Friday Fight Night: R&JSC V R&JE4

[shrink]

My sentiments, exactly. After smoking a few Short Churchills over the last year, I pulled out a JUL04 Ex4, which heretofor I have always enjoyed. It was disappointing, in comparison. I am looking forward to seeing how the SC tubos age.

[anacostiakat]

» I am looking forward to seeing how the

» SC tubos age.

Same here. My ROA JUL06 tubos are gonna sit.

[bikeguy1]

Rob..how fortuitous..I smoked a Short Churchull this afternoon (well, Thurs in this part of the world) from your recent shipment to me. Dated Feb 07, and allowed to acclimate for a couple of weeks, couldn't resist sampling. It smoked just a tad wet (even though I age at 65% rh, am going to start dry-boxing 24-48 hrs before smoking), but overall was a very enjoyable smoke, even burn, darker ash than your photos show (mine appeared more the color of the RJE4),

but nice flavor development, and never got bitter. In fact, I was at my local B&M and smoked it down about as far as possible without burning my tongue.

I've still got a few Short Churchills dated May 06, and plan on having one Saturday to compare. The wrappers on my 06's are lighter & smoother (closer to an Edmundo-style wrap), but I truly liked this '07 yesterday. Will update Saturday...

Bob

[greenpimp]

Excellent reviews. I have Ex4s from around the same dates, from you, and I have been loving them the first half, then they fell apart. I think they'll be great in a few however.

The SC's I have are from first release, tubo, and they seem first class. Dense tobacco. Haven't tried any 07s.

Oh and don't complain. I took you out with a pair of eights. Straight flush my ass:-P

[jwm8592]

Hey Bob,

Just to add a little to your post. I love the RYJSC, I HAD a box

PUT MAY 06, and they were one of the top five smokes I have ever had. Just absoluetly divine. Smooth as can be but w/a little kick thrown in. Hopefully yours will be as good, enjoy.

[El Presidente]

Friday Fight Night: Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill EST JUN07 Vs Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No 4 MCS SEP 05

In the Left corner we have the current champion of Romeo y Julieta Robusto in the Short Churchill. After blasting its way into the world in February 2006 it has cemented its position as one of Cuba’s most consistent Robusto’s and is only really challenged by Cohiba Robusto when it comes to consistency of both flavour and construction. The popularity of these can be seen by the date code available. There are very few older examples on the market as Habanos lovers worldwide have taken to the newcomer. Short Churchill has excellent pedigree and the backing by strong management who have adorned it in nice new Tubos versions as a showcase to the world. It comes into this fight as the favourite although its youth is a major concern. Can it make up the two years difference in experience and box age?

In the right corner we have an old favourite in the Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion Number 4. Once a slayer in the Robusto cigar category it has played second fiddle to its usurper brother. No new packaging and rumours of bias perpetrated by the often portrayed “money hungry” parents who in some Habanophile eyes are playing favourites and picking winners. The parents have strongly denied the accusations and state that they love both offspring equally. Exhibicion No 4 believes this is bull. It believes it has earned its stripes as the premier Robusto of the Marque and is paying the price for a lack of sexiness. Why not give it all new packaging? Why the need for a whole new cigar?

This is a grudge match.

5 rounds, 18 points per round. Tasting completed early morning over two seperate days. Cigars held for 30 days at 65% relative humidity and 17 degrees centigrade.

Round 1: Construction/aroma at cold/draw.

The Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill (RJSC) looks the part. Nice wrapper without being excellent. A little sandpapery to the touch. This example came from an open box in the humidor and while I prefer the more traditional lighter wrappers I saw no reason to open another box. Aroma at cold is leather and berries. Construction from cap to foot is very good.

Serrated the foot and the draw was very good. Toasted tobacco on the tongue with a meringue sweet/sour edge.

The Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No 4 (RJE4) also comes from an open box in the humidor. It is box pressed but with a gorgeous silky wrapper. If tastings were based on wrappers alone this contest would be over. Construction is immaculate. Aroma at cold woody and cherrylike. Serrated the foot and the draw was very good. On the lips it is toasted tobacco and cherry cordial.

Points win to the RJE4 on aesthetics alone

Round 1

RJSC: 15.5/18 RJE4 18/18

Round 2: The opening

Cigars are highly penalised for any elements of amonia. Greenness and sourness are especially despised.

RJSC opened with an acrid flavour and plumes of black smoke. Plenty of pepper and burn’t rubber both in flavour and aroma. It quickly regained its composure however and delved into a medium/full bodied profile with distinct charred wood, leather and over cooked cake crust. Transforming by the minute into a smother profile with charred wood giving way to black coffee. Sweet, dark Morello charries showing through on the outskirts.

RJE4 Opens like an Olympic High Board diver. Clean crisp entry. Medium bodied filled with cream, milk coffee and ripe fruits. It has started at an amazingly high level and holds these flavours together seamlessly and effortlessy.

Clean win to RJE4

Round 2

RJSC 15/18 RJE4: 17/18

Round 3: 1st third (flavour/aroma/complexity).

RJSC has tidied up its act. Still medium Full bodied but now lush on the palate. Darker coffee profile that the RJE4. Some lovely white pepper through the nose giving an impression that it is stronger than it really is. Flavours in the mouth are Black coffee cut with a dash of cream combined with stewed fruits. Beautiful mix between the pepper through the nose and the creamy sweetness on the palate.

RJE4 is not to be outdone. It is showcasing its milk coffee and Morello cherry flavours and doing it very nicely. This is the cigar equivalent of a well endowed woman knowing her strengths and prepared to show them off. I love this flavour profile and it is in a medium bodied format that is smooth as silk. There is little to no pepper notes.

Round 3

RJSC 16.5/18 RJE4: 17/18

Round 4: 2nd Third (flavour/aroma/complexity).

The money round in the world of cigars.

RJSC continues to evolve. It is darker, broodier than its brother. Fuller in body (keep in mind its youth as this will likely change) and at this point it has moved from Black coffee with a dash of cream to a strong flat white of the highest order. At this point you can see the lineage. The stewed fruits are becoming more defined and it is all dark berries/cherries/mulberries. Still a hit of white pepper spice through the nose and some black pepper highlights on the palate. Bravo!

RJE4 is beginning to show the first signs of a struggle. Milk coffee and Morello cherries are still there but the flavour is not as clean and is getting a little ragged. Some earthy/ muddy elements entering the flavour spectrum putting pressure on the milkyness which is struggling to hold on. The RJE4 is doing a good job of keeping its better elements together but it is not a completely convincing performance. The body is still medium and the aroma first class bouquet of tobacco mixed with a baking apple pie. Yet there is mutiny on the palate toward the back end of the second third.

Round 4

RJSC 17.5/18 RJE4: 15.5/18

Round 5: Last Third (flavour/aroma/complexity).

RJSC..right to the very end continued to deliver and evolve its flavours. It was only in the last half inch that bitterness began to appear and spoil what was really a party in full swing. It ended Medium Full and went back to its Black coffee start but the berries were in full swing doing a twist with the white and black pepper highlights. The aroma of the cigar was always there to remind you that it was an R&J with its sweet woody note. This was a very good complex cigar which shows every possibility of ageing into something stellar.

RJE4 fell away in the final straight as if it were a horse in the Kentucky Derby carrying my money. I don’t know what happened but all milk coffee and Morello cherries were gone by the final inch and a half replaced by a cardboard nothingness mixed with a bitter earthy flavour which reminded me of drinking Cava in Fiji (a native alcoholic drink which tastes like mud and pepper). It was a remarkable transformation and highly disappointing. One can only surmise that it needed more time in the humidor. I think it will improve dramatically in the next 2 years but I wonder about its longterm ageing potential. I am also looking forward to trying some 06/07 offerings.

Round 5

RJSC 17/18 RJE4: 11.5/18

Final judging points:

Overall Burn:

The burn on both cigars was good with the R&JE4 having a slight edge which can be expected given the age advantage. I only really touched up the burn on either cigar once and one of those times was when I dropped the RJE4 when greenpimp pulled his second straight flush in our Friday poker comp…Bastard.

Keep in mind I do these tastings outside on the deck and there has been a little breeze around these past few days.

RJSC 8 /10 RJE4 8.5/10

Overall Points:

Romeo y Julieta Short Churchill EST JUN07 89.5 points

Romeo y Julieta Exhibicion No 4 MCS SEP 05 86.5 points

Wrapup.

With its exemplary construction, physical beauty and stunning opening third and a half, the R&J Exhibicion No 4 had this contest wrapped up. Then it all began to go wrong as it tumbled into a confused and then ultimately flavourless abyss. Time in the humidor should heal the last third woes. One has to ask however if the changes that Habanos and TABACUBA made in the last of 05 into 06 and 07 in the utilizing of aged ligero would account for the difference.

The decision to go back to using aged Ligero (3 years) was really only going back to how things were meant to be done. The drama’s of the boom(overproduction) and some poor crops meant that this was nigh impossible before the end of 2005 when they had sufficient leaf inventory on hand to revert back to tradition. I doubt it had any influence in this case. I simply suspect that the tobacco available is of better quality in 06/07 than in 2005.

The R&JSC really had no right to be as good as it was being less than six months old. Yet it was a clear winner because of consistency of flavour and complexity. It engaged you and evolved. It certainly was not perfect but it gives hope for better days to come and you cannot ask more of a cigar than to enjoy one now while being confident they will only get better with time.