Romeo Y Julieta Hermosos no.2 EL 2004

[Rye]

Before I get into it, I should explain a bit about how and why I describe the way I do. I was asked by my uncle, at a very young age, to describe the colour red, as if talking to a blind person. This hit home hard, as later in life I was to be diagnosed as colour blind. To me there are many different nuances to everything in life, and especially taste. Textures, smells, temperature, colours, sounds... They all play their part.

I am the type of person who likes to acknowledge and exploit subtleties and I like to do this in every aspect of my life.

When it comes to my passion for cigar smoking, a reference of, say blueberries could mean anything from the "squeaky" feeling when chewing the skin on a fresh one, to the gritty and almost earthy taste of a dried one. Not necessarily the direct flavour of the fruit itself, and god forbid the artificial flavouring in a soda or cheap pie filling.

When I describe what I am tasting in a cigar, I use what it reminds me of, what comes to my mind, and what I have experienced. Please don't go light a cigar and literally search for "Cap'n Crunch with milk" (I haven't used that one yet, but I'm young! ) but let it help you perhaps find a way to better describe "that strange and different in some way" flavour.

I use the heck out of my imagination, and wouldn't have it any other way!

Now, let's get to it...

This fine cigar was gifted to me by a great BOTL and he asked me to write my thoughts...

Romeo Y Julieta Hermosos no.2 EL 2004

48rg X 6.2"

Paired with the Bowmore 12yr, and a club soda on ice with a wedge of lime.

Dark, rough, hard wrapper with very little give, and a crackling that almost seems too dry, yet I know my humidor, and this isn't the case.

After an 11mm punch, the perfect cold draw gives me raisin and clean tobacco with a bit of bite, and a tingle on the lips.

Let's light.

It takes to the flame from my spill very easily and quickly and was perfectly lit during the toasting stage, without the flame ever directly touching the foot.

First draw produces bitter, extreme dark chocolate and cedar and the finish is slightly sweet with cedar, hints of salt, and something else, I can't quite place... Salted dates maybe?

The retro is very smooth with thick white smoke.

Sip-

I salivate just bringing my Canadian Glencairn to my nose in anticipation of my trusted distillate companion.

The Bowmore 12yr is always in stock, and a favorite of mine.

The smell of sweet honey and smoke is welcome, and the first taste of floral sweetness washes into a lovely peat smoke earthiness as I swallow, and leaves me with a little bite in the nose, and then a long mellow and smokey finish, with a hint of oiliness in the mouth.

That was perfect to erase the bitterness of the cigar and help open up my palette.

One inch into the cigar, and this thing is all over the place!

It is bitter nuts now and a taste like raisin bran with dark cocoa and dried berries, perhaps blueberry and raspberries. With the next pull, dark roast espresso bean.

This is a confused cigar.

On the retrohale, I am getting bit with citrus rind now, and the thick smoke doesn't allow me to exhale a full draw nasally.

Coming into the second 3rd, I am getting hints of tannins, as well as dark chocolate in the back of my cheeks, mixed with an ever present bitterness that is making me want to sip after every draw.

Sip-

Warm, welcome and cleansing.

The next couple of draws are smoothing out, and the retrohale has smartened up giving much less citrus, and more cedar, with hints of leather. Tannins are building and tastes of tobacco and a dark chocolate bar with roasted almonds are not quite getting along with the fruit tastes... I can't yet place them.

At the half, I cleanse my palette with a good swallow of club soda and a pause.

I have to jot some notes down, as this cigar is changing faster than the southern Alberta weather.

The cigar is mad at me for setting it down, and produces light smoke, so a touch up and quick double puff gets it back on track.

There we go! I really do like the volume of smoke this is putting out, but the tannins building, mixed with that strange morphing fruit taste, which now reminds me of spoiling apple, do not seem to want to play with the dark chocolate, cedar, and more pronounced leather, and to add another to an already overfilled plate, cinnamon seems to be trying to wiggle it's foot in the door.

It's a shame that the tannic taste is building, as is the heat on this cigar to the point of me setting it down with nearly two inches left.

What a busy and confused cigar this was, and while there were many, many good flavours, there was a persistence of off tastes that would keep me from investing in these at what today's market demands for them.

I am truly grateful that my friend gave me the opportunity to try this cigar, and was gracious enough to give me two, so that I may revisit it at a later date.

[Lotusguy]

Nice review and beautiful pictures!

My experience with these has been much different, however - mine were, while well constructed, like smoking hot air - essentially devoid of flavor. Way over the hill. I couldn't ditch the remainder of my box fast enough...

Glad you had a better experience - maybe my box was stored improperly before I acquired it.

[dangolf18]

The ones I had were spectacular. Very rich and refined smoke. I gave each one in the box I had 92-95 points.

[nikesupremedunk]

Nice review and beautiful pictures!

My experience with these has been much different, however - mine were, while well constructed, like smoking hot air - essentially devoid of flavor. Way over the hill. I couldn't ditch the remainder of my box fast enough...

Glad you had a better experience - maybe my box was stored improperly before I acquired it.

Kind of relieved I wasn't the only one. I had 2 so far, first one was outstanding but second one was similar to what you were describing. Absolutely no flavor and felt like I was just smoking leaves. I too, couldn't get past the first third and ended up smoking a Arturo Fuente 858 sungrown after which ended up being better lol.

Great review though Rye, felt like I was reading an article out of a cigar magazine.

[maverickdrinker]

Great review and pics Rye! Thanks for sharing!