Juan Lopez No. 4 RE Asia Pacific PRA JUN 10 (PBRW)

[Guest Nekhyludov]

I have a distinct love/hate relationship with Juan Lopez as a marca. I have never quite found any use for recent vintage, regular production Juan Lopez. Despite the strong resurgence of the Selection No. 2 in recent years. They're not bad, just one dimensional and uninteresting to my palate. Given five years of age, however, and they really blossom. There are very few marcas that wear the aged mineral character better. So I'm quite looking forward to this nine-year-old pyrimide.

The wrapper of the No. 4 is beautiful. It's a bright, tawny colorado color, with only very fine veins darkly traversing the surface, and a random, bumpy tooth. The construction feels light and spongey, and the cold aroma smells salty and lightly leathery.

It lights perfectly evenly, leading to a Goldilocks draw and a grainy, flaky gray ash.

The very first draw confirms my hopes for the No. 4. A light, balanced flavor of salt, driftwood, and earthy mineral hits the palate immediately. That profile carries through the first third without much change.

The second third begins to show some evolution around the midpoint, where some fruity acidity and light wood notes come into play. They combine to form a nice earthy sweetness.

Performance of the No. 4 has been good. The combustion is a bit uneven side to side, but it regularly corrects itself without a touch-up.

Score: 90

As I move toward the end of the No. 4, the profile takes on a more straightforwardly woody character as some of the sweetness dissipates. Then just before the secondary band, the wood becomes fresh and distinct, and reminds me of the pine note that I sometimes get in aged Bolivar. By the final inch and a half, the wood takes on some char and the smoke becomes hotter, so that's where I leave the Juan Lopez.

While it doesn't quite have the depth of an aged petit corona, it does show quite a bit more complexity than recent vintage counterparts.

[TheMonk]

Good job, thanks!