HVC Pan Caliente Double Corona

HVC Cigars was founded in 2011 by Renier Lorenzo. It is a company that continues to fly under the radar even though they have been producing some fantastic smokes for a handful for years now. So up for review today is the HVC Pan Caliente Double Corona.

HVC’s Pan Caliente, which translates as “Hot Cakes”, was first introduced in April 2016 in a robusto (5 by 50) format. At the 2017 IPCPR Trade Show, the company added both a toro (6 1/4 by 52) and a double corona (5 5/8 by 46) to the line. The cigars are manufactured at the Raices Cubanas factory in Danli, Honduras, but it is surprisingly a Nicaraguan puro featuring the highly acclaimed AGAGNORSA tobacco.

You can purchase the HVC Pan Caliente from our good friends at Famous Smoke Shop HERE.

THE FACTS

Price: $6.00
Vitola: Double Corona
Size: 5 5/8 by 46
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo 98
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Pan Caliente wears a medium brown Nicaraguan Criollo 98 wrapper that has a decent amount of oils and covered in small veins. The small veins web down the leaf and are darker in color than the rest of the wrapper. To the touch, the cigar is crazy smooth with only a couple of random bumps and raised veins. As I inspect the cigar, there is an indentation near the foot that can be both seen and felt. The rest of the cigar gives slightly when pressed.

As I bring the wrapper to my nose, I note a pungent vinegar and barnyard, along with an artificial chocolate sweetness. The foot shows off some big notes of chocolate (real) and pepper spice. In the background, there is fainter graham cracker and raisin aroma. The cutter easily slices through this 46 ring gauge cigar. The draw is right on with some rich cinnamon and clove flavors greeting my palate. A mild to medium spice heat lingers in my mouth. 

FIRST THIRD

From the get-go, the HVC Pal Caliente presents full and rich flavors. There is a vegetal, sour edge to the flavor that trails closely behind the rich wood and sweet combination going on. As the cigar warms, the flavors settle in and back off a bit towards the medium side. The calming of the other flavors has allowed a pepper spice to move in. A gray ash forms as the cigar burns with a thick eye-liner burn line. 

MIDDLE THIRD

Into the second third, the richness is back in full swing. The woodsy, sweet flavor has evolved to more of charred and earthy flavor. There is a sweet hazelnut flavor that joins in and chocolate lingers on the finish of the smoke. The ash appears flaky but continues to hold well. Just past halfway point, I am beginning to feel just a slight nicotine kick. 

FINAL THIRD

The sour edge has made a reappearance in the final third. This time, it is no longer trailing the other flavors, but it is leading the charge. The charred wood and earth are holding strong and the sweetness is still pulling through. The pepper is highlighted in the retro-hale and remains very manageable even with a full exhale through the nose. 

WRAP-UP

There is nothing not to like about this cigar. An awesome price point of $6.00, a perfect size – Double Corona (5 5/8 by 46), great flavors, and exceptional performance. The cigar has some clear shifting points as you move through each third. There is just enough strength to put one into a relaxed state and enough spice to keep one’s palate alert. The cigar burned evenly from start to finish without a single touch-up required. And, even though the ash began to look flaky in appearance, it never dropped prematurely. This is a cigar I highly recommend and one I will be purchasing more of.