Cigar Info
2020 was a busy year for Altadis U.S.A. which say many collaborations and cigars coming out of Nicaragua, a country not typically associated with the Romeo y Julieta brand. One of those projects was the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua, a Nicaraguan line extension of the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real. This version is made at AJ Fernandez‘s factory, a frequent collaborator with Altadis U.S.A.
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.
Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua uses tobacco from AJ Fernandez‘s farms and comes in four vitolas: Robusto 5 x 50 $8.77, Toro 6 x 54 $9.03, Magnum 6 x 60 $9.96, and Churchill 7 x 50 $9.30. All come in boxes of 25.
Vital Stats:
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: AJ Fernandez
Number of reviewers: 5 – Jason H. (Jokey Smurf) Mickey T. (irratebass) Kevin A. (Kevin A.) Quinn (quinnpins269) John A. (Bostoneo)
Price: $9.03
Age: 1 Year
Release Date: May 2020
Contributed by: Altadis U.S.A.
Initial Impressions – Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Toro
Appearance: 89
“This cigar has a very attractive medium brown, with a nice oily sheen. The seams are invisible, including those for the cap. This cigar is very nicely rolled. There is a little bit of tooth to the wrapper and some unevenness caused by some veins. The cigar is very firm to the touch, with no apparent soft spots.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Aroma: 90
“Sweet hay, cedar and leather notes provide a nice bouquet of flavors on the cold draw while scents of hay, grass, spicy wood arouse the nose.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
First Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“The cigar starts off in the medium range with notes of graham cracker, cinnamon, and a little bit of salted caramel. The retrohale has black pepper on the front, with hints of citrus and floral on the finish. Dramatically different than what I am picking up on my tongue, but it is working well. There is an underlying creaminess in the smoke that helps pull everything together. The draw is very good, just slightly tight, and the burn is true. The cigar is putting out quite a bit of creamy smoke early on. At about the one-inch mark, the graham cracker fades and is replaced by what I can only describe as banana bread. There have been very few cigars that I have come across that have banana in the profile, but this is for sure one of them.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“I decided to do a double V cut on this one since the ring gauge is pretty big…..I’m guessing about a 52. On the cold draw I pick up more must/mildew and my lips start to tingle. This cigar is starting out pretty nice. I am picking up a few earthy notes, but they are subtle and not overpowering. There are hints of cream, nuts, and hints of milk chocolate so far.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Second Third
Flavor: 87
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Moving into the second third, I am greeted with a pleasant medium-bodied profile of sweet vanilla cream with a black pepper finish. This profile remains consistent, and is welcomed in my opinion as it is well balanced and quite tasty!” –John A. (Bostoneo)
“As I started into the second third of the cigar I did start to have the wrapper cracking and swelling near the band area. At this point, it was not affecting the smoking experience. This third brought in a fair amount of mineral notes to accompany the dry cedar.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
Final Third
Flavor: 88
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium
“Into the final portion the creamy toasted almond has remained the primary flavor but now I’m picking up a hickory smoke note through the nose that is cool. I love the fact that I’m not salivating from this cigar and I can just enjoy the flavors without spitting everywhere…lol” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“The last third comes up to bat with a medium+ profile of raisins, a bit of char, and a malted milk ball finish; a complete departure from the previous flavor sets. Moving further in the cigar reverts to a familiar profile of creamy vanilla and leather which takes me all the way to the end. Delightful!” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Overall Impressions – Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Toro
Draw: 91
“Draw on this sample couldn’t have gotten much better. The perfect balance.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Burn: 90
“Burn was good. I believe I had one whole relight and maybe one touch up.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
Construction: 91
“Cigar looked great during the pre-light inspection and performed admirably throughout.” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 88
“This was a winner on all fronts for me! I really enjoyed the mix of flavors and loved the performance. I can honestly say this should be a regular morning cigar for me… just need to wait for the reveal so I can pick some up!” –Jason H. (Jokey Smurf)
“This was a very nice cigar. The size was a bit intimidating to me since I prefer smaller ring gauge and in more of a corona or corona gorda size, but this cigar was dare I say… epic in its performance? This cigar gave me an array of flavors of chocolate, cherry, wood/oak, and let’s not forget the cream. I am curious to find out what this was.” –Mickey T. (irratebass)
“This turned out to be a very good cigar. The bakery-like notes in this cigar were very enjoyable. I was a little worried in the middle part when they were mute, but they came back in the final part of the cigar full bore. The medium strength makes it approachable for everyone, and it can be enjoyed any time of the day. Looking forward to finding out what this one is!” –Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
“To be upfront and honest, I would not smoke this cigar again. The initial aroma was extremely off-putting. Yes, it did fade away and I did not notice it while smoking. But the profile of the cigar did not wow me in any way to want to reach for it again.” –Quinn (quinnpins269)
“Overall this was a wonderful cigar that I’d definitely pick up again and smoke it. The pleasant notes of cream, pepper, leather, and raisin flavors made it an experience I’d enjoy over and over. The burn was a little bit wavy at times, but nothing to complain about as the construction was near perfect on this sample. Pick this one up if you enjoy medium to medium-plus body and a balanced approach to something that I found quite enjoyable.” –John A. (Bostoneo)
Smoking Time (in minutes): 84
| Reviewer | Appear. | Aroma | 1/3 | 2/3 | 3/3 | Draw | Burn | Constr. | Overall Experience |
| Jason H. | 92 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 | 95 |
| Mickey T. | 88 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Kevin A. | 90 | 88 | 90 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 90 | 90 |
| Quinn | 88 | 80 | 85 | 87 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 85 | 85 |
| John A. | 90 | 92 | 90 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 90 | 95 | 90 |
To view the complete scores and notes, click here.