Can one flavor note make a cigar good if it pops that much? My answer is no, although I LOVED the jammy stone fruit delivery of this JRE Aladino 250th. But the jam was accented very nicely by marshmallows creamed coffee, zippy minerals and cedar. On a side note, I'd love to know what tobacco is giving that great jammy stone fruit taste.
Truly a wonderful cigar and well worthy of the great 85 anniversary. The JRE Aladino 85 Aniversario Reserva Toro showed great composure throughout the entire smoking experience (and yes even within the final third!). The flavors melded well, touching on sweetness, creaminess, spice, stone fruit and minerals. COTY contender for me.
I enjoyed the JRE Aladino Cameroon Reserva. It is a great looking cigar, with a lovely flavor profile, but I was hoping for a little more at the same time. It was never bad, but I felt that it could have popped more, and with a more complex blend add some strength and body. It smoked great, and was one of the better non-Cameroon Cameroon offerings I have had in some time.
I found the JRE Aladino Fuma Noche Super Toro to be an elegant cigar. It doesn’t deliver that Honduran flavor profile you get with JRE releases, but it still has this aged Honduran flavor profile. It is not in your face, but balanced and constant. A lovely blend that is composed of well-aged tobacco. It smokes great now, but you can see it showing elegance with years of aging.
This JRE Aladino Limited Edition really has a lot going for it. I think if you changed the band and didn't tell consumers this was Honduran it would do even better. I'm serious. Great flavors with complexity and depth. Balanced throughout. Some transitioning, but it is not needed with the blend. Beautiful construction as well. Loved the growth on this cigar. I guarantee this will age well.
This JRE Aladino Classic Elegante is a well blended cigar, showcasing full flavors and balance. The major components of a good cigar are all here (sweet, spice, earth). You can really taste the quality of the wrapper tobacco and I think this is a great example of letting the good tobacco speak for itself. A must try.
This JRE Aladino Candela Robusto was an average candela. Price is nice, but it's an average candela. If it had some earthiness with the candela profile, it would have been better. A prettier wrapper would have helped the cigar as well. Nice lemon curd profile in the first two thirds. When it was paired with the cedar, lemongrass and white pepper notes, it was great. Just needed something more.
The JRE Aladino Classic Corona offered balanced and interesting flavors that at times were up to medium-full strength but remained balanced through the majority of the cigar review. I would definitely smoke the JRE Aladino Classic Corona, especially when you factor in the approachable price point.
The United Cigar Series Unidas Cigar Bar Corojo was quite disappointing as the flavor profile was a bit off-putting with the staleness and bitterness. Things got slightly better after the re-light, but nothing that could reverse course for the cigar overall. The cigar burned pretty quickly as well. I just don't think this is the desired outcome of what the cigar was supposed to be. I can't see myself coming back to this one.
It is incredible what a different vitola can do for a cigar. Well, it is incredible what a ring gauge can do for a cigar. This is a blend that excels with a smaller ring gauge and stronger wrapper presence. The JRE Aladino Habano Vintage Selection Elegante was balanced throughout, but it had depth and complexity. Great burn and draw as well.