrafted that results in a cigar of supreme construction. The tabaco leaves used in every blend is of the highest quality and the refined finish is a testament to the attention given to every leaf that passes through the doors of the PDR CIGAR factory.
Now in its 8th year of independent operation, Flores y Rodriguez are proud to present to you the jewels of La Fabrica:”
The construction of this cigar shows that the statement above about the cigars is true; it has near invisible seams and great density. The aroma is that of earth and chocolate, and they aren’t subtle either. The Oscuro Liga Cubano series comes in 6 total sizes: a 7×50 churchill, a 6.2×54 double corona, a 6×60 double magnum, a 5×50 robusto, this 6×50 toro, and a 6.5×52 torpedo.
THE SMOKE: The prelight draw, after a clean cut, was easy and along with the aroma flavors it left a bite of sweet on my lips. It lit and burned without an issue and kept a fairly straight line through the first inch. As it burned, the little bit of sweet wore off and some spice appeared and blended with the earth and tobacco flavors well. The initial ash was a dark gray and held for almost two inches, strong for such an easy draw. About halfway, the strength amped up as did the spice; the blending of strong earth and tobacco with the spice kept very smooth though. As the smoke progressed, I could see the oils seep out of the wrapper right behind the burnline while the amount of smoke was in full force; the smoke had a pleasant aroma to go with the cigar flavors. In the last couple inches, some chocolate tastes appeared and the spice died down a bit; while that happened, the cigar became a tad harsher but not bad. I finished at a little over 90 minutes and was able to smoke it down to a nub where I decided to unroll and separate the wrapper, binder, and filler to provide some insight to the different layers of the cigar.
THE SKINNY: This part is simple; it’s a really, really good cigar. Right up my alley on flavor but I could’ve used more strength. As it was, I can’t imagine anybody not enjoying this cigar and considering it good. With a retail around $6-8, this is a must try; if the flavor hits your palate preferences, this will be boxworthy without a doubt. In the Portland area, you can find these cigars in stock where my wife picked them up at Cascade Cigar and Tobacco; go visit them and take a look at their huge selection. Birthday cigars from wife so far, 2 for 2.
These didn’t excite me too much at first (I prefer the Seleccion line), but they grew on me, and now I’m out of them.
I never see them around here, though, so I guess I’ll have to keep getting them online. Nice review, and the last two pics are great!