Romeo y Julieta Belvedere SOP ABR 21 (FRCSW3)

[bishop532]

I love a skinny cheapie, so I thought I’d review the RyJ Belvedere today. Just under 5 inches and 39 rg, it’s a great smoke for an afternoon or morning, though I’m smoking this one in the early evening and it feels perfectly fine to me. 

The wrapper is rustic, with a touch of rosado to it, and I think I’m picking up hints of cinnamon along with the light tobacco aroma off the foot. The cold draw is barnyard and a hint of apple. 

The first half kicks off with a good Cuban tobacco flavor, some earth, and little else. Within five minutes, there is a touch of spice on my palate - cinnamon, maybe some nutmeg, and a savory/salty flavor on the finish. The retro is earth and pepper. 

The second half is candied apple, white pepper, cedar, earth, and - towards the end - a nice creamy coffee note. The retro is still earthy but has a touch of red pepper to it now. 

The construction was fantastic throughout. The ash was nice and tight, and the burn line was decent. I’ve had examples before that were rolled too tight. This one started a little slow but once it warmed up it was very flavorful. When these are on they’re pretty damn solid as a cheap and cheerful, and - like pretty much anything from Cuba this year - this box seems to be on. 
 

Total Smoking Time: 49 minutes 

Score: 89/100