Pre-light Experience

The wrapper is a medium brown and the veins can be easily seen even though they are well pressed due to the fact that they carry a slightly lighter color. The seams are barely visible and the head is finished off with a well executed triple cap. There is one band which is made to look like two bands. There is burgundy and silver for the primary looking band and then yellow and burgundy for what looks to be like an under band. The aroma from the wrapper is leather while the foot gives a mix of raisin sweetness and hay. Pre-light draw brings an abundant amount of leather along with a slight spice on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The JRE Aladino Robusto has a Colorado Claro shade wrapper. The wrapper is a bit dull and lifeless with virtually no oil content. Veins are well pressed and seams tight and visible. The cigar feels weighty with no soft spots and a firm uniformed give. The head is finished off with a thick triple cap. Nosing the wrapper gives spicy white pepper and cedar. Nosing the foot provides a mixture of fresh barnyard and sharp white pepper. Cold draw tells white pepper on the tip of the tongue and lips, generic mixed nuts and hay.

First Third

Initial draws bring a full cedar with a slight bit of cinnamon. At a half inch in, some cream joins the profile. The retrohale is carrying a similar mix and carries a bit of zing from the cinnamon. At an inch in, the cinnamon leaves the profile while the creamy cedar remains. At an inch and a quarter, a slight bit of cinnamon becomes present in the background again. The retrohale is a nice creamy cedar. As the third comes to a close, the cinnamon drops out again and the cream eases back with the cedar up front. The strength in this third was slightly below medium.

First Third

First third’s flavor profile is one that is both smooth and balanced. Flavors of cedar, light bodied sweet cream, creamed mixed nuts, soft white pepper and hay. The retrohale closely mimics the mouth draws and creates deeper flavors of white pepper, medium bodied sweet cream, creamed nuts and hay. The finish is faint and soft with slightly bitter and charred oak, light bodied creamed nuttiness and light white pepper spice. In terms of strength and body, medium.

Second Third

As this third begins, the cream has completely left and the cedar is now slightly drying but carries a slight sweetness. At a quarter inch in, the cream reappears and pushes out most of the dryness. At a half inch in, the cedar transitions to oak while the cream remains. The retrohale is a nice mix of oak with a slight hint of cream. As the third comes to a close, the profile is still primarily oak, but carries that nice subtle cream that really creates a nice mix. The strength in this third is right at medium.

Second Third

Second third’s first half mimics the first third. The real change came afterwards. Within the second half, the profile became a bit muted, mainly leaving me with cream mixed with oak and soft white pepper spice. The retrohale remains unchanged, still providing deeper notes of white pepper, medium bodied sweet cream, creamed nuts and hay. The finish is comprised of oak, light bodied cream nuttiness and light white pepper. Strength and body continues to be at the medium mark.

Final Third

As this third begins, the slightly creamy oak continues in both the mouth and on the retrohale. At a half inch in, the cream increases some while a slight bitterness joins in. At an inch in, the oak becomes a bit green which causes the bitterness to become a welcome addition to the profile while there is still a bit of cream in the background. As the cigar comes to a close, the greenness fades and gets back to the regular oak with subtle cream and the bitterness leaves the profile. The strength in this third was right at medium.

Final Third

Surprisingly, the intensity of flavors makes a come back. Flavors of dry mixed nuts, medium bodied sweet cream, white pepper and oak are all elevated. The retrohale still remains unchanged, providing white pepper, medium bodied sweet cream, creamed nuts and hay. The finish mimics the second third, still giving oak, light bodied cream nuttiness and light white pepper. Strength and body remains at the medium point.

Burn

The burn was razor sharp through the first two thirds. In the final third, the burn went a bit off and I did a touch-up. The ash was very dense and light gray. Ashes held on in inch and three quarter increments.

Burn

The burn was flawless in all regards. Total smoking time clocked in at a respectable 1 hour and 20 minutes. Burn line was razor sharp throughout the entire time, with ashes holding on rock solid 1.5 inch increments.

Draw

The draw was perfect with just the right amount of resistance.

Overall

This cigar started with a nice mix of cedar and cream with some cinnamon and later moved into cedar with a subtle creaminess. Cedar transitioned to oak with the same subtle cream which created a really nice profile throughout the cigar. Being 100% Corojo, I had worried that the cigar may be fairly drying, but that wasn’t the case. Although there was a little dryness in the middle of the cigar, the creamy note kept that from happening too much. This was a really nice introduction to the JRE portfolio and has me eager to try the other lines. I really liked the throwback to the early days of Camacho and highly recommend fans of Corojo to seek this out as I’m sure I’ll be enjoying more.

Draw

The draw although slightly snug for my liking, was still very good. Never did I pay full attention to it.

Overall

A smooth and balanced flavor profile delivering good depth of spice, wood and sweetness. At times (second third) I thought the flavors were too smooth to the point of having muted flavors. I’d like to try this cigar in a smaller ring gauge in the hopes of having deeper and sharper flavors, but still delivering balance. But the robusto is no slouch, and I will gladly smoke more.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

7.20

Cost/Point

$1.39

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.80

Cost/Point

$1.47

Scoring System