Blind Cigar Review: JRE | Aladino Habano Vintage Selection Rothschild

Cigar Info

JRE Tobacco Co. released two new cigars in 2020, the Aladino Cameroon and the Aladino Habano Vintage Selection. The Aladino Cameroon scored a 92 in our blind testing and made #2 on on Top 25 Cigars of the Year List. The Aladino Habano Vintage Selection comes in only one size, a 4 1/2 x 48 cigar they call a Rothschild but is actually closer to a robusto. The blend that uses tobacco all grown at the company’s Finca Corojo farms outside Danlí, Honduras including a habano wrapper, a corojo binder and corojo filler.

Many new cigars are made with aged tobacco, but few of them have actually been aged since the cigar was rolled. The Aladino Habano Vintage Selection was rolled in either 2015 or 2016 and has been aging for those four or five years. Each cigar retails for only $6 and is sold in boxes of 50. More sizes are planned for 2021.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 48
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras Habano
Binder: Honduras Corojo
Filler: Honduras Corojo
Factory: Las Lomas
Blender: Julio Eiroa
Number of reviewers: 4 – Sean F. (fullermaine) Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Matt Cade (CadeTNCC) Doug S. (Unpossible_1)
Price: $6.00
Age: 6 Months
Release Date: July 2020
Contributed by: JRE Tobacco

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 89

“This is a good looking little cigar. Nice medium brown wrapper with a light oily sheen. The seams are mostly invisible, and there are visible veins and some bumps running throughout. The cap is very cleanly applied as well.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Aroma: 90

“Sweet tobacco with vegetal and cedar notes. I clip the cap with my v-cut to check out the cold draw and I’m rewarded with salted peanuts and sweet cherries.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The cigar starts off with the primary note in the pre-light, a heavy dose of walnuts. There is a little bit of stone fruit in the finish, along with just the slightest amount of white pepper. Retrohale is very mild, with white pepper and cinnamon as the predominant notes. This is a very interesting start. Draw is very good, making it easy to get a mouthful of flavorful smoke. Smoke output is pretty heavy and quite aromatic on it’s own, sort of bakery like, adding significantly to the enjoyment factor. Getting to about the 1 inch mark, the white pepper on the retro moves to more of a black pepper, with just a little bit of burn to it. The stone fruit has increased in intensity as well, and is competing with the walnut as the dominant note. It has been a very flavorful experience thus far.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“Cigar opens up with the same profile I got from the cold draw; salted peanuts and sweet cherries. As the cigar settles in, there’s a subtle bit of bitterness, not unlike pencil shavings. Obviously, I don’t mean it in the literal sense, as I’ve never actually eaten pencil shavings. But you can’t tell me you never chewed on your pencil as a child and you get that odd wood flavor stuck in your mouth. Now you get it. Either way, it isn’t bad, just odd.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Second Third

Flavor: 89
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Salted peanuts continue their reign, while a solid bit of cedar steps up. The retro confirms this cedar presence as well. I hit the halfway point of the cigar and out of nowhere I’m hit in the face with pepper. Mind you this isn’t offensive, but I picked up no pepper at all until now.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“Around the halfway mark a toasted bread note joins the coffee prominent draw. The retrohale is primarily mineral now and that works in the cigar’s benefit. Construction continues to be stellar in all aspects, this sucker puts out smoke like a champ.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)

Final Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Cedar and white pepper continue down the final third. There’s also this floral almost perfume-like bit that is there just enough to pick up on, but not overwhelming. Nothing at all like an infused cigar would produce, thank goodness. As this session comes to close, I’m left with some mint tea and back to the pencil like wood. Complex for sure.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

“Hickory notes on the front end give way to nice notes of licorice.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 95

“The draw was excellent through the smoking experience.” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)

Burn: 95

“Even burn from beginning to end with a nice grey-white ash.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)

Construction: 94

“Great burn and draw combined with a great flavor profile and good appearance say this cigar was rolled with TLC.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 91

“A nice simple start the day smoke. Simple notes of hickory and licorice. Pairs well with a dark roast coffee.” –Sean F. (fullermaine)

“I have always been a fan of smaller ring gauge cigars. This little cigar was a treat. The flavors and how they were delivered were very good. This is a cigar I would reach for first thing in the morning or any time I want a flavorful cigar with minimal time to smoke. It is definitely a cigar that can be enjoyed by all, as it is very mild mannered in the strength department, while more medium full in flavor and body at the finish. I will be very curious to find out what cigar this is so they can be a permanent part of my collection.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)

“This is a very fine short cigar that if you’re on the hunt for a flavorful smoke featuring great construction, some nice transitions, and you can wrap it all up in under an hour’s time – seek this one out for sure. It’s a highly enjoyable winter smoke!” –Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)

“I was a big fan of how the cigar started, especially on the cold draw. The transition from sweet to spicy and then to a floral presence really kept me engaged, even if some of the flavors weren’t in my wheelhouse. I honestly did not expect this much complexity from a cigar this size. Just proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover or a cigar by its looks alone.” –Doug S. (Unpossible_1)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 48

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.