Romeo y Julieta Petit Royales LGR JUN 18 (RJE4RW)

[slowsmoke]

It was 80DF and 75RH by 10am this morning, conditions that for whatever reason seem to wreak havoc on my CC, but I decided to try my luck with a little one.  This box of Petit Royales has been excellent, and it did not disappoint today.

Draw was a bit snug, which is probably my only real complaint about this box, they are all over the place with draw resistance.  Fortunately they all burn well.

Started with typical RyJ woody notes, and I get the slightest fruit, going between sour and slightly sweet, like a sour cherry.  And some great cuban tobacco. Into the first half, I get a fresh/raw almond, not smoked or salted or any of that, just pure almond nut.

One side is burning slower than the other, and it has required multiple touch ups.  Under normal conditions, I think it would probably correct itself, but the humidity is getting to it.  If I don’t puff every 30 seconds, it starts to die.

By the end of the first half, the flavors haven’t changed a bit, but the lingering finish on the back of the palate has become a wonderful hearty mix of savory, sweet, and bitter.  I spend quite a while trying to figure it out, and the best I can come up with is a Persian dish called fesenjoon, which is like a chicken stew with pomegranate and walnut.  You get a tart sweetness from the pomegranate, a slightly bitter nutty flavor from the walnut, and a mild savoriness from the chicken (not a full beef savory), and it all comes together in a great stewy mix when it’s done right.

Near the band it starts to turn bitter, and I’m starting to sweat, so I call it.

On the scale of Crap<Decent<Good<Very Good<Excellent, I’ll give it a Very Good.  Many from this box have been Excellent.  These have become my favorite half corona.