Altadis

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Blind Review: Romeo y Julieta Eternal

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Romeo y Julieta Eternal Blind Review

Altadis U.S.A released a limited-edition Nicaraguan cigar beginning this year under the Romeo y Julieta trademark named Eternal in celebration of the 145th year of the Romeo y Julieta brand. 

Through the collaboration between Plasencia and Rafael Nodal, the Eternal is built to be a masterpiece. This Nicaraguan puro cigar only utilizes tobacco from the Plasencia family. It is safe to say that there were plentiful options of tobacco for them to choose from, and per Nodal, the wrapper leaf he had chosen was fermented twice as long and aged for 26 months.  

The packaging for the Eternal is unique. A box contains 11 cigars, where 1 out of the 11 has a gold ring band on it with gold background with red lettering, while the rest are black backgrounds with red lettering. 

According to Nodal:

“Eternal’s gold ring symbolize the strong bond between the Aficionados and Romeo y Julieta… It is a love that has proven to be eternal.”

Romeo y Julieta Eternal Blind Review
Romeo y Julieta Eternal Blind Review

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Romeo y Julieta Eternal
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan
  • Size: Toro (6″ x 54)

Blind Review: Romeo y Julieta Eternal

Appearance & Construction

The cardboard box-colored cigar feels almost weightless between my fingers. The wrapper is thin enough for me to feel the lumpiness of the filler tobacco. Visually, there are a few minor veins scattered throughout the cigar, but I can’t feel any by touch. 

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

The wrapper has a faint fruity smell, and it becomes more prominent as I get closer to the foot. Due to the thinness of the wrapper, I decide to use my Colibri SV cutter and give the cap a shallow v-cut. With just the right amount chipped off, I take a few puffs of cold draws and taste a hint of sweet hay without any fruitiness from the scent. Unfortunately, tragedy hits early with this cigar. The wrapper is so thin it sticks to my lips as I pull the cigar away from me, and part of the wrapper rips off from the cap. Thank God the cigar is still intact! And to prevent any more wrapper sticking to my lips, I reluctantly over dampened the cigar.

Knowing how thin the wrapper is, I begin toasting the foot with long matches instead of a torch lighter. As soon as I take my first puff, I notice my mouth dries out immediately, followed by a tingling sensation on my lips; assuming pepper spice from the wrapper but not on my palate. Pulling smoke, I taste butter toast, lightly roasted coffee, and a sweetness that carries into the long finish. I found all the missing spices from the palate in the retrohale, with white pepper flooding my nasal passage. Once my senses come to, I am greeted with a cup of morning coffee (light and sweet) and cedarwood at the back end. 

Arriving at the second third, the cigar is smoking well, but the ash can’t hold itself for more than half an inch. The burn line is even, and there are no draw issues, and the smoke is plentiful and becomes creamier. I get the taste of black tea with milk, milk chocolate, hay, and light leather. The pepper still resides in the retrohale, along with cedarwood and medium roast coffee.

As I approach the final third, there’s a small canoeing on one side of the cigar but it fixes itself after a few puffs. The flavor profile evolves even further, as it fully transforms into a cup of afternoon tea with milk with added sugar, along with toasted peanuts and cedarwood. When I finally get to the nub, the finish becomes very tart, as if someone squeezed a lemon wedge into my mouth. Ultimately, I take that as a signal to put down the cigar. 

Conclusion

Not sure whether it is a common characteristic with this type of wrapper, or because of the extra time it received during the fermentation stage, the thinness of the wrapper leaf almost ruined the whole experience right out the gate. However, looking past that, I tremendously enjoy the evolution of flavors the Romeo y Julieta Eternal offers. Not only is it complex, but the flavors are balanced. It paints a complete picture of afternoon tea time with flavors of milk tea with freshly baked bread. Regrettably, the conclusion of my experience was not a good one. Almost as if this cigar didn’t finish etiquette school and added lemon to a cup of tea with milk and sugar already in it.

Final Rating: 88

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Blind Cigar Review: Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Toro

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The latest in Altadis’ large portfolio of Montecristo products is the Epic Vintage 12. The “12” refers to the 2012 tobacco crop that produced some of the tobacco in this cigar . With an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, the three-country cigar certainly sounds appealing. But this was a blind review – so all of that branding and marketing made no difference in my assessment.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Toro
  • Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Toro
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican
  • Size: 6” x 52 (Toro)

Appearance and Construction

This toro sports a dark, oily wrapper that is silky smooth to the touch. In hand the roll is excellent as it glides across my palm. When I squeeze the cigar, it is firmly packed with tobacco and in total the construction is very good. As I smell the foot there are notes of barnyard and forest floor emanating distinctly from it.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

Utilizing my Xikar cutter I clip a straight cut. Taking a dry draw, I get salt and spice on the lips and fresh tobacco in the back of my throat. The draw is a bit airy and upon lighting there’s a rush of leather almost covering my entire mouth. The saltiness surrounds my lips and the tip of my tongue while the sides of my palate linger with leather as I take another puff. Notes of nuts and spice develop as I savor another draw. I take a retrohale and white pepper resonates through the nostrils and exhaling brings hay and oak. While I take a slow draw, I get a zippy taste of cinnamon that comes on rather strong. The body of the cigar is medium at this point.

The ash is white and flaky midway with a wavy burn line. Lots of toast and brioche surround my tongue as I take in an ample amount of smoke from the cigar. The retrohale delivers more toast along with oak and graham cracker on the exhale. There’s a subtle sweetness coming through with cocoa in tandem with those wood notes. The medium body seems to maintain itself as the toro appears to struggle maintaining smoke from the foot. Giving a few longer puffs I manage to bring the cigar back to life and I’m rewarded with charred oak and a bit of spice.

The toast continues in the last third followed by a creaminess that lingers on my palate. Leather returns with vanilla and a surprisingly short finish. The ash and burn line straighten out a bit although it remains flaky rather than firm. I take a retrohale and the white pepper I initially picked up returns and awakens my senses followed by Spanish cedar. With a slow draw, I pickup chocolate and spice that appears sweet with a finish of toasted oak. The wood and leather seem to be dominant and as the cigar comes to its end a final puff sends it off with a balance of sweet and savory followed by a medium finish.

A consistently flavorful cigar from beginning to end.

Conclusion

This cigar began with distinct notes of salt and leather, followed by white pepper as it developed. Midway, the graham cracker, wood, and sweetness created a nice balance to this toro. Rounding out the final third leather, cocoa and spice gave this cigar a solid medium bodied experience. Finding out this was the new Montecristo Epic 12 was good news. I’m always interested in how they will represent the brand in a new line. I’d say this fits in the Altadis Montecristo portfolio as a flavorful medium bodied cigar that will not disappoint.

If you enjoy this range of strength, you can pick up a box and be assured it will deliver what you seek.

Final Rating: 91

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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

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Blind Review: H. Upmann Herman’s Batch

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The H. Upmann Herman’s Batch is an additional line in Altadis U.S.A.’s profile paying tribute to the German banker Hermann Upmann who created the H. Upmann brand in Cuba in 1844. This is not the Cuban incarnation as it uses an Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, but this is still an homage to the man by way of a collaboration between Rafael Nodal and the Grupo de Maestros at Tabacalera de Garcia in La Romana.

Visually I like the look of the Herman’s Batch, but of course with blind smoking the proof is in the puffing!

Blend Specifics

Appearance and Construction

The H. Upmann Herman’s Batch is draped in a dark and oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The cap has an elongated piece of wrapper that looks like a fuse running along the side of the cigar. The foot smells of barnyard and oolong tea. 

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

My Xikar cutter gives a sharp straight clip and I take a dry draw that is slightly firm with raisins, hay and barnyard notes. As I use my single flame Xikar EX and take a puff, I’m hit with full bodied ligero and a blast of pepper. The intensity soon subsides and a more toasty and woody profile emerges. On the retrohale rich black coffee and and spices come through with an oaky finish.

At midway the H. Upmann Herman’s Batch introduces leather, coffee and honeyed notes that remain on the palate for a bit. The razor sharp burn line and white ash show the admirable construction of the cigar. A few puffs later, lead and a vanilla bean sweetness emerge while the profile hovers at a medium strength. Another retrohale delivers wood with cinnamon tingling the nostrils.

As the final third of the cigar comes around, the smoke develops cereal notes surrounded by an earthy quality. The medium profile continues along with chocolate, toast and graphite on the finish. The draw then seems to open up as the cigar burns down and ample amounts of smoke flourish through the air. The coffee comes back–more like cafe au lait than rich espresso–along with toast that creates a fine finish to the medium bodied cigar. An easy smoking toro.

Conclusion

The H. Upmann Herman’s Batch shows the true highlights of a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. When done like it is here, I very much enjoy it. Although the full bodied ligero blast of tobacco was a bit much to start, the cigar segued into toast and coffee which was excellent. The leather and honeyed notes showed a tasty evolution and the toasty finish enhanced its medium profile.

This was the first H. Upmann Herman’s Batch I’ve smoked and I can say Rafael’s assistance in the blend made it more memorable for me and once again shows the craftsmanship he puts into everything he does. I would seek this size out and a box purchase would be a sound investment.

Final Rating: 90

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Montecristo Nicaragua Series Robusto Review

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Montecristo Nicaragua Series Robusto Review

Up for review today is the newest from Montecristo (Altadis)—the Montecristo Nicaragua Series. The cigar was originally released in 2018, and we had the luck of hosting the New York launch of that event at The Carnegie Club (more about that event here).

If “Nicaragua Series” sounds familiar, there’s a reason for it. Many traditionally DR-focused brands have released “Nicaragua” blends in the last couple of years, including Davidoff, Aging Room, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, and a slew of others. It’s a transparent attempt to capitalize on Nicaragua’s growing reputation as the new epicenter of flavor and quality in the cigar world. Not all attempts have been successful (I don’t care for the Davidoff Nicaragua, for example), but I appreciate all of the attempts. Mainly because I love Nicaraguan tobacco.

In any case, the Montecristo Nicaragua Series is offered in four sizes, including:

  • Montecristo Nicaragua Robusto (5 x 54)
  • Montecristo Nicaragua Toro (6 x 54)
  • Montecristo Nicaragua No. 2 (6 1/8 x 52)
  • Montecristo Nicaragua Churchill (7 x 56)

Let’s see how this cigar smokes.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Nicaragua Series Robusto
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Corojo 98
  • Filler: Criollo 98 / Dominican piloto cubano
  • Size: 5 x 54 robusto

Montecristo Nicaragua Series Review

Appearance & Construction

I’ve got to say, looking at the Montecristo Nicaragua Series, it’s definitely a step above many of the previous Montecristo USA blends in terms of how it’s branded. Instead of being a bit gaudy as other blends like the Espada Guard or the Pilotico which has a massive mid-cigar band, it’s got striking but conservative black, gold and red branding. It gives the cigar a sturdy look, makes it stand out, all without calling to much attention to itself. So props to the Montecristo branding team on this one.

The outer Eucadorian Habano wrapper is nearly seamless, with just a few small veins and an otherwise flawless appearance. When squeezed, the cigar has a fair amount of give and seems to be packed consistently the length of the cigar. Off of the foot is a nice array of aromas: where spice is the first aroma to meet the nose, it is followed by sweet cedar, hay, and salt and pepper and coffee. Nothing remarkable, but well balanced. The cold draw is a bit less expressive, but generally mirrors the aromas off of the foot.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Montecristo Nicaragua Series opens with medium-plus bodied smoke. It’s got a lot of what I expect from Montecristo: earth, almonds, and cedar balanced by some creaminess. There’s also a bit of chocolate which edges in on the nose. Smoke production is a touch above average, meaning I’m not having to work too hard to product smoke and I’m getting the flavors as intended. The retrohale is a bit unwieldy, with a bit too much earth which compromises the smoothness of the smoke.

First impression: this is similar to Montecristo’s other core products, but with additional heft from the Nicaraguan tobaccos. It’s actually quite complex, with the earth being the only note that sometimes dominates too much.

At an inch in, the Montecristo Nicaragua Series has a razor sharp burn that’s still holding strong. I’m finding at this point that my favorite part of this smoke is actually the aroma. The scents are sweet but complex, with notes of almonds, floral and light milk chocolate. The almond note on the palate is fully in charge, though a rough textured earth elbows out many of the more subtle notes (cocoa, cedar, and baking spices). Translation: good complexity, but could use a bit more balance.

 

This continues up until a few puffs into the second third, where the Montecristo Nicaragua Series Robusto begins to come more into focus and more into balance. The heavy earth and spice on the retrohale mellows a bit, and the impressions on the palate are balanced between bitter, sweet, and spicy. The flavors themselves haven’t moved much, but the increased balance amplifies the enjoyment of the smoke.

In the final third, the Montecristo Nicaragua Series edges above medium in terms of body and strength. Sweetened almonds, cedar and burnt espresso are center stage, with baking spices and salt on the tip of tongue. It’s a pleasant enough profile, but it’s clear at this point that the cigar could benefit from more movements in flavor. Thankfully, the cigar manages to avoid the burst of harshness at the end that many fall prey to, providing for a nice close to the experience.

Conclusion

While the Montecristo Nicaragua Series doesn’t fly high in terms of balance, it does offer a nice take on the more traditional profiles of Dominican Montecristo cigars. It’s also a lot more elegant of a cigar than many other Nicaraguan blends that focus exclusively on producing high powered smokes. That being said, I’m still very particular to other Montecristo blends like the Espada, New York Series, and others.

Final Score: 87

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