Pre-light Experience

The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Midnight Twist Toro is a barber pole with a medium brown wrapper and a dark brown wrapper. The medium brown wrapper has some decently raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. The band is the traditional design for the Reserva Real line and is in a blue, gold and white color combination and denotes the brand, line and sub-line. The aroma from the wrapper is a syrupy stone fruit sweetness and cedar, while the foot brings an even mix of the syrupy stone fruit sweetness, cedar and earth. The pre-light draw brings a lightly sweet cedar.

First Third

The cigar begins with toasted oak, black pepper and some light earth. At a half inch in, the toasted oak, black pepper and earth are all even. The retrohale is toasted oak, black pepper and mild earth. As the third comes to a close, the profile remains an even mix of toasted oak, black pepper and earth. The strength was slightly below medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the black pepper lightens up a bit. The retrohale is now toasted oak and earth with some mild black pepper. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is now in the back half of the profile. As the third comes to a close, the toasted oak and earth are even up front with black pepper just past the midway point in the profile. The strength bumped up to medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the black pepper is now very light. The retrohale remains toasted oak and earth with some mild black pepper. At an inch in, the black pepper picks back up a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted oak and earth remain even up front with the black pepper just past the midway point of the profile. The strength remained at medium.

Burn

The burn was a bit wavy at times and required a single touch-up to keep things in unison. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.

Draw

The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.

Overall

The cigar began with toasted oak, black pepper and some light earth. The earth picked up so that all components were even about a half inch in. The second third saw the pepper lighten up a bit which continued into the final third and then the black pepper increased a bit in the final third. The Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Midnight Twist Toro had an average profile throughout, just focused on the toasted oak, earth and black pepper. A fairly linear profile that didn’t really stand out. The price point is attractive, but other than that, I don’t see it as something I’d return to.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.40

Cost/Point

$2.02

Scoring System

Personal Cigar Review: Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Midnight Twist Toro