Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the JRE Aladino Classic Elegante is light brown with the slightly raised veins carrying a lighter color. The seams are a bit raised and the head is well finished. The band is the traditional brown, gold and red design for this line. The aroma from the wrapper is a light mix of wood and earth, while the foot brings cedar and bread. The pre-light draw is a mix of cedar and floral notes.
Seth: Nice coloring on the wrapper of the JRE Aladino Classic Elegante. Somewhere between Natural and Colorado. Silky in texture with medium sized veins throughout. Nice give, but firm. Well applied cap. Aromas of spices, leather, tobacco, earth and creamy chocolate. Aromas present on the foot and wrapper.
John: The JRE Aladino Classic Elegante comes in cellophane and has a UPC sticker with an integrated tear tab to remain intact when opened. There is a single Aladino Classic Julio R. Eiroa band. I weighed the cigar at 8.2 grams and the humidity as measured with the HumidiMeter Pro was 60.7%. Aromas off the wrapper included sweet bread, hay and graham cracker. Out of the foot, I could detect sweet hay only.
Jiunn: The JRE Aladino Classic Elegante has a uniform Colorado wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll on the loose end and the head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell of barnyard and jasmine flowers. Aromas from the foot reveal barnyard and white pepper kick. Cold draw provides sweet hay and cedar.

JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, dusty earth and mild baking spice. At an inch in, the toasted cedar and dusty earth are even up front. The retrohale is a mirror image of the mouth draws, but has the addition of floral notes at the same intensity as the baking spice. At an inch and a half in, a light mustiness becomes present. At an inch and three quarters, a light floral note joins. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and dusty earth are even up front, with baking spice a fair distance behind and light mustiness and floral notes in the background. The strength was slightly below medium.
Seth: As to be expected, the cigar delivers that classic JRE Honduran flavor profile. Bits of dry earth with some leather, wood and tobacco. Creamy qualities present with some peppery spices on the finish. Medium in strength and body.
John: My initial flavor impressions were bread, spicy cedar and mossy wood to finish that lingered into the post draw. A rich, sweet cedar is at the front of the profile as it settles in, with cinnamon and bread combining on the finish. That finish begins to linger between draws as the first third continues.
Jiunn: The first third shows good composure and balance. The flavors are fairly full with baking spices, minerals, soft candy sweetness, toasted cedar and roasted nuts. Retrohales reveal deeper notes of the soft candy sweetness and minerals. The finish is on the shorter end with minerals. Strength and body is medium.

JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

Second Third

Aaron: The second third begins with a bit of an increase in fullness of the overall profile. At a half inch in, the dusty earth takes a slight lead in the profile. The retrohale is toasted cedar, dusty earth, mustiness and a faint floral note. At an inch and a half in, the baking spice is fluctuating between middle of the profile and very faint. As the third comes to a close, the dusty earth has a slight lead over the toasted cedar, with baking spice in the back half of the profile and mustiness and floral notes in the background. The strength remains at slightly below medium.
Seth: The second third is right in line with the first. Bits of tobacco, dry earth, wood, cream, pepper spices and leather. Again, medium in strength and body.
John: Sweet bread gets the second third started as mild spices and wood join together on the finish. The second third remains consistent with some mild dryness accenting the wood by the halfway point.
Jiunn: The second third continues to be overall good. The balance of sweet, spice and earth is all still there. The only thing that I’m not in favor of is the finish becoming a bit too mineral driven. Strength and body remains medium.

JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, the mustiness increases a fair amount and a light black licorice note becomes present. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, dusty earth, mustiness and a faint floral note. At an inch and a quarter, the toasted cedar and dusty earth are back to even. At an inch and a half in, the mustiness is now even with the toasted cedar and dusty earth up front. As the cigar wraps up, the toasted cedar, dusty earth and mustiness are all even up front, with baking spice on the back half and floral notes and black licorice in the background. The strength bumped up to medium.
Seth: The final third is a continuation of the second third. Bits of tobacco, dry earth, wood, cream and pepper spices. Medium in strength and body.
John: Spices and bread lead off with tannic wood and pepper to pair up into the post draw. I find some mild bitterness on the finish as the final third continues.
Jiunn: The final third becomes too mineral and baking spices centric. This diminishes especially the sweetness of the cigar, which makes it a less enjoyable experience. Strength and body finishes the same medium.

JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Amazing burn throughout.
John: The burn began straight in the first third, with the ash holding on up to 1-1/2 inch increments. The cigar went out at the halfway mark requiring a re-light. Some waviness to the burn for the remainder of the review.
Jiunn: Burn performance was perfect. Even burn, ample smoke production, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

JRE Aladino Classic Elegante

Draw

Aaron: The draw was slightly tighter than I prefer, but didn’t cause any issues with the smoking experience.
Seth: Perfect draw.
John: The draw is at most one notch into the resistant spectrum, which is in the ideal range between open and resistant.
Jiunn: Draw performance was on point, providing the ideal balance between air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, dusty earth and mild baking spice. Some mustiness and floral notes joined a bit later. The second third saw the dusty earth take a slight lead in the profile. The final third saw the mustiness move up to the front of the profile along with the cedar and earth and a light black licorice join in. The JRE Aladino Classic Elegante started well, with a nice combination of flavors. The second third continued the enjoyment level as there was some transitioning in fullness of the components. The final third dropped a level as the mustiness moved up to the front of the profile. This is a pretty good cigar and a big step up from the Corona vitola we reviewed earlier. For me, JRE has really improved their blends that they add a Lancero to and I think I’m ready to anoint them the current Kings of Lanceros. Add the low price point, and this is an easy recommendation.
Seth: The JRE Aladino Classic Elegante is a good lancero and a nice addition to a reliable, affordable and solid line. I swear I thought they already had a lancero in production for this line though. This was a well made lancero with a nice flavor profile, body and strength level. It does capture those classic flavors with the line, but in a good lancero format. I would definitely smoke the cigar again, but I would also gravitate towards a larger release.
John: The JRE Aladino Classic Elegante is another example of how JRE can make some solid lancero format cigars at a price point that might have you taking a double take with its affordability. The first and second thirds provided the most engaging and interesting flavor combinations for me. I rated the draw as amazing and the burn was good, with the cigar going out at the halfway point, requiring a single re-light. There’s no question in my mind I’d smoke the JRE Aladino Classic Elegante again at my next opportunity. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 53 minutes.
Jiunn: 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.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.67

Cost/Point

$1.42

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.62

Cost/Point

$1.44

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: JRE Aladino Classic Elegante