The Champ's first review: RyJ Habana Reserve

[Disclaimer] The views and opinions of this review are that of the contributor and do not necessarily reflect the views of the B & B Cigar Club and its members. Also, the contributor is not an expert...this review is for informational purposes only.

Greetings enthusianados and enthusianadas out there...The Champ is here and I'm ready to give you my first review for the blog! This review will be on the Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve. The first time I had this cigar back in May, I was leery of it since most RyJs are mild to medium bodied, which doesn't fit my pallet. But when I tried it, I was floored by it! So today, I'll give you a little insight into this offering!

Specs:

• Filler: Mix of long-leaf Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos
• Binder: Nicaraguan
• Wrapper: Nicaraguan
• Size: Toro 6.00" x 54"
• Strength classification: medium-to-full bodied

Pre-light construction and draw:

This cigar has a smooth feel to it but it has some very noticeable veins to it; the veins almost look like stitches. Giving it a gentle squeeze, it's not soft at all but not firm either. It really feels like the cigar is packed full of those Nicaraguan and Honduran tobaccos. The pre-light draw gives off a nice draw with a slight bit of resistance to it. The flavors I got from the pre-light draw were chocolate and coffee on the pallet with some spice on my lips.

Light up and First 1/3:

Once I light this cigar, it starts off with a fine helping of spice on the pallet. The spice was mixed with some earth tones along with some hints of coffee with cream and some notes of cocoa as well. The spice lingers for a while on the pallet and on the back of my throat; spice is also present when retro'd through the nose. The beginning is definitely med-to-full flavored and the strength is on the full side of medium bodied to start. The mixture of sweetness and spice is equal and well-balanced, which is something to look forward to as this cigar continues. Construction-wise the draw is good and it's producing a lot of white and creamy smoke; the burn is a little off and the ash on the cigar is a little flaky with a dark greyish color on it.

The spice on this cigar has faded just a bit as we move into the halfway point but it does still linger in the back of the pallet. The burn is still not quite right and I had to touch it up a bit with my lighter and the ash was quite crooked as it burns. The first stage ends with a slight but pleasant toasty flavor that mixes with the coffee flavor.

Halfway point:

The flavor has shifted and I'm getting more earthy tones than anything else. The strength has really intensified as well, especially doing the retro through the nose I get a serious buzz. The spice that I got from the first third of this cigar is pretty much gone and the other flavors have either faded away or moved towards the back of the pallet. The coffee flavor is gone and the cocoa has shifted to the background. Further into this stage and the coffee is trying to creep back into the equation and so is another bit of sweetness. I had a little bit of ash fall on my clothing and the touch-up I gave the burn helped to correct it. The draw remains very consistent and continues to give off a lot of smoke even though the flavor isn't as out there as it was in the beginning. The ash has a weird look to it and didn't look very solid yet it held on the cigar and didn't completely drop off.

Down the home stretch:

As I come down the home stretch, some spice has returned and it's not a peppery spice like I experienced at the start. The spice was more of a sweet cinnamon spice...a welcome change IMHO. The strength is really full bodied as I continue to get a nic buzz from retroing through the nose. The earth tones that were prevalent through out the halfway stage are starting to fade and they give way to a combination of burnt toast and coffee along with a quick hit of sweet fruit, almost like a banana, and the brief return of those cocoa notes from earlier. The burn was finally even and the ash was a little more solid. The end, however, was a little flat so I let it go after that.

The People's Verdict:

Before I give the verdict, I must explain my system. I use 5 adjectives when giving a verdict so here they are and what they mean for future reviews:

• Epic Win = A must buy
• Win = Would recommend it
• Meh = I don't dislike it but I wouldn't recommend it unless it improves
• Fail = I don't like it too much and wouldn't try it again unless gifted to me
• Epic Fail = Would not recommend it to anyone, even someone I don't like!

Now that I've gotten that out the way here's the verdict for the RyJ Habana Reserve Toro: this cigar is a win for me. Despite the shaky construction, the flavor is on point. Even though this particular cigar had some moments of "meh" its flavors were all over the place and they all were enjoyable! This is a cigar that medium-to-full bodied aficionados can enjoy due to its strength and flavor (it is recommended you have a full stomach as it does get intense once you get halfway through it) and the price point is very affordable (under $10 retail) so go out and grab one and give it a try.

This is The Champ saying keep smoking those great cigars and let the smoke take you away! Enjoy and cheers!