Cigar Info
At this year’s PCA Trade Show, JRE Tobacco Company added two new vitolas to their Aladino Cameroon line: Queens Perfecto 5 1/4 x 46 and Gordo 6 1/2 x 60. The JRE Aladino Cameroon was released in 2020 and scored a 92 in our blind testing. The blend uses a Cameroon wrapper grown in Honduras at the JRE Tobacco Farm with seeds acquired by the Eiroa family. The rest of the blend uses Honduran Corojo binder and filler. JRE Aladino Cameroon Queens Perfecto and JRE Aladino Cameroon Gordo come in boxes of 20.
This cigar was reviewed blind (no bands) by a panel of at least 4 reviewers. They did not know what they were smoking beforehand. The scores are an average of all the reviewers' scores with outliers removed. All of our cigars reviewed are shipped to the panelists with Boveda packs to ensure optimal smoking experience.
The JRE Aladino Cameroon Queens Perfecto is the same vitola that the company uses in their Aladino Connecticut line. All the Aladino line’s cigars are rolled at Fabrica de Puros Aladino at Las Lomas Jamastran.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Perfecto
Length: 5 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 46
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Cameroon
Binder: Honduras Corojo
Filler: Honduras Corojo
Factory: Fabrica de Puros Aladino S.A.
Blender: Julio Eiroa
Number of reviewers: 4 – Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Chad M. (Chad Tchad) Kevin J. (maninblack77) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Price: $7.60
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: July 2022
Contributed by: JRE Tobacco
Initial Impressions – JRE Aladino Cameroon Queens Perfecto
Appearance: 95
“Cinnamon colored wrapper adorns this short Britannica shaped cigar. It has a silky feel to it with some bumps here and there.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Aroma: 93
“The body of the cigar has a sweet woody note to it. The foot of the cigar smells a lot like the body due to the tight tapered foot. The cold draw has a sweet and spicy characteristic that I love. Almost makes me not want to light it. I could get lost in the cold draw for hours.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
First Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The first puffs offered a lot of nutmeg and cinnamon flavors as well as some graham cracker notes. These persisted throughout the first third. Very mild in strength and body. The retro doesn’t offer any different flavors, which kind of surprised me. Enjoyable first third but really nothing extraordinary.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“Getting heavy salty peanut flavor right from the start that is hitting the tongue. The salty flavor is so rich causing a lot of salivation. There are some musty notes as well. Strong red pepper flavor that it may be a little much on the retrohale.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
Second Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The flavor profile has shifted as I start the second third. The flavors on the palate have me thinking of freshly made hot chocolate with freshly whipped heavy cream. The smoke in the sinuses has a load of nutmeg still but there is a herbal note that tingles for a few seconds after I have exhausted all of the smoke. The smoke is so smooth that I can retrohale a full draw. The mouthfeel and finish have jumped up a notch.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“Things seem to really taper off in the second third. The flavors become much more muted as do the body and strength. I’m still getting some baking spices and cinnamon along with some leather notes. Burn is wavy at times and the smoke output is minimal.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Final Third
Flavor: 93
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Getting into the final part of the cigar, the sweetness has actually stepped up a note. There are now toasted bread notes in the main profile, adding to the roasted peanuts. Cocoa, floral and dry cedar are also present. The retrohale now has more of a black pepper tingle to it, with the floral note sitting on the palate on the finish.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“The final third is where the strength and body pick up again and the leather, baking spices, and nutmeg flavors also come back to the forefront. There weren’t any major transitions from beginning to end, but it’s not exactly a bad thing as the flavors presented were pretty enjoyable. A solid performer to be honest.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
Overall Impressions – JRE Aladino Cameroon Queens Perfecto
Draw: 92
“The draw was right on the money for me. It was just slightly tight which is what I like.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
Burn: 97
“Perfect even burn with a good ash that stayed on. No touch-ups or re-lights needed at all.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
Construction: 93
“Superb in every sense. From bunching to rolling this cigar was a master class in cigar rolling. The ash held tightly till I rolled it into the ashtray.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 94
“This was a very enjoyable cigar from start to finish. The sweetness during the smoking experience is memorable. This would actually be a great anytime cigar. The sweetness would make beverage pairing important, as a sweet beverage would make the sweet profile overbearing. A good bourbon would be an excellent choice, or a dark roast coffee or Earl Grey tea. I wouldn’t recommend pairing with a soda.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“I really well-made cigar that has consistent flavor throughout the whole time. Dry roasted peanuts were the major flavor. There were notes of wet concrete or must-type flavor every so often. The retrohale started off very hot red pepper which was a little too much but then calmed down and was good in the middle and tapered off at the end.” –Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
“Is this a cigar I’d grab if I had other options available? More than likely, no. It performed well at times and had some enjoyable moments but the flavor profile just isn’t in my wheelhouse. But I think those that love a milder morning cigar would grab this one as a nice change of pace from Connecticut shade wrappers.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)
“This little perfecto was a flavor bomb from start to finish. There were clear transitions in each third. It should be easily approachable for every cigar smoke and could become someone’s everyday cigar. This might be the best cigar I smoked this year. It will for sure find a home on my top cigar of the year list. I highly recommend you seek this cigar out.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 59
Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
Kevin A. | 95 | 90 | 93 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 97 | 93 | 95 |
Chad M. | 88 | 83 | 85 | 88 | 85 | 88 | 97 | 88 | 88 |
Kevin J. | 95 | 95 | 93 | 90 | 92 | 95 | 88 | 93 | 93 |
Estevan Z. | 95 | 92 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 97 | 95 | 95 | 95 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.