Romeo y Julieta 1875 Exhibicion #1 (8.5x52)

A cigar from the past is a lot like a woman from the past.  There are some fond memories, good times, wistful reminiscences of a simpler time during younger days when there was less to choose from but it seemed to all be of quality.  Alas, we grow and move and expand our horizons and these ideas from the past get left in the dust bin of history.  You meet the hotter woman, you smoke the hotter cigar and this lasts for a while, but then more maturity hits and another transition is upon you.  You meet the woman that is right for you, she puts up with all of your B.S. on a daily basis, she bears your children, you build a life together.  You smoke the cigar that is right for you, it relieves stress, it becomes the steady go to in your humidor.  Sure you still branch out every now and again, but the old cigars that you once had a relationship with fall by the wayside and occasionally you see someone smoking one and think, they still make those?  Occasionally you see the old relationship, you see her with a date and you think, people still date her?  Maybe there is a reason for all of this.

This monster cigar was sent to me to do a guest review, never one to turn down the opportunity to put the hairy eyeball on something I decided to get right to work when they arrived.  Then I remembered the size, this thing is labor intensive.  At over eight inches, this is more than a nine holer (to use a golf reference).  It is everything, visually, that I remember.  Dull brown wrapper that has some dusty qualities with some prominent veins?  Check.  The standard old RyJ band work, red with the white, so classic? Check.  The cedary aroma?  Check.  Some wispy notes of cinnamon and cedar in the pre light draw?  Check.

I fire it up, and much like taking an old flame to lunch after ten years, I start to think about all the times we had together.  During the boom years (both in cigars and in my dating life), I smoked this cigar all the time.  It was stable, it was known, it was good, it was a shining beacon in a field of cigars that were so crappy you went out of your way to get one.  Something most people won't say anymore about this smoke.  It has nice flavors, nothing of real impact, but a steady dose of light cinnamon, cedar and some hints of wheat.  The back of the palate shows more cedar impressions and I settle in for this seemingly nice walk down memory lane.  The burn is workmanlike and plods along nicely.  The draw is solid and delivers plenty of smoke with ease.

The first half of the smoke is much like the first half of the lunch date I mentioned above.  There is some remembrance of times past, almost some chemistry and excitement, as the two of us explore old worlds and old times.  The flavors continue to deliver nicely, as does the conversation.  There are hints of cedar and cinnamon still present in the cigar.  There are mutual hints of prior romps and jaunts with the old partner at the lunch table too.  The back of the palate still shows mostly cedar notes as well.  The back of the mind is nagging at you about the woman sitting across from you, there was something wrong with her! Remember!  Similarly the back of the mind is whispering the same thing about the cigar.  The draw and burn still perform well.

The final half of the smoke is where it all flies apart.  The cigar is now just too mundane for my aggressive palate, I like spice, I like profile shifts, I like ligero.  The woman is also just too mundane for my aggressive palate as well, I like adventure, I like aggressiveness.  I realize that neither the cigar or the woman offer what I need now.  There is an awkward moment near the end when everything I remembered and everything I now know collide in my head.  I decide sometimes it's just best to move on and leave the past in the past.  With women that is.  As for cigars the occasional walk down memory lane is just fine, just be prepared for the possibility that your journey has carried you away from what you once new and the reminiscence will leaving you wanting for something more.

All in all this is still a sturdy cigar that delivers exactly what you would expect.  Unless of course you are new to the game, then you should buy some and begin the love affair.

Appearance- 87 nice, but nothing special
Taste- 86 a solid performance that needs to be more, but it never will be
Construction- 91 very well made
Strength- 85 very mild for my tastes
Overall- 87.75 an above average smoke, I just want more out of my cigars right now

Romeo y Julieta Bully

This is the classic robusto format of the original RyJ blend. The cigar presents with a blond wrapper that has some greenish tints in some areas. The exterior of the cigar shows a few flaws and the wrapper is a touch dry. An inspection reveals a cigar that is soft and it feels under filled. The pre light aroma is of light tobacco and cedar. The pre light draw has some mild spice notes and a light toasty tone.

The cigar opens with a profile of cedar and light creamy textures that are easy on the palate. At the back of the palate there is a slightly grassy note that has bitterness to it. The draw is smooth and easy, almost too loose for me, but there are no issues. The burn is sharp and produces a light gray ash.

The first half of the cigar continues to show notes of cedar and some light creamy notes. At the back of the palate there are some light tobacco nuances, but grassy tones and bitterness hurt the impression. The draw is continuing to be too loose and some heat creeping into the smoke. The burn continues to perform well and the ash hold for an inch and a half before quietly dropping away.

The final half of the cigar shows notes of wood and light spice. There is a floral sweetness in the core of the profile that gives way to some roasted nut and toast flavors late in the offering. At the back of the palate some bitterness persists, but there are some notes of light tobacco. The lack of depth hurt what is a surprisingly complex cigar in terms of flavor. The draw continues to be too loose and the burn fouls in the final quarter of the smoke.

The finish leaves nice tones of cedar and light toasty flavors for further consideration.

Appearance- 86 the green coloration in spots hurts the visual package
Taste- 82 the grassy and bitter notes in the front half of the cigar hurt the score
Construction- 83 the loose draw hindered the performance
Strength- 87 a nice mild offering that could some more zip
Overall- 83.75 a below average offering

Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Maduro Robusto

This is a new offering from RyJ. The cigar presents well with a muted wrapper that is somewhat less dark than I would anticipate from a maduro cigar. There is some prominent veining and the cigar appears and feels a little dry. There is some significant tooth to the wrapper and the cigar feels firm, but not too firm. The pre light aroma is of light tobacco and citrus. The pre light draw shows notes of cocoa and earth.

The cigar begins with a very mild, but flavorful, profile. There are notes of light cocoa and nice toasty tobacco flavors. The draw is smooth and easy. The burn is sharp and produces a nice white ash.

The first two inches of the cigar develop with a profile of cocoa, earth and tobacco notes. At the back of the palate the smoke tastes a bit dry and is somewhat sharp. The draw and burn stay consistent for the first several minutes.

At the halfway point the cigar continues to show cocoa notes and some other floral sweetness. There is still a tobacco tinge at the back of the palate, but the smoke is still a bit dry. There is a lack of depth and complexity, and I find that I am wanting more from this smoke.

The final half of the cigar remains much the same. There are notes of cocoa, earth and there is still some floral sweetness at the back of the palate. The smoke remains dry and a bit sharp at the back of the palate. The burn and draw have stayed consistent. The was a large run at the end of the cigar that was not worth touching up.

The finish is a touch short, but has some sweet notes and light earth dominates.

Appearance- 86 the veins and dry appearance hurt the score
Taste- 83 the dry smoke and lack of depth and complexity hurt the score
Construction- 88 the run at the end hurt the score
Strength- 86 a nice medium smoke
Overall- 85.75 slightly above average, could have used more depth and complexity

Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Toro

This is one of the many offerings of Romeo that is available in the marketplace. I have been told by many that this is the best of the offerings from Romeo, but I had never smoked one before. The cigar presents with a reddish hued wrapper that has prominent veins. The cigar is soft and seems to be rolled loosely. The pre light aroma is of dark wood and tobacco. The pre light draw is cedary with floral and herbal notes.

The cigar begins with a medium bodied presentation of cedar and notes of light floral tones, the smoke seems a bit dry to me and it causes a bitter note. The draw is very loose and the burn is lopsided and canoe-like barely an inch into the cigar. The canoe continues to develop and eventually is approx. two inches in length. I touch up the cigar and continue, but I am not happy.

At the half way point another canoe is forming. The draw is still very loose and airy. The profile is showing notes of wood and herbs, but there is a thin papery quality at the back of the palate. I am forced to touch up again when the canoe reaches another two inches.

The final third of the cigar continues to burn poorly and the draw has continued it's inferior ways. The profile maintains flavors of cedar with an herbal essence, but the lack of complexity and depth is disturbing.

The finish is short and bitter with notes of paper, cedar and charred wood.

Appearance- 85 not a bad looking smoke
Taste- 78 lacking in depth and complexity, some thin papery notes hurt the score further
Construction- 72 a horribly made cigar that presented issue after issue
Strength- 80 an unremarkable strength
Overall- 77.25 a supremely inferior smoking experience