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.

First Third

The first third has a lot of subtleties. I’m getting some minor influences in honey, vanilla and cedar. Retrohaling thankfully has bolder flavors with cedar, black pepper and cinnamon. The finish has a soft lingering cedar. Strength and body is medium.

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.

Second Third

The second third improves on the flavor profile. Although still an overall softer delivery of flavors, the notes themselves pop a bit more. The same notes of honey, vanilla, cedar and cinnamon become deeper. Also, a consistent cherry shows up. Strength and body remains medium.

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.

Final Third

The final third reverts back to the first third such that the flavor profile is subtle and bland. Main flavors consist of cedar and cinnamon. Strength and body finishes medium.

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

Burn was top notch. Perfection.

Burn

The burn was straight through the entire review process, with an ash that held on in 1 inch increments.

Burn

No issues with burn performance. Even burn, solid ashes, cool burning temperature and ample smoke production

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 Loomis

SCORE

5.65

Cost/Point

$2.94

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

8.23

Cost/Point

$2.02

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$2.32

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.10

Cost/Point

$2.72

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno Le Premier