Cigar Details: Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier
- Vitola: Churchill
- Length: 6.87″
- Ring Gauge: 48
- Country of Origin: Nicaragua
- Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
- Binder: Nicaragua
- Filler: Nicaragua
- Factory: Joya de Nicaragua
- Blender: Undisclosed
- Price: $16.60
- Release Date: July 2020
- Source: Joya de Nicaragua
Pre-light Experience
The wrapper on the Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier is dark tan and has a few slightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth and nearly invisible while the head is finished off with a twisted flag. The band is the same design that has adorned the previous vitolas and carries a blue, white and gold color combination. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of wood and light ammonia while the foot brings bread and Asian spices. The pre-light draw brings an aged, dry cedar.
Pre-light Experience
Beautiful in presentation, the Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier is firm in hand and finished with a lovely fantail cap. There are few veins present throughout the leaf, and those present are medium in size. The coloring is a solid Natural, beautiful café latte color. The aroma on the foot is that of tobacco, coffee, cocoa, cherries and earth, while the wrapper is giving off raisin, spice, leather and cocoa notes.
Pre-light Experience
The Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier has a UPC sticker on the cellophane that is designed to tear and remain intact when the cellophane is opened. A fan style cap adds an interesting complication to the cigar design. The Numero Uno band is quite large, almost three times the width of most bands, and stands out with it’s gold and blue against the tan colored wrapper. As I nosed the wrapper, I was able to pick out a syrupy sweet rum and raisin combination with some mild cedar and hay underneath. From the foot, sweet rum, raisin and hay.
Pre-light Experience
The Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier has a light caramel Colorado Claro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head well wrapped. Aromas from the wrapper tell cedar, hay and honey. Aromas from the foot tell cedar, sweet prunes and light baking spices. Cold draw reveals light hay and cedar.
First Third
The cigar begins with cedar, mustiness and light baking spice. At a half inch in, the baking spice transitions to a light black pepper. The retrohale is aged cedar and light mustiness. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper is very light and the cedar has transitioned to a general wood note. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.
First Third
The first third begins by delivering some sweet spice qualities and it is showing some red pepper. I am getting some cedar and tobacco notes as well, and the finish is that of coffee and currants. Simply beautiful. In terms of body and strength, I found the cigar to smoke around a medium level.
First Third
My first few draws bring flavors of sweet hay, and mild wood through the retrohale. Light baking spices lead into the post draw. The baking spices almost immediately build up to a medium strength, as sweet raisin joins the retrohale. Some time later, cocoa and cedar come through on the post draw. As the first third settles, cocoa mixes in with the cedar on the retrohale. By roughly the 30 minute mark, graham cracker adds some dessert like qualities to the retrohale.
Second Third
As the second third begins, the black pepper has transitioned back to baking spice and the wood gains a toasted note. At an inch in, the toasted wood and baking spice are even, with the mustinesss slightly behind. The retrohale is a mirror image. As the third comes to a close, the toasted wood has a slight lead over the baking spice and mustiness. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.
Second Third
The second third shows a little bit of transitioning, but it still delivers so much complexity. I am getting currant and date notes and they are paired with coffee and tobacco qualities. There are some cedar and cream qualities as well and the finish is showing that red pepper spice. Like before, medium in body and strength.
Second Third
Sweetness, graham cracker and hay lead the Numero Uno into the second third. Once the cigar has settled in, medium strength baking spices mix in with the other flavors. There are no other evolutions through the rest of the second third.
Final Third
As the final third begins, the toasted wood and mustiness are even as the baking spice is in the background. At a half inch in, the toasted note transitions to a light char. The retrohale is now just musty wood. At an inch and a quarter, the baking spice has departed. The cigar wraps up with lightly charred wood and mustiness. The strength in this third remained at medium.
Final Third
The final third is not as complex and enjoyable as the first two thirds, but it is still has a great finish. I am getting cream, coffee and cedar notes, and with that is some red pepper spice, earth and cocoa. There are touches of raisins on the finish, but they are faint. Like before, the cigar is medium in strength and body.
Final Third
Graham cracker is the primary flavor driver moving into the last third, with graham cracker and dryness taking up the post draw. Medium strength baking spices return to fill in the middle of the profile. As the last third progresses, the baking spices linger into the post draw and mix in with cedar.
Burn
The cigar went out three times in the first two thirds, requiring re-lights. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Burn
The burn was straight through the entire review process, with an ash that held on in 1 inch 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 cedar, mustiness and light baking spice. Fairly quickly, the baking spice transitioned to black pepper. At the end of the third, the cedar transitioned to a general wood note. The second third saw the black pepper transition back to baking spice and the wood gain a toasted note. The final third saw the toast note transition to light char and the baking spice departed the profile. The burn was an issue with three re-lights and strength was medium most of the way. The Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier had a nice start, but became average by the second third and maintained that level the rest of the way. The flavors seemed a bit muddled compared to the two previous version of the line and weren’t as elegant as what the others provided. When I come back to this line, I’ll likely reach for one of the other two vitolas, but I’m curious to see what the rest of the team says about this one.
Draw
Draw was perfect. Beautifully rolled cigar.
Overall
A fantastic cigar, the Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier is made for connoisseurs and yet approachable to novices. The more time you take in focusing on the flavors delivered, the more you will pickup, but if you simply want to smoke a quality cigar and not focus on flavors, this will be perfect and still show quality notes. The construction was great, draw beautiful and the flavors of currants, dates, cedar, cream and coffee were marvelous. One of the best, if not best cigars I have smoked and reviewed this year.
Draw
The draw is right in the ideal zone of resistant and open.
Overall
The Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier maintained enjoyable, engaging flavors for the entire review experience. While it doesn’t quite reach the levels of the L’Ambassadeur release, I found it to be consistently good through each third. Even though I already have a box of L’Ambassadeur, I will likely be seeking out a box of the Le Premier to join it. As is typical with cigars from Joya de Nicaragua, the construction and draw were flawless. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 27 minutes.
Draw
The draw also had no issues. The ideal air flow.
Overall
The Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier teetered between a flavor profile that was subtle and nuanced vs. one that is subtle and bland. Ultimately, it was subtle and bland with some good flavors but it didn’t pull through enough to keep me engaged throughout the entire smoking experience. The original L’Ambassadeur we reviewed back in February is truly the number one. This one is a long way from that.
Aaron | Seth | John | Jiunn | |||
Very Good | Pre Light | Very Good | Pre Light | Very Good | Pre Light | Good |
Good | First Third | Very Good | First Third | Good | First Third | Average |
Average | Second Third | Very Good | Second Third | Good | Second Third | Good |
Average | Final Third | Good | Final Third | Good | Final Third | Average |
Average | Burn | Amazing | Burn | Amazing | Burn | Amazing |
Very Good | Draw | Amazing | Draw | Amazing | Draw | Amazing |
Average | Overall | Very Good | Overall | Good | Overall | Average |
5 comments
Join the conversationNathan Wilkerson - November 16, 2020
Great review as always! I love Joya Black, looking forward to trying these. Really appreciate you guys!
Tony Matulac - November 16, 2020
Great review! Joya always makes great stuff.
Brian - November 17, 2020
Thank for the great reviews guys!
Steve Toth - November 18, 2020
Nice review guys!
JOHN LEE - November 19, 2020
Really looking forward to tasting this!