JRE Aladino Classic Elegante – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Earlier this year, just before the PCA trade show, JRE Tobacco Co. added a lancero vitola to their Aladino Classic line, the JRE Aladino Classic Elegante. This new format is a traditional lancero measuring 7 x 38. The blend remains the same as the rest of the Aladino Classic Elegante line, a Honduran puro that uses 100% tobacco grown by the company on its farms in the Jamastran Valley of southern Honduras. The blend uses a habano-seed wrapper, a corojo-seed binder, habano and corojo filler.

The Aladino Classic Elegante has a price tag of $9.50 per cigar and comes in boxes of 20. This new vitola is the fifth regular production of the line, which debuted in June of 2022. Other sizes include the Corona Classic 5 x 44 $7.00, Robusto 5 x 50 $9.00, Toro 6 x 50 $10.00, Gordo 6 1/2 x 60 $11.00, and now the Elegante 7 x 38 $9.50.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Lancero
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 38
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduran Habano
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Factory: Las Lomas
Blender: Julio Eiroa
Number of reviewers: 4 – Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Mickey T. (irratebass) Alan (Eulogy) Quinn (quinnpins269)
Price: $9.50
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: July 2023
Contributed by: JRE Tobacco

Initial Impressions – JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

Appearance: 90

“Lanceros are hard to produce and while this does a lot right there are a few problem areas. The shape is well made with a consistent thickness and well-applied double cap. The seams have a lot of areas with raised edges and the foot is slightly bunched.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Aroma: 88

“Hay & honey on the body followed by dried leaves on the foot.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

First Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Light-Medium

“The draw is a bit spongy and I think it is effecting the profile a bit. There are some interesting notes of leather, baking spice, citrus, and cedar but it is occasionally drowned out by a slight bitterness.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“Must & mildew types of notes on the cold draw. Graham cracker sweetness opens this cigar followed by cream and floral notes on the retro and finish. The strength is a mild to medium at best.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Second Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The middle portion retained much of the same flavor profile with the addition of espresso on the finish…it's almost like a pumpkin spice latte just no pumpkin. It's really nice!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“Coming into the second third, I find myself needing to slow down. The cigar is burning very quickly, even under its own power. It did not seem to overheat or char the tobacco so that was good. The creaminess in the smoke has continued as well. There began to be a nice fresh roasted coffee profile towards the end of the third.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Final Third

Flavor: 90
Strength: Mild-Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Into the final portion, the smoke mellowed considerably and lost all of the deep espresso notes, leaving me with the black tea and light baking spices. Through the nose the smoke became very mild and lost all pepper notes.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“Very dry cedar, citrus, red pepper, and baking spice at the end. The draw finally opens up at the last two inches but it is a little late to really make a difference.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Overall Impressions – JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

Draw: 88

“I used a straight cut on this cigar and had no issues, there was plenty of smoke and no tar build up thankfully.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Burn: 88

“The burn on this sample tended to waver considerably and required several touch-ups to keep it on track. The rate of burn was slightly quicker than most lanceros for me and I'll attribute that to the double puffs needed to get the smoke rolling.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

Construction: 90

“The seams were raised all over, the cap was undersized, and the draw was spongy till the very end. Lanceros are hard to make and this was okay but could have been better.” –Alan (Eulogy)

Overall Strength: Mild-Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 90

“I was really hopeful on this cigar because I just plain love the lancero format. Flavor wise this was a pretty good cigar. Unfortunately with the construction issues I noted I was so distracted I'm sure I missed some nuances in flavor. As it stands, I would love to try another before passing final judgment…maybe I just got a challenged cigar. Based solely upon this sample I would not feel comfortable recommending it to a friend.” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)

“Overall this was a really good cigar. It wasn't too mild or strong. I'd say the strength stayed at a medium the entire smoke. There was plenty of cream, white pepper, and floral notes to hold my interest. Near the end, there were some must and black pepper notes. I haven't had a lancero in a minute and this was great! I highly recommend picking up a five or ten-pack.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“It's hard to rate a single lancero since it is such a hard size to rate. The draw was spongy and the hot spots needed multiple touch-ups. The flavors were really good and I would like to try another to see if the construction is better.” –Alan (Eulogy)

“I smoked this nice medium body in the morning and I think it hit the mark. I felt it was a very well balanced cigar that offered a nice profile. The baking spices and creamy smoke were very pleasant. Pair this with a coffee and you've got a complete breakfast.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 74

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

JRE Aladino Classic Elegante – Blind Cigar Review