The Borons Cigar Blog

When one thinks of the famous Romeo y Julieta cigar, Cuba and the Dominican Republic often comes to mind. However, now you can add another country into the equation, with the Romeo 505 Nicaragua.  This is not only the first Romeo blend made in Nicaragua, but it also contains 100% Nicaraguan tobaccos. Hardcore Romeo y Julieta fans may dispute this claim with the RyJ by Romeo y Julieta cigar which debuted in 2013. Yes, it also consisted of only Nicaraguan tobaccos, but it was produced in Honduras— so even though they tasted great and looked the part, those beauties don’t count!

The cigars are a joint venture between Altadis U.S.A. and the famous Plasencia cigar family, and, if you have a modicum of knowledge about premium handmade cigars, you know that nobody makes Nicaraguan cigars better than these two industry titans! Toss in the legendary Altadis Grupo de Maestros who blend and roll these gems, and you have a trifecta of talent rarely found in the release of a new brand.

Plasencia and Altadis are certainly not strangers to each other, because this is third time in recent years that they have collaborated on a Nicaraguan tobacco project. First was for the Montecristo Espada in 2014 followed up with the Espada by Montecristo Estoque.  Both of those Monte line extensions were highly rated by industry experts and the regular cigar smoking community alike.

Romeo 505 Nicaragua cigars come dressed to impress with a sleek and oily Habano seed wrapper expertly box-pressed over a Nicaraguan binder and aged fillers from Jalapa, Estelí and Condega— Three of the most fertile growing regions in the country. This richer, bolder Romeo is a splendid full-bodied indulgence brimming with cedar, savory leather, and hints of roasted peanuts and black pepper that represent the best characteristics that Nicaraguan tobaccos have to offer.

Brilliant orange and black boxes with matching full-length bands tells you that 505 isn’t your dads Romeo, but that was the plan, because Plasencia and Altadis U.S.A wanted to create a modern and edgy rendition that would appeal to contemporary smokers while still retaining the brands timeless Cuban heritage for the old-school crowd.

Available in five popular big-ring sizes, your ideal Romeo 505 Nicaragua cigar is just a mouse click away on the JR Website. Order yours today and enjoy a top-quality smoke deemed a fan favorite among the staff here at the World’s Largest Cigar Store.

First things first. Have you ordered your TomsCigars sampler yet? Don’t forget to enter the raffle to win one for free.

A little while ago, Altadis emailed me some samples of the Saint Luis Rey Gen2. This blend is their attempt to move into the fuller bodied market. There is really no big story here, so let’s get to it.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua

Size: Toro 54 x 6

Price: $6 to $7.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper looked toothy, a little blotchy, but had no real flaws. It had an odor of earth, wood, and leather. All of the samples I received were rolled very tight, which resulted in a snug draw. The pre-light draw was leathery, with a slight peppery note.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for just over an inch.

Flavor:

The first third started off with a fairly strong pepper. After an inch or so, it calmed down a bit. This allowed leather, earth, and cedar, to stand out. The tight draw resulted in minimal smoke volume. The smoke feel was very dry and crisp.

The tight draw loosened up in the second third. This allowed more smoke volume and flavor. The smoke feel became thicker, yet it remained crisp. Leather, coffee (with cream), and cedar were the main flavors. Black pepper would come and go.

In the last third, coffee, with cream and sugar, dominated the flavor profile. Pepper, earthiness, and cedar followed. The smoke feel was nice and thick. It really coated the palate after exhaling.

Conclusion:

This was a good upper medium to full bodied cigar. There is really nothing to make the Gen2 stand out from the crowd. As for the brand itself, this is the better of the lot. My only complaint was the tight draw in the first third. Otherwise, this is a good “Normal” cigar.

Some local shops are starting to get new IPCPR releases from Altadis. Why travel all the way to IPCPR, when I can just wait awhile? That’s just what I did, nothing. Naturally, what caught my eye was the extreme oval shape, and the no frills band. The price was decent as well, so I had to pick a few up.

Wrapper: San Andres Habano

Binder: San Andres Corojo

Filler: Nicaraguan, San Andres Negro, San Andres Corojo

Size: Robusto Ovalado 5 1/4 x 56

Price: Around $6.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

Where have I seen an oval shaped cigar before? Ooh that’s right, <click> The wrapper did look nice though, and it was more oval shaped than the San Latano. The smell of the wrapper and foot was spice and earth. The cigar was solidly packed, with only a slight squish when squeezed. The draw had slight resistance, and the pre-light flavor was wood and earthiness.

The first two thirds required several burn corrections, and the flaky ash held for just about an inch.

Flavor:

The first third had earthiness, cedar, and a mild spice. I picked up a floral component towards the end of this third. The smoke feel was dry, but not too dry.

The second third kept the same basic flavors, but they seemed rich and more refined. The smoke became thicker, and it had a sweet finish. To recap, there was earth, wood, mild pepper, and an interesting floral note. Simple, but not bad.

The last third became very well balanced. While there were no new flavors introduced, the existing ones melded together nicely. The aftertaste became sweet and tingly.

Conclusion:

This was a decent medium bodied cigar. There was no wow factor at all, but I did enjoy the gradual build of flavors. Construction was good, and it was just what I expected from such an oddly shaped cigar. I could see this going well with coffee. Smoke it, see for yourself.

Thanks to Altadis for sending me samples of the Epic. They have a cool little packaging thing going on. Basically, when Altadis sends samples to idiots like me, they are in customized “Blogger Edition” boxes of three. Pretty cool! Anyway…

It is claimed that this is a limited production run. Some smokers say that the Epic breaks away from your standard ho-hum Montecristo. Mike also said that this is only available at brick and mortar shops. I can appreciate that. I assume this is to appeal to more smokers like myself. So without further ado…

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Vintage 2007 Nicaraguan and Dominican

Size: Toro 6 x 52

Price: $14.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was shiny with oil, and it had no flaws to speak of. The odor from the wrapper was earth, wood, and a slight, spicy tingle in the nose. I could only get a earthiness, and a generic sweetness, off of the foot. The cigar wasn’t consistently packed, but it was nothing of concern. Some minor hard and soft spots were randomly found. The draw was a little snug, but within my tolerances. The pre-light flavor was interesting, and I had a hard time pinning it down. It was sweet, bitter, and floral.

The burn required two corrections, and the ash held for around one inch.

Flavor:

The first third was pretty straight forward, but interesting. As I chewed, swished, and exhaled smoke, the flavors introduced themselves in the following order: Coffee, wood, easy pepper, and a nutty component at the end. The smoke feel was smooth, with just a little zing through the nose.

The second third had an uptick in strength and body. The flavors smoothed out, and mixed together more evenly. Straight cocoa joined the flavor profile, and as you would expect, there was a slight bitter component. The smoke feel became dense, and borderline creamy.

The last third changed up a bit. Coffee was the dominant flavor. Up next was cocoa. Think of cooking chocolate or dark chocolate. Retrohaling revealed a zingy pepper, with a woody component. The smoke feel became crisp and dry.

Conclusion:

This was a good, even a very good, full bodied cigar. From beginning to end, it fired on all cylinders. If I had to complain, I would say the price is high. That alone would probably make me pass this cigar on the shelf. $14.00 is out of my comfort zone. But, if money is no object, and this sounds like something you’d like, I say go for it. It is a good smoking experience.

Thanks to Altadis for sending me a sampler of the cigar up for review today. It never get’s old when cigars arrive in the mail. My experience with Romeo y Julieta isn’t anything spectacular. I expected a mild, fairly one dimensional cigar. Let’s see if I was right or not…

Wrapper: Dark Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Dominican Olor

Diller: Dominican Piloto & Olor

Size: Toro 54 x 5

Price: ???

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was oily and shiny, with no flaws visible. It was a little toothy looking, and had small to medium sized veins. The smell off of the wrapper was earthy, woody, and a touch of barnyard. The foot smelled similar, with a slight spicy component. The draw had some resistance, but fell within my tolerances. The pre-light draw had an interesting flavor of wood, earthiness, and perhaps a slight sweet note. The cigar was solidly packed, with minor hard and soft spots.

The ash held for about 1.5 inches, and the burn required one minor correction.

Flavor:

The first third had a mixture of dry cocoa and black coffee. The aftertaste had the associated sweetness and bitter aftertaste you would expect. There was an easy pepper through the nose and a slight earthiness. Woody notes would come and go.

The second third switched up a bit. The dominant flavor was coffee. On second thought, it leaned more towards espresso. Up next was woodiness and cocoa. The pepper from the first third became milder, sweeter, and took on a creamy feel.

The last third was an even mixture of coffee, cocoa, and wood. The only thing that stood out was a sweet tingly spice. It clung to the mouth, lips, and sinus. The smoke feel remained creamy, much like in the second third.

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to maybe full bodied cigar. It had nice complexities and changes that held my attention. Construction, burn, and ash was top notch. I can’t factor in price, and couldn’t find that information online either. I could see paying between $6 to $8.00. I think it’s worth a try!

Before I get started… Thanks to Altadis for sending me out a three pack to try. I’m pretty sure they have never sent me anything before. I’m not complaining that I somehow ended up on their radar. It is appreciated.

As you’ve come to expect from me, I don’t dig too deep in to the backgrounds of cigars. Altadis does have a bit more information on their website though. It is claimed that this cigar provides earthy and spicy flavors with a hint of coffee. Hey I like those flavors, so let’s see how it went.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Cubano

Binder: Santo Domingo

Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican, Peruvian

Size: 5 x 54

Price: $6.75

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The chocolate brown wrapper looked nice, with minimal flaws. The wrapper had a mild earthy smell, and the foot had a slight earthiness with spice. Overall, the cigar was evenly packed, and it was rock solid. As a result, the pre-light draw was a little stiff. It was just out of my comfort zone. The pre-light draw had a dark bitter sweet flavor.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for just over an inch.

Flavor:

The first third started off with earthiness and… wait for it… Coffee. Initially, retrohaling the smoke didn’t really produce any addition flavor. In time, I picked up an ever so light spice. It wasn’t pepper, it was more like a slight tingle in the nose mixed with coffee. The aftertaste was earthy and smoke volume was decent.

The second third had a core flavor of black coffee. Earthiness was there right behind the coffee. The spice developed into a slight pepper. The smoke feel became a little syrupy and had some sweetness. Simple but not bad.

The last third did not change from the second third. It increased slightly in strength, but that’s about it. Saying anything more would be redundant.

Conclusion:

This was a decent medium bodied cigar. The flavors weren’t very complex, but they were good and refined. Really, my only complaint was the draw. It was just out of my comfort zone – a bit stiff. All three cigars that I smoked had the same draw, so I have to assume this is intentional. As I often say, don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. It wasn’t bad.

Today’s review is a random cigar that I’ve had in the humidor for a few months. Where I got it and why I picked it up eludes me. I’ll pick up almost any cigar at a shop that I know I haven’t reviewed, and I think this is a result of that. The only thing I know about this cigar is that it is a product of Altadis. It is touted at a “Wonderful smoke that will satisfy cigar connoisseurs time and time again.” That sounds like a challenge, so here are my thoughts…

Wrapper: Dominican

Binder: San Andreas Morron

Filler: Honduran & Nicaraguan

Size: Romantico 6.5 x 48

Price: Around $6.50

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper had a nice somewhat oily appearance with minimal veins or flaws. The smell of the wrapper was woody and earthy. The cigar was rock solidly packed, and had some major tight spots, especially near the head. As expected, the draw was pretty tight, so I clipped off the nipple. This loosened up the draw a bit so I could at least move air through the cigar. The pre-light flavor was a bit chocolaty.

The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn required a couple minor corrections.

Flavor:

The first third had a dry woody flavor with an earthy aftertaste. Passing smoke through the nose revealed a pepper that had a little zing. After about an inch in, a dark chocolate joined in and took off some of the dry edge.

The second third was a pretty even combination of wood and dark chocolate flavors. The pepper through the nose kept it’s zing and took on sweet notes. The smoke feel became thicker and my urge to guzzle water slowed down. Basically the smoke feel became more pleasant.

The last third took on a dark coffee with dark bitter chocolaty notes. Woody notes would appear from time to time. There may have been some leathery notes as well, but I have a hard time detecting that flavor, I could be wrong here.

Conclusion:

This was a good medium bodied cigar. I would have liked it more if it started off with the same flavors as the last third. But it did have a nice buildup from beginning to end. I just preferred the flavors that were present towards the end. The only bad thing I can say pertains to the draw. It was too tight for my liking. It did loosen up a bit, but I didn’t care for the effort it took to get smoke. In the end, it was a good cigar.

I found this cigar at a local shop, as you know by now… If I haven’t reviewed it, I’ll usually pick a few up. The Diamondback is a product of Altadis. It is said to be smooth, mild and aromatic with a touch of sweetness. It was blended by Omor Ortez, and that’s about all I know about this cigar. I paired this review with water.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Robusto 54 x 6

Price: Around $4.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The tax wrapper was a little toothy looking, but had no major flaws. The odor of the wrapper was sweet cedar. The foot was similar, but had a little spice. The cigar was fairly evenly packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and the pre-light flavor was earthy with cedar.

The ash held for around an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

Flavor:

The first third: I didn’t notice this on the pre-light draws… There was a sweetness that reminded me of a sweetened cap. I don’t know if that was the case or not. Otherwise, the dominant flavor was earthiness and natural tobacco. Through the nose was a slight spice. The smoke feel was dry and crisp.

The second third was still earthy with woody notes. There may have been a tinge of nuttiness mixed in at times. The cap still seemed to leave a sweet taste on the lips. It tasted like a sweetened cap to me, as opposed to a natural sweetness. The retrohale didn’t change. Passing smoke through the nose was the same as well. The smoke feel took on a thicker feel and was almost creamy.

The last third pretty much stayed the same in terms of flavor. The body may have increased in strength a little bit, but remained upper mild. Nothing new to report in the last third.

Conclusion:

This was a decent mild to upper mild bodied cigar. The flavors were good and simple. It basically was a typical Connecticut, but with a sweetened cap flavor added. That would probably be my biggest complaint. The sweetness wasn’t’ bad, but had an artificial taste. I could see myself smoking these in the morning with coffee. For me it isn’t suited for anything more than that.

For those of you who have been following this smoky blog for the last few years, you know that I have a habit of belly aching about the weather, as it is always interrupting my cigar smoking activities. It’s either, ‘too hot’ and disgustingly humid in the summer, or it’s ‘too cold’ in the winter, with snow and ice freezing my cojones into ice balls when I try to enjoy a smoke. But this past week here in Jersey, we have been hit by some of the most bizarre acts of nature that I have ever seen ‘round these parts.

Last Tuesday afternoon an earthquake hit the east coast… now I know you dudes in Cali thought it was funny stuff, but for you left coasters, it’s kind of like a snow storm descending upon San Diego. I was sitting in a local diner with my dad when our table started shaking and I said, “Holy crap, did you feel that?” We thought a big truck went by, but thanks to Al Gore’s amazing internet, word spread around the globe in seconds flat. While the cackling old hens in the diner were worrying about a “Day After Tomorrow” scenario, I had one thing only on my mind… what was going to be my cigar of choice when I got home from my shaky meatloaf lunch? An oily Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight?… a full bodied Macanudo Maduro Vintage 1997? Or perhaps the flavorful new Rocky Patel Edge Corojo to ease the pain of the aftershocks? Life is full of difficult decisions, but in times of crisis, a real man will keep his head and deal with the matter at hand. So, like the trooper I am, I went with the Rocky. Seriously, guys… there is no wrong answer, here.

Let’s switch to the present moment as I am writing this blog at the edge of my garage at 9:00 on Saturday night – the wind is whipping and the rain is coming down in over-sized buckets. Hurricane Irene has made its way up the eastern seaboard as New Jersey and New York are next in line for a hammering, following the awful beating the good folks in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware took. I’m actually about four feet from the garage opening and starting to get drenched, but with a Punch Grand Cru #2 clenched firmly between my teeth, no freakin’ dismal act of God named after some angry bitch is gonna stop me from reporting to my Brothers and Sisters of the leaf!

Cigar smokers are indeed a steadfast bunch, and we will endure conditions that mere mortals would shiver at, all for the sake of our Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican made amigos. It’s pretty damned hard to keep a tried and true cigar smoker down, and this past week sure as hell proved it. Hopefully all of you reading this made out okay and stayed safe and dry, no matter what geographic region you hail from. And hopefully, the power stays on here in Zmanville so I can get this blog of mine up and posted. You know that I do this for ‘you guys’… I give and I give.

It’s 11:30pm, it’s pouring with a vengeance and the trees are bending with the wind. I feel it’s only fitting to leave you with words of wisdom that Carl the greens keeper once made famous, “I don’t think the heavy stuff’s coming down for some time.”

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

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This past week, five major US tobacco companies filed suit against our federal government in a most unprecedented and landmark fashion. Since the FDA has taken over governing cigarette tobacco, they have wreaked havoc with manufacturers, mandating that large, exceedingly graphic warnings be placed on every pack of smokes. And, to add insult to injury, the companies are being forced to pay for the updating of all their packaging!

The FDA has ruled that by October 2012, cigarette manufacturers will be forced to display one of nine grotesque health warnings on all packaging, and the companies are fighting back, taking the FDA to court on the grounds that the ruling basically violates their right to sell a legal product.

“Never before in the United States have producers of a lawful product been required to use their own packaging and advertising to convey an emotionally charged government message urging adult consumers to shun their products,” said a spokesman for the group of companies.

A complaint has been entered in US Federal Court that also says, “This is precisely the type of compelled speech the 1st Amendment prohibits.”

Guys, this is going to be one hell of a messy fight, one that we cigar smokers should take great interest in. The cigar industry has been lobbying hard to keep FDA regulators out of our humidors, and thankfully, several government officials are behind a bill to do just that. While I don’t have too much good to say about lifetime politicians, sometimes they’ll surprise us and think with their heads, instead of only pandering to get votes. While those kinds of actions are few and far between, we do seem to have a few politicos on our side.

While I am personally not a fan of cigarette smoking, and feel that cigars are an entirely different animal, in this case, a ruling in favor of the butt makers certainly helps the cigar industry, as we are no doubt targets next in line. It is the opinion of many of the anti-smoking zealots that tobacco is tobacco, lumping cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco into the same category, and to me, that is just wrong. That’s like saying that alcohol is alcohol, which would be putting wine, beer, and whiskey into the same category, when they are all very different types of drinks. Plus, a big part of the FDA’s strategy is to target the minds of children, but as I’ve said on this blog a million times, when have you ever seen kids hanging out, smoking $8 or more Montecristo Reds, TTT Trinidad Reserves, or Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatras? The answer is: You don’t. In my opinion, premium hand rolled cigars are an adult pleasure, created for people who enjoy the relaxing benefits of a finely crafted product…  that yes, is still legal in this here United States of America.

Of course, the FDA won’t comment on any pending litigation, but that didn’t stop Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, calling the FDA ruling ‘frank and honest warnings about the dangers of smoking.’

R.J. Reynolds, vice president and general counsel, Martin L. Holton III, fired back: “Rather than inform and educate, the graphic warnings include nonfactual cartoon images and controversial photographs that have been technologically manipulated to maximize an emotional response from viewers, essentially turning our cigarette packs into mini-billboards for the government’s anti-smoking message.”

My question is as always, if the anti-smoke contingent gets their way and eradicates all forms of smoking, just where will these billions of dollars in tax revenue going to come from? The answer to that one is indeed a scary thought. This is gonna be a hell of a dog fight in public over the coming months, and the outcome will be groundbreaking. Yes, my brothers of the leaf, we certainly do live in interesting times.

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

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