Cigar Info – Cinco Décadas El Doctor
Joya de Nicaragua came out with the the Cinco Décadas in 2018 to celebrate its 50th anniversary. In 2019, the company added the Fundador, a 6 x 54 Gran Toro and then last year it added El Doctor, a 6 x 52 torpedo. Every vitola’s name in the Cinco Décadas line comes from historic icons. Diadema (the first size of Cinco Décadas) was it was the first shape ever made at the factory, El Fundador is a tribute to founders of the company, and El Doctor honors Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, the company’s Chairman and Owner since the early 90s.
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.
Only 600 boxes of El Doctor were made for the U.S. and are exclusive to the Drew Diplomat Retailer Program. Like the other sizes in the line it comes in 10-count boxes. Each box costs $200.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Fabrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: Juan Martinez & Dr. Alejandro Martinez Cuenca
Number of reviewers: 5 – Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) John I. (John I.) Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Isaac M. (The Nothing) Jake P. (Jake P.)
Price: $20.00
Age: 7 Months
Release Date: August 2020
Contributed by: Joya De Nicaragua
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 92
“Very nicely rolled. This box-pressed pyramid cigar spots a dark Maduro wrapper. If you run your finger over it you find a nice tooth to it. You can see the seams but it is tightly rolled. It is finished with a sharp point and a triple cap.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Aroma: 89
“The cigar gave a sweet, rich tobacco smell. There was also a nutty aroma, much like cashews.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
First Third
Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The initial flavors of this torpedo are deep with espresso and peat and have a slightly spicy tingle on my palate. Lingering after each puff is a dark maduro sweetness that hints at age and extensive fermentation. Through the nose, the smoke has a slight burn but not a pepper blast like so many smokes in their first third.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“Once I light this cigar, there is an intense hickory wood note that greets me. It is nice and not at all overpowering. Smoking deeper into the third there is a tannin note that builds, trying to balance out the wood notes. After about ten, or so puffs, I push some smoke through my nose. Once I do that I find a deep brown sugar sweetness. It is nice how the palate and the sinuses work together here. I get deep savory notes on my palate and fresh sweetness on the retrohale. As the third comes to a close there is a clove note that tingles the sides of my tongue. The Smoke starts off soft and delicate but turns dry towards the end of the third making me reach for a bottle of water. This is the only complaint I have in this first third.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Second Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“Sweetness here remains very forward but has transitioned to more of a fruity profile than the earlier caramel/sugar. Remains fairly full-bodied. Construction is very good. Ash is holding and forming big thick dimes. Leaves a bit of raggedness once it falls.”-John I. (John I.)
“Thick and rich tobacco flavors took hold as the main flavor in the second third. I imagine it as stuffing myself into a bale of freshly packed maduro leaf. There was a sensation of black pepper, but it no longer came across as a flavor.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Final Third
Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium-Strong
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
“They oak and honey stayed true to start the final third. Slowly went back to the leathery and earthy notes to end it.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
“All the notes from the second third have carried over into this final third. The final shift in profile happened midway through this last third. Brown sugar jumps to the forefront and takes over the palate. The smoke shifts as well, from a meaty texture to much more of a syrupy texture. This covers the palate. There is also a noted increase in white pepper on the tip of the tongue. This makes the final third medium-full to full in strength. The finish stays long cause of all of this. It is a nice close to a really good cigar.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Overall Impressions – Cinco Décadas El Doctor
Draw: 90
“The draw started off really nice but gradually tightened as the smoke progressed causing me to cut more off of the torpedo tip. By the end I was having a bit of trouble getting good smoke output which I’m sure affected the flavors.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
Burn: 90
“This cigar held a nice ash that was a bit flaky, but overall stacked up a nice dime-like pile of cinders.” –John I. (John I.)
Construction: 93
“This cigar felt phenomenal in the hand. A very well-aged wrapper rolled near perfectly around a dense filler. The box press was a perfect rectangle. The ash was white with only the slightest amount of flowering. It held on for about an inch at a time. I can not say enough about how nicely this cigar was constructed.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
Overall Strength: Medium-Strong
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium-Full
Cinco Décadas El Doctor – Experience Overall: 91
“It looked great and smoked even better. This is a fine example of what a cigar should be. A lot of great flavor changes with a wonderful body and finish. If you are a fan of a medium, to medium-full, strength cigar with an excellent body this is the cigar for you. I want a few for my personal humidor and I would recommend you do the same.” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
“Really enjoyed this cigar. Fairly potent with a lot of sweetness. By the finale there were some rich coffee notes to go along with the world tour of sweets. I don’t typically select belicosos as I find there is a tendency for the wrapper to unravel at inopportune moments, but this well crafted cigar never even hinted at such concerns.” –John I. (John I.)
“This was a cigar that started off amazingly well and then didn’t quite live up to that initial promise. Based upon the beginning, I’m hoping another sample would finish like it started. I’d certainly smoke another of these!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“I found this cigar enjoyable as I drove around in the fresh snowfall. It was, though fairly one-note, so it wasn’t distracting at all. But that was also part of the problem. There wasn’t a whole lot of wow to it either.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Was very enjoyable. Solid medium full cigar with dominant earth notes with hints of sweetness.” –Jake P. (Jake P.)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 97
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Estevan Z. | 95 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 95 | 97 | 92 |
| John I. | 92 | 88 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 95 |
| Jason H. | 97 | 95 | 95 | 92 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 95 | 90 |
| Isaac M. | 90 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 90 |
| Jake P. | 90 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 90 | 88 | 88 | 90 | 90 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.