In 2018, JRE Tobacco Co. released a sequel to their regular production Aladino Corojo line: Aladino Corojo Reserva. The cigar itself, like the original, is unique because it contains 100% corojo tobacco from Eiroa farms in the country of Honduras. It originally came out in a single vitola, a 5 x 50 robusto, but this year the company released the same blend in a toro. The Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro was released in April of 2019 and shown off at the IPCPR trade show. This new version measures 6 x 52 and costs $14 each.
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.
This is a regular production cigar, but only in small amounts with only 300 boxes are made per month. 400 a month are made of the robusto version. They are rolled at Las Lomas Factory in Honduras.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro Length: 6″ Ring Gauge: 52 Country of Origin: Honduras Wrapper: Corojo Binder: Corojo Filler: Corojo Factory: Las Lomas Blender: Julio Eiroa Number of reviewers: 5 – Alan(Eulogy) Sean F.(fullermaine) Kevin A.(Kevin A.) Matt Cade(CADE) Isaac M.(The Nothing) Price: $14.00 Age: 7 Months Release Date: April 2019 Contributed by: JRE Tobacco
Initial Impressions
Appearance: 93
“Overall, it’s a very attractive cigar. The seams are very tight, with a very large double cap, and almost blemish free wrapper. There’s a few medium sized veins running the length of the cigar and the wrapper is very smooth but not oily to the touch.” –Alan (Eulogy)
Aroma: 90
“The aroma from the cigar was akin to leather and damp earth.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
“Notes of cherry wood, espresso and leather dominate right from the first few puffs, with almost a smack you in the face intensity. The retrohale has a noticeable mineral note to it, along with more of the espresso and is very smooth. It is reminiscent of mulling spices. There is no pepper burn here at all, but the notes present are powerful. This is definitely med-full right from the start. Draw is a little on the tight side, but manageable and burn is straight and true.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“There’s a hit of dark coffee and red pepper the first few puffs. The draw, like the pre-draw, is a little tight. After a bit a slight vegital note starts to settle in along with some leather and cedar. I find it continues to get a little spicier as I smoke with a slightly sweet tobacco note occasionally fluttering in.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“The flavors of the first third are all still here. Dark chocolate, leather, cedar, sweet tobacco, and red pepper. The heat from the red pepper reminds me of eating spicy food and it’s eventually not quite as hot but always present on the palate. At the moment the heat is just sitting on the back of my tongue and not going anywhere. If I’m looking for a blast of heat I have to look no farther than the retrohale that provides an almost wasabi level of heat. At the halfway point of the cigar the draw opens up just slightly but its made a world of difference. There’s an almost oily texture to the smoke now and it is billowing thick clouds of smoke.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Moving along the flavor profile really does not change much. The mineral notes from the retrohale are now in the draw of the cigar and are mixing with the cherry wood and leather. Retrohale now is a combination of the espresso, with a fresh, well-done, almost burnt toast note. The espresso is standing out as the dominant note on the palate, hitting the tip and sides of the tongue with a salty/sourness. Draw has loosened slightly to have almost the perfect. Burn continues to be good. The cigar got a little wavy after the ash fell, but corrected itself without need for a touch up. The saltiness in this cigar is becoming apparent as it is really wanting to dry out the mouth at this point, without a regular sip of water as the cigar progresses.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“More of the same in the final third, with a very upfront pepper on the retrohale and the combination of woodsy and coffee notes on the draw. Construction remains exceptional.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
“Getting to the end of the cigar, a dark chocolate note is the only new note. The espresso is still by far the dominant note and has gotten slightly harsh. The cherry wood and leather are still there, but are being overpowered by the espresso. Draw is still on point, and burn has been phenomenal all the way through.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Overall Impressions
Draw: 91
“The draw was nice with a deep v-cut” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Burn: 91
“The burn on the cigar was spot on from start to finish. The ash held until about halfway done with the cigar.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
Construction: 92
“Construction was top notch throughout the smoking experience with a very smooth draw, strong solid ash, and a relatively straight burn line.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
“I think in a smaller viola I would have been in love. The experience is a little too long to keep me fully engaged from start to finish due to the lack of a real dynamic change in profile. Still, it’s well worth your money and time. Great flavors, excellent construction, and a well made product puts this well into the buy and smoke again category.” –Alan (Eulogy)
“Beautiful oak notes! Not a bitter cigar. I would want these in my humidor. A nice coffee or adult beverage would pair well with this stick. Grab some when visiting your favorite smoke shop!” –Sean F. (fullermaine)
“Overall, the cigar seemed very one dimensional. The flavors, which were very earthy, never really changed from start to finish, and with the strength, started to move to the harsh side at the end. This is definitely a cigar for experienced smokers, as it gets to the upper end of med/full in strength at the end, bordering on all the way full.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“This is a very straightforward cigar in that what you get in the first third is what you get right up until you finally drop it down in to the ashtray a little over an hour later. It’s not a bad cigar by my definition at all, just somewhat boring.” –Matt Cade (CADE)
“When I was kid, way out in the back of the property my mom kept a compost pile. Grass that I mowed was piled here. Some food scraps, and certainly coffee grounds, were often included in the mix. All of this was piled underneath a thick black plastic sheet. It often got quite nasty underneath that black blanket, so bad I recall gagging more than once on the aroma. This cigar reminded me of that pile of compost. A cigar I only continued to smoke because it was review. It would not have lasted otherwise.” –Isaac M. (The Nothing)
"I think in a smaller viola I would have been in love. The experience is a little too long to keep me fully engaged from start to finish due to the lack of a real dynamic change in profile. Still, it's well worth your money and time. Great flavors, excellent construction, and a well made product puts this well into the buy and smoke again category. " -Alan (Eulogy)
