Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the HVC Serie A Perlas is light brown and has a network of slightly raised veins that have a lighter color surrounding them. The seams are smooth but easily visible due to vein placement. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. The band is fairly simple with a black, orange, white and gold color combination. It denotes the brand and line. The aroma from the wrapper is a mixture of graham cracker and hay while the foot brings hay, wood and light white pepper. The pre-light draw brings hay and wood with a mild spiciness on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The HVC Serie A Perlas has a chocolate brown wrapper and a single band. The band styling is white lettering on a red and black background, with white and gold accents. Nosing the wrapper, I pick up sweet cedar, barnyard and hay. In the foot, I’m only picking up sweet hay.

Pre-light Experience

The HVC Serie A Perlas has a Colorado Claro shade to the Aganorsa Corojo ’99 wrapper. Cigar looks and feels well made as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll on the firmer side and head finished off with a well wrapped cap. Aromas from the wrapper give faint chestnuts and a subdued barnyard. Nosing the foot gives spicy cedar and barnyard. Cold draw gives a mix of cedar and red pepper.

First Third

The cigar begins with aged wood and a full, slightly sharp baking spice. At a half inch in, the baking spice mellows a bit as some mustiness joins the profile. At an inch in, the aged wood is more defined as aged cedar and the mustiness is right behind it while the baking spice is a supporting note. The retrohale has the baking spice with a slight lead over creamy cedar and has a slight zing. As the third comes to a close, the baking spice has picked up a bit as the aged cedar and mustiness are still up front. The strength in this third was slightly above medium.

First Third

The initial flavor impressions are powdered cocoa and dry cedar. On the retrohale, a spicy cedar takes hold. On the post draw, the dry cedar from the main draw moves in here as well. As the cigar progresses, white pepper settles into the middle of my tongue and on my lips. The cocoa intensifies as the cigar settles in, finishing with sweet leather. By the halfway point, the pepper has receded to light and cocoa and leather lead the profile. More sweetness joins as the cigar moves to the second third, with cocoa intensifying to medium.

First Third

A great beginning third. It’s a complex and focused flavor profile of sweetness in buttered bread and nuts, fresh red pepper spice, barnyard, cedar and tannins. Retrohaling gives a nice pop in red pepper and cedar, but also does a good job of incorporating the sweetness of bread and nuts. The finish has mouth coating tannins and cedar. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, a light coffee note joins the profile. At a half inch in, a faint cream joins the coffee note while the aged cedar and mustiness remain up front and the baking spice is between the two pairs. The retrohale is now just musty aged cedar. At an inch and a quarter, the creamy coffee has left the profile. As the third comes to a close, the baking spice has left, leaving just musty aged cedar. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Second Third

On the retrohale, baking spices with a finish of mild cedar. That finish is quite clean on the palate, the cedar is not lingering between draws. Mild tannins join the cedar as the second third settles in. In the bottom half, leather joins the post draw, lingering significantly. Sweet cedar moves into the middle of the profile, finishing tannic cedar and leather. Baking spices join the middle of the profile as the cigar moves to the last third.

Second Third

The second third has a similar feel as the first third, but the profile becomes sharper and the flavors themselves are slightly muddled. It’s still a good third but not great like the first. Strength is moving to medium-full, while body maintains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the musty aged cedar gains a faint char. At three quarters of an inch in, the char has increased a bit. The retrohale carries the musty and charred aged cedar. At an inch and a quarter, a slight bitterness joins the profile. As the cigar comes to a close, a light vegetal note joins the profile. The strength in this third remained at slightly above medium.

Final Third

The cedar has a heavy mouth coating as the final third kicks off. The retrohale gains mild graham cracker but it is largely being lost under the cedar and leather. The cedar continues to define the middle of the profile. By the halfway point of the final third, the cedar has taken over entirely.

Final Third

I feel the same way within the final third as I did the second third. Still the same flavors of buttered bread, nuts, fresh red pepper spice, barnyard, cedar and tannins but sharper and a bit muddled (less focused). Strength moves to a solid medium-full and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn line was a bit jagged at times but never needed any attention. The ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.

Burn

Burn performance struggled through the cigar review. The initial burn was uneven as a section of the wrapper seemed to not burn. It went out halfway through the first requiring a re-light. The cigar went out again at the end of the first third requiring a second re-light. The cigar went out again, this time in the second third requiring a third re-light. It went out at the end of the second third requiring a fourth re-light. Ash was flaky throughout the smoking experience.

Burn

Aside from some flaky ashes, the burn performance was flawless. Cool burn, even burn line, ample smoke production and no touch-ups.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.

Overall

The cigar began with aged wood and sharp baking spice. The aged wood later became better defined as aged cedar and the baking spice mellowed and some mustiness joined in. A bit of creamy coffee joined in for a short bit and then things settled in with musty aged cedar that gained some char. Construction was great and strength was slightly above medium the whole way. The HVC Serie A Perlas started off well, but at the halfway point became fairly average and then the final third fell some more with the char joining in. I was hoping the complexity of the first half of the cigar would continue, but it just progressed downhill at that point. I’d be interested in smoking the other vitolas to see how they do, but as it is, this is an OK addition to the HVC portfolio, but not one of my favorites and other than curiosity, probably wouldn’t be something I’d return to anytime soon.

Draw

Unlike the burn performance, the draw was perfect. Resistance was exactly in the ideal zone.

Overall

The HVC Serie A Perlas had enjoyable, restrained and balanced flavors for the first and second third. The last third couldn’t maintain the flavor level and was average, with cedar being the dominant flavor profile. Unfortunately, the cigar struggled to stay lit through the entire smoking experience, although based on the flavor score it didn’t seem to have an impact. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 58 minutes.

Draw

The draw was perfect with the ideal air flow.

Overall

Like the majority of HVC’s offerings, the HVC Serie A Perlas is yet another good example of a solid cigar. The use of quality Aganorsa tobacco honestly speaks for itself. The flavors of sweet buttered bread, nuts, fresh red pepper spice, barnyard, cedar and tannins were great, especially within the first third in which the profile was direct and focused. There’s a variable sharpness to the cigar, but overall, particularly knowing how lackluster this year’s new cigars have been, this is a slam.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$1.50

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.32

Cost/Point

$1.35

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.42

Cost/Point

$1.15

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: HVC Serie A Perlas