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Blind Review: Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua

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Altadis USA boasts an enormous array of brands, with many lines within each. In fact, the company overseas so many cigar lines that it can be a challenge for each cigar to stand out among the rest. To make the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua released earlier this year, Rafael Nodal enlisted the talents of master blender/grower AJ Fernandez to create a Nicaraguan puro using tobaccos from AJ’s farm.  

These two men have crafted many wonderful cigars that have received numerous accolades in the industry. Having smoked this blind I was not surprised to find out that they were at the helm. The quality was evident.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size 6″ × 54 (toro)

Appearance and Construction

The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua toro is covered in an oily wrapper with some accented veins. When I squeeze the cigar, I feel a little give, but there aren’t any soft spots and the filler tobaccos seem sufficient to the touch. The foot smelled of leather and slight barnyard notes.

Flavor & Smoking Characteristics

The cap on the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua clips perfectly. The cold draw is loose, airy and has a some must to the taste. Using a cigar taper I gently toast the stick and the first puffs deliver salt and cedar. The Reserva Real Nicaragua has a medium body to start and with a retrohale raisin and oak waft through the sinuses. The smoke intensifies, with rich tobacco notes that become sweet with cinnamon toast on the finish. The body at this point is medium and the burn line is a bit crooked.

Thankfully by midway the burn line has corrected itself. Almond and spice become the dominated flavors, with secondary cashew and oak notes. I take another retrohale and find a sweeter touch as well as raisinated flavors. Construction wise, the ash is white and flaky, falling off in small pieces as I taking draws from the cigar. From oak to cedar, the wood notes on the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua come on strong as the cigar progresses.

As I reach the last third of the cigar, leather and spice intertwine with a drying sensation on the mouthfeel. The body continues to be in a solid medium range, never reaching anything fuller. The woodiness in the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua is really oaky, like the smell of fresh cut wood. What began as raisinated flavors are now more dark plum along with spice finishing with leather.

The final puffs of the Reserva Real Nicaragua deliver a vanilla sweetness that ends with hay and freshly tanned leather.  

Conclusion

The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua is another fine example of the talents of AJ Fernandez and Rafael Nodal. The tobaccos are well processed and offer lots of wood, toast and sweetness while maintaining a steady medium bodied profile. The nuttiness that developed along with raisins and spice added to the balance of the cigar. This would be a great midday smoke when perhaps your palate is fresher to appreciate the flavors as well as build your way up to a fuller cigar later on.

With a catalog as large as Altadis USA has, it’s nice to see a smoke that stands out in its quality and profile. I would recommend picking up a few as they’d be a pleasant addition to the novice and aficionado alike.

Final Rating: 89

Blind Review: Charter Oak Habano

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Foundation Cigar Company owner Nick Melillo (whose Tabernacle brand has been a favorite smoke of mine for a while) has added a third blend to his Charter Oak line. The first two releases of Charter Oak (Connecticut shade and Broadleaf) are, to me, very well balanced blends. The Charter Oak Habano is the newest wrapper addition to the brand, using an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with Dominican fillers. The cigar is a sight to behold and I after one look I was ready to begin smoking.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Charter Oak HabanoToro
  • Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
  • Binder: Nicaragua
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size  6″x 52 (Toro)

Appearance and Construction

The cigar has a claro wrapper with two long veins running along its sides. As I squeeze the cigar, it is packed rather tightly with filler tobaccos. The foot is closed and when I give it a smell some cedar and spice come through albeit slightly. I roll the cigar in hand and it is quite well constructed.  

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

First things first: I grab my Wooly Mammoth Xikar cutter and make a straight cut. The dry draw is airy and sweet. Using a long match (which I picked up from my visit to the Graycliff Hotel in the Bahamas) I light the closed foot which opens up quickly.  The first puffs are peppery and hit me with a full blast of tobacco that surprises me with its strength. Another draw and I’m picking up nutty notes with a bready finish. I take a retrohale and get cinnamon and allspice through the sinus. The strength at this point is medium to full.

Heading into the middle of the cigar, I notice the bold white ash is standing firm. The toast of the smoke starts to really come through along with almonds and mocha.  What was initially just almonds transitions into peanuts with a cedar finish. This stick gives off generous amounts of smoke swirling around my study and creates a wonderful bready aroma in the air and my mouth. Another retrohale and cinnamon rushes through with black pepper on the tail end. The body continues on its medium to full course.

In the final third, the bready notes I tasted earlier become more biscuity and cereal-like as I take draws. Pepper, specifically black pepper takes hold with a bit of a sharp finish. Around this time the white ash falls off showing an impressive burn line. With that a sweetness emerges which is balanced by leather and cashews. I’m finding the last of this cigar is in the medium range with plenty of nuanced flavors. The final few puffs bring leather and toast with a medium finish. A choice cigar.

Conclusion

Finding out this was a Nick Melillo cigar was not surprising given the flavors and style of the blend. The Ecuadorian wrapper gave off a sweet character with nuts and cinnamon while maintaining a pleasing medium body. While there wasn’t a myriad of different flavors in the profile, all of them were refined, and for me that is one of the best things you can get out of a cigar. I would easily recommend picking up a box as they are smoking well now and I think time will be more than kind to them.

Final Rating: 92

Blind Review: Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut

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I’ve always enjoyed Joya de Nicaragua cigars and their many varied lines. Their bold Nicaraguan puros like Antano are always a pleasure to smoke because of their robust flavors. The newest addition to the Antano line—the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut—is a departure in that it wears an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper rather than a Nicaraguan wrapper.  A Connecticut wrapper can aid in adding nuance to a blend while not overwhelming the filler tobaccos. When done poorly it can create a lackluster experience in terms of flavors. The key is in being able to utilize the flavor of the wrapper to accent what’s inside.

Smoking the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut blind was a great way to test the wrapper to filler theory unfettered by any preconceptions.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size: 5’x 52 (Robusto)

Appearance and Construction

The Joya de Nicaragua Antano’s light wrapper has few veins and is sleek looking with a well-made cap. The cigar is spongy—squeezing it has bit of give.  Smelling the foot gives distinct raisins, wood and cinnamon spice.

Flavor & Smoking Characteristics

With my palio cutter I surgically clip a straight cut and take a dry draw. What emerges is a mustiness followed by oak and cinnamon. I light up the cigar using matches (regretfully those I picked up from the now shuttered doors of the Nat Sherman Townhouse) and allow the sulfur to burn off before taking flame to tobacco.  With the initial puff, floral and tea notes begin filling my mouth and linger there for a moment. Another draw gives me the sensation of leather with honeyed tea on the finish. The smoke thus far is proving to be subtle and I’m able to pick up cedar and creaminess along with nuts and café.

Near the middle of the cigar, coffee and leather pick up leaving café au lait on the mouthfeel. Around this time I notice there is a crack developing on the side of the wrapper, though thankfully it isn’t affecting the flavor.

A few puffs later, a sudden sweetness comes through which layers on top of almonds and espresso. I take a retrohale where oak and cinnamon lightly fill my sinus. The smoke carries a mild to medium profile with flavors that are discerning yet not overwhelming.

Smoking into the final third, the coffee and nuts return. Another retrohale gives me the cinnamon like before but less pronounced.  An interesting change here is how the leather and dryness engrosses my palate without the creaminess that was pervasive during the start of the cigar. At the same time, some floral notes with Earl Gray tea and leather resonate in my mouth.

My last few puffs bring forth more of the wood and tea along with a short finish.

This was a tasty Connecticut blend all in all.

Conclusion

The Joya de Nicaragua Antano Connecticut is a fine example of the flavors possible in a Connecticut wrapper. The blend creates a creaminess with oak, leather and wood that remain in a medium profile throughout the smoke. I enjoy this style in a morning cigar with some espresso. It’s a wonderful balance in tasting. The expressions of the Antano Connecticut seemed to capture the essence of a what a morning to midday cigar is about, with no flavors coming on too strong. Despite crack in the wrapper the subtleties were pleasurable. I would recommend having a few of these in your humidor.

Final Rating. 90

Blind Review: Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro

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In 2020, Perdomo cigars announced their 10th Anniversary line. One of these blends is the 10th Anniversary Maduro, a Nicaraguan puro that dons a six year old wrapper which has been aged for fourteen months in bourbon barrels. In addition, the 10th Anniversary lineup includes Connecticut and Sungrown wrapper blends which will be reviewed later this year. I’ll be interested to smoke them, because smoking this maduro blind was a surprising experience. Read on.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro Epicure
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan maduro
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size 6″ × 54 (Toro)

Appearance and Construction

The Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro wears a veiny slightly dark box-pressed wrapper with a bit of tooth to it. To the touch the cigar is spongy with a cap that appears slightly off center. The foot of the cigar smells of cedar, sandalwood and leather. The gauge is rather thick and adds to the cigar’s large and weighty appearance.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

As I clipp the Perdomo with a straight cut, the cap comes off askew, tearing a bit of the wrapper and leaving a piece hanging. With another slight clip I correct the head of the cigar as best I can. Taking a dry draw produces cold Spanish cedar and some sweetness. I toast the foot of the cigar using my torch lighter and as I take a puff, leather and spice came on full blast like a punch in the face.  This doesn’t last long as the cigar peters out and needs a relight. I gently remove the ash and take another light that ends up bitter, grassy and quite unpleasant. The retrohale tastes of milk chocolate and oak with a short finish when blowing out of the nostrils and mouth.

The burn line on the Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro is wavy with a flakey grayish white ash. Once again the cigar goes out and another relight is necessary. What ensues is an airy smoke with cocoa and bitterness. The body is in the medium range with espresso and bakers chocolate on the finish despite needing another relight. I detect dry oak as I relight the cigar as well as that bitter espresso which seems out of balance with the other flavors. Another retrohale delivers black pepper and earth that leaves a tingling sensation as the smoke exits. The more intense flavors, falling short on the palate, seem accentuated when contacting the olfactory receptors.

In the last third yet another relight is needed—extremely frustrating! The cigar’s ability to maintain combustion causes the flavors to become muddled and harsh. As a result, the burn line continues to waver. The last few puffs of leather and earth continue with another short, lackluster finish. An anticlimactic cigar.

Conclusion

For a cigar that was aged in old bourbon barrels I would have expected some more sweetness coming from this smoke. The bourbon barrel influence was rarely noted and I was surprised to receive such harsh treatment. Instead, the Perdomo gave off more bitter notes than anything else. That coupled with constant relights made for a frustrating smoking experience. At its best the Perdomo 10th Anniversary Maduro delivered more pronounced flavors through the retrohale.

I would suggest trying many of the other varieties Perdomo has to offer and skip the 10th Anniversary Maduro.

Final Rating: 77pts

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Blind Review: Las Calaveras EL 2020

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Las Calaveras is a Crowned Heads limited edition line extension to their core line of cigars. The blend is an homage to the Mexican Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) which honors those who have passed the year previously. I’ve had the opportunity to sample much of the Las Calavaras line and enjoyed their spiciness and complexities. This year with their 2020 version they’ve once again created a cigar that separates itself well beyond the rest of the Crowned Heads portfolio.  

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Las Calaveras EL 2020
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Nicaragua 
  • Filler: Nicaragua 
  • Size: 5” x 52 (Robusto)

Appearance & Construction

The Las Calaveras EL 2020 wears a dark, almost maduro wrapper with a long vein running almost all the way to the bottom of the cigar. Despite the leaf vein the cigar is silky to the touch and well packed with tobacco. The smell off of the foot has some barnyard and a bit of freshly tanned leather.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

As I straight cut the robusto the draw dry delivers mushroom, dry wood and a bit of roasted coffee. Using a long match I take flame to the Las Calaveras EL 2020 and immediately receive spice on the tongue with espresso, leather and nougat. There is ample smoke production from the fine draw and as the cigar progresses, some sweetness of vanilla bean and café au lait encapsulate the mouth with a long finish. Taking a retrohale, pepper and leather fill the sinuses with drying sensations. The Las Calaveras EL 2020 is in the medium bodied range.

The halfway point of the Las Calaveras EL 2020 begins with an intense coffee note interplaying with cedar and leather. The ash is white and flaky with a substantial burn line. With another retrohale the peppery spice comes on strong, with more espresso as the smoke is released. The strength picks up a bit and the lush tobacco resonates on my palate, though it quickly transitions right back into the more medium bodied style. After a bit more puffing, the leather returns up front with marzipan and cream on the finish which is a pleasant surprise.

As the cigar reaches the final third, the strength picks up into the medium to full range with pepper and some breadiness to it. Along with the change in profile there is more wood and hay coming through with cedar being the dominate flavor. With the smoke production increasing, the Las Calaveras EL 2020 brings forth earth and a sharp minerality with a medium finish.  

At its end, the cigar provides shorter stints of flavors, with a slight bitterness coming through. As I take a final puff, the spice and hay lines my mouth and with a grassy note on the finish. A pleasing robusto to sample.

Conclusion

I’ve smoked the Las Calaveras line and enjoyed their richness in flavors as well as the concept behind the brand. The 2020 incarnation delivered spices, espresso, leather and cream throughout most of the cigar.  The final third transitioned to a fuller bodied smoke which muted some of the flavors although was never offensive. The burn and construction on this cigar was excellent and made for a pleasant smoking experience when trying to identify flavors. The Las Calaveras EL 2020 is a solid robusto worth checking out especially if you’ve had others as you will appreciate the style this line delivers.

Final Rating: 90

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