Pre-light Experience

The wrapper on the Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro is medium tan and has a few raised and knotty veins present. The seams are easily visible as they are slightly raised in some places. The head is finished off with a well applied triple cap. There are two bands, with the primary being the current Antano design but carrying a red, gold and white color combination. The secondary band has the same colors and designates CT. The aroma from the wrapper is a mix of hay and light oak while the foot brings a mix of sawdust and graham cracker. The pre-light draw brings a mix of hay, light oak and graham cracker. There is also a mild spiciness present on my lips.

Pre-light Experience

The Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro is a beautiful cigar and has a lovely golden hay color to the wrapper. The cigar is firm throughout and silky in texture. There are few veins present throughout and the cigar is finished with a lovely cap. There is an aroma of manure, hay and wood, with touches of spices and cream as well.

Pre-light Experience

The Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro comes in cellophane and it’s designed in a way that you can open it and leaving the UPC intact. The cigar has a smooth wrapper that’s slightly darker than I would expect for a typical Connecticut Shade. There is a primary and secondary band with an elegant metallic gold on red with some white accents and lettering. The secondary band indicates ‘CT’. The wrapper has aromas of aged cedar and hay. The foot is very sweet, reminding me of bottle rocket candy.

Pre-light Experience

The Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro has a uniformed Colorado claro wrapper shade. The look and feel of the cigar is top notch as veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and head with a triple cap. Aromas from the wrapper give a barnyard must. Nosing the foot gives a dash of red pepper and cedar. Cold draw gives cedar shavings and hay.

First Third

The cigar begins with a mix of oak, dry earthiness and a light floral perfume. At a half inch in, some cream joins the profile and the earthiness and floral notes swap positions in the profile. The retrohale has some toasted oak up front with the floral perfume right behind it. At an inch and a quarter, the oak has gained a toasted note while the floral perfume is right behind and some dry earthiness remains in the background. The strength in this third was mild-medium.

First Third

The first third begins with soft spices, focusing on red pepper, and with that are some soft earth notes accompanied by hay and grass. I would classify the strength as being medium, flavors as well, and the body is between medium and medium-full.

First Third

Sweet hay opens the first third, with baking spices and cedar finishing the retrohale. That finish is quite short. Graham cracker is in the middle of the retrohale profile, the post draw cedar taking on some bitter notes, coating the palate and beginning to linger. As the cigar progresses, some candy like sweetness joins the retrohale as the bitterness on the post draw fades, replaced with some drying mouthfeel. Mild post draw pepper on the sides and center of my tongue and begins to build in strength. Bready notes join the front of the retrohale with the sweetness. At the halfway point of the first third, chocolate joins the profile, the post draw now has a clean finish of cedar and hay.

First Third

The first third has a nice bouquet of flavors. Starting off with a barnyard must, quickly followed by toast, over extracted charred coffee and a hint of wood bitterness in which I’m hoping for the remainder of the cigar it is no more than that. Retrohaling gives gives a spicy cedar. The finish is medium length with an underlying bread/toast. Strength and body is medium.

Second Third

As the second third begins, the floral note has increased to become even with the toasted oak. At a half inch in, the dry earthiness has increased a bit. The retrohale has the toasted oak up front with the floral note right behind as well as a slight chalkiness present. At an inch and a half, the toasted oak, floral note and dry earthiness are all at equal levels. The strength in this third bumped up to slightly below medium.

Second Third

When I get into the second third, I see an emergence of spice notes that are Eastern in origin with some red pepper on top of that. There is a nuttiness present as well and it is accompanied by some earthy flavors with a finish of lemon. The cigar smokes at a level between medium and medium-full in this third, and that is for body, strength and flavors.

Second Third

Some light cocoa joins bready notes on the retrohale. Light cedar takes up the middle of the flavor profile. Those bready notes begin to define the retrohale with light post draw cedar and dry hay. As the second third settles in, candy sweetness joins the retrohale.

Second Third

The second third transitions into a profile that is now more centered around the charred coffee note as compared to the first third’s barnyard must. Furthermore, the wood bitterness is thankfully still in check. Strength and body remains medium.

Final Third

As the final third begins, the dry earth has a slight lead over the toasted oak while the floral note is faint in the background. At a quarter inch in, some bitterness joins the profile. At an inch in, the profile gains a slight sour note and that is also present on the retrohale. A fair amount of mustiness has joined in as well. As the cigar comes to a close, the sour and bitter notes have left as the profile is toasted oak, mustiness, dry earth and light floral note. The strength in this third bumped up to medium.

Final Third

I am in the final third now and finding it to be more lemon focused with a touch of bitterness. It has a nice creaminess to it as well, and the finish is of cedar, earth and spices. Like the second third, the cigar smokes at a level between medium and medium-full.

Final Third

Mild toasted barbecue going into the last third. Post draw is still mostly dry cedar with hay accents. The retrohale is sweet with hints of citrus. The bready notes are still present with edges of spice. As the final third settles in, mild toasted barbecue moves into the retrohale. At the halfway point, some bitterness joins the middle of the profile and moves into the post draw.

Final Third

The last third is still a tasty profile of the same charred coffee forward note followed by barnyard must, toast and hint of wood bitterness. Strength and body finishes medium.

Burn

The burn was slightly wavy but never needed any attention. The ash held on in one inch increments.

Burn

From start to finish the cigar had a very good burn line and produced a lovely charcoal colored ash. The burn line was nearly perfect from start to finish and while the ash did not hold firmly from start to finish, that is not an issue with the cigar.

Burn

The burn is near flawless with only a slight canoe in the last third which self corrects.

Burn

Perfect burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes, ample smoke production and cool burning temperature.

Draw

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

Overall

The cigar began with oak, dry earth and floral perfume. As it progressed, the perfume left, but the floral note remained. The oak also gained some toastiness. The final third had some sour and bitter notes for a short time. Construction was great and needed no attention. The Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro was pretty good and didn’t really show much in the way of traditional Connecticut notes on the negative side of hay or pervasive bitterness. Strength also wasn’t overpowering which doesn’t seem to hit me in the Añtano lines like it does others. This is a very nice addition to the Añtano line and one I’d have no problem going back to. I recommend fans of Connecticut shade cigars check this out or just those that like a smooth profile with mid level strength.

Draw

In terms of draw, the cigar produced a beautiful draw from beginning to end. This is a well constructed cigar.

Overall

Overall, the Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro did a good job of delivering the Añtano flavor profile with a Connecticut twist. The company did a solid job of making a “Connecticut offering of the classic Añtano.” With that being said, I somewhat wish it would have been on one spectrum or the other. I would have rather seen it be more Connecticut focused, milder in some areas, or stronger and bolder like the classic Añtano with a bit of Connecticut. Did they do to good a job of making a Connecticut offering to a classic? lol. Other than that, the construction was fantastic and it was a fairly balanced profile. I didn’t care for the strong lemon citrus quality on the finish, it was more balanced in the second third, and I believe if they had delivered that on the end it would have been a more enjoyable finish.

Draw

The draw is a half notch to just under a full notch of resistance. The draw is well within the ideal range.

Overall

I was impressed with the Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro for the entire smoking experience. The blend managed to stay in the confines of a traditional Connecticut profile, while bringing some barbecue and bready notes which are components you wouldn’t typically expect. Balanced from start to finish, I think Joya de Nicaragua is going to have a solid performance with this release. 1 hour and 48 minutes total smoking time.

Draw

Perfect draw performance providing the ideal air flow.

Overall

The Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro is yet another good release from the brand. The profile was both flavorful and transitional with barnyard must, toast, over extracted charred coffee and a wood bitterness doing a good job of accenting instead of taking over the profile. Joya releases continue to solidify my belief that they make good cigars on a consistent basis.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.72

Cost/Point

$1.44

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

5.85

Cost/Point

$1.66

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$1.35

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

7.17

Cost/Point

$1.35

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Joya de Nicaragua Añtano CT Toro