Romeo Y Julieta 1875

Romeo Y Julieta 1875

• Dominican long filler
• Dominican binder
• Sumatra wrapper
• Few blemishes
• Strong, firm build
• Minimal veins
• Slight oil sheen
• Mild aromatic scent
• Oak dry draw flavors
• Four months in personal humi

Quick Review: I bought this cigar in a Romeo y Julieta bundle special. To my dismay, the cigars were in a less then desirable condition. However, I saw hope and strived to revive these cigars over the last few months. Last night I was in the mood for a quick smoke being that it was freezing outside and remembered I had a four inch Romeo y Julieta 1875. Hoping that they were finally ready, I grabbed the cigar and hoped for the best.
           The cigar still showed signs of scarring from the rough journey it had before me but its structure and important features remained excellent. I cut the cigar and began my cold puffs. The flavor hints I was receiving was of oak. The aromatic scents for very mild but very pleasant. I then lit the cigar and it started off well. The oak notes in the cold draw remained true to the actual smoke. Another main flavor was that of coffee. Smaller less potent flavors included earth, light spice, and mild sweetness in and out.
           All in all I was impressed with the tiny smoke and how the flavors worked in concert with each other. The burn was very even throughout and the ash only fell off once.Moreover the scents radiating off the cigar was pleasant and really help set the mood for my smoke. In the end it was not an epic cigar, but one that really filled the role I needed it to fill. I needed a cigar that I could smoke in less then 30 min and enjoy the experience as much as the more normal sized cigar. I would give this smoke a 5.8/10. An above average quick smoke.

Alec Bradley Connecticut

Alec Bradley Connecticut

• Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper
• Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers
• Even color wrapper
• Minimal veins
• No spots, no blemishes
• Very firm, no soft spots
• Tight initial draw
• Mild, sweet flavors in dry draw

First Third: It all began with a fairly sweet and mild cold draw. The cigar began a little tight but really loosened up to the perfect draw. Once I lit  this cigar and began to puff on it, the first flavor hints I noticed were that of sweet grass, nuts, earth and toast. Moreover the smoke that billowed from the cigar had a cedar scent to it. The only problem was that I really had to pay attention in order to catch the flavor notes. Thus far the cigar was very mild, mild-medium at best. As the third progressed the tastes of nuts, earth and wood became more predominant. The burn throughout this third was even and the ash was ok, however, not seeming very dense or strong.

Second Third: This third was more of the same as the first. I did however pick up on a hazelnut note. It was short lived but did add a nice touch to the smoking experience. The overall smoke is still remaining semi-sweet and very mild. I would still describe the main flavors as earthy-sweet toast with a splash of woody flavors complimenting it. So mild though, almost to mild for my liking. I feel like i am studying in my attempt to identify all the flavors that the cigar is producing. During this third the ash fell off , however, the burn still remained even. A plus is that the smoke remained pleasantly aromatic.

Final Third: Nothing new flavour wise. The cigar remains unchanged almost from beginning to end. No surprises and predictable. Moreover, I felt the strength of flavors have lost even more punch during this third. I have almost lost my interest. My mind begins to wonder and I am just smoking for the enjoyment and relaxation factor. The ash maintained after the initial fall off and the burn remained steady until the very end. The construction of the cigar was strong throughout the entire smoke and at no point did it ever get hot on my fingers. Moreover, at no point did I ever have to re-light or even consider doing so.

Final Thoughts:  I came into this smoke with high expectations. I am a real fan of Alec Bradley's work and many times hold other cigars I smoke to its standard. After this smoke, I can not really say I am disappointed, but I'm not blown away either. Dont get me wrong the cigar was good. In its own way it had complex flavors at time and the flavors it did have complimented each other well. Furthermore, they were pleasant on my taste buds. However, the problem was that it was like a TV with the volume to low. The flavors needed to un-mute and up the volume. I found that the amount of concentration I was putting into the smoke was taking away from my overall enjoyment. Had I been engaged in conversation during this smoke, I would not have been able to tell you what the hell the flavors were and would have thought it bland. In the end I feel this cigar was somewhere between average and above average. Maybe a 5.9. It had the flavors and the classic good Alec Bradley build and quality, however, it was muted.

San Lotano Oval Maduro

San Lotano Oval Maduro:

• Solid firm build
• Rich dark chocolate wrapper
• Minimal veins
• Box pressed
• Easy dry draw
• Sweet flavors in dry draw
• In personal humi for 3 months
• Connecticut Broadleaf maduro
• Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers

Introduction: "San Lotano Oval has taken the cigar industry by storm. The blend has been sizzling hot: receiving multiple 90+ ratings, named #2 cigar of the year in Cigar Journal, and has been engulfed by staggering amounts of buzz. If you have yet to try one, trust me when I say the hype is real, and the cigars deliver as advertised. Now enter the next chapter in the Oval saga, the Oval Maduro (cigarsinternational.com)."

1st Third: After the initial light I noticed hints of coffee bean  followed by subtle hints of pepper. After  a few more puffs the strong leather flavor which would dominate this smoke smoothly entered the equation. Immediately I noticed that the flavors of this cigar worked in perfect harmony. However, just as quickly I noticed the punch this tiny cigar. This tiny box pressed version of the San Lotano Oval Maduro sure was on the stronger side, noticed by all that sat near me during my smoke. However, still enjoyable just not expected. The draw on this cigar was so smooth and the burn was very even. When held away from the mouth one could notice the decent amount of smoke billowing from each end of the cigar.

2nd Third:  Any kind of minuscule roughness in this smoke was eliminated. This smoke is as smooth as a baby's bottom. The marriage between the coffee bean, leather, and pepper with the accents of nutty hints and earthy tones makes this pleasantly complex. The smoke continues to be smooth and easy  and the smoke continues to billow. Moreover the ash is still staying strong with a wonderfully white tone. This cigar is really showing off its great construction.

Final Third: Smooth, smooth, smooth. Every flavor has mellowed out during this third providing a smoke that is less bold and still very balanced. I liken this smoking experience to a hardy thanksgiving meal. All flavors continued to work very well together and covered the whole spectrum of the tongue. Down to the nub the smoke was very pleasant and kept a even burn. The ash finally fell off during this third but hit the ground and maintained a solid form without breaking. I'm very impressed.

Final Thoughts: I entered this smoke with high expectations. I am a big fan of AJ and a giant fan of the original San Latano Oval. To me it was no question that when i got back from my deployment I was going to buy the new Maduro. I let it sit in my personal humi for a while but remained anxious to give this cigar a try. The smoke did not disappoint and lived up to its predecessor. The smoke a elegant and I would smoke this cigar again and again. I give this smoke a 6.9/10. One of the highest ratings I have given a cigar rated on this blog!!