Juan Lopez Selection #1 (CAV ABR 01)

[Mike33]

The JL #1 is a cigar I never hear too much about. I don't know if it is because it is from a smaller production line or if people just don't like/know about them. I have found them to be a very good cigar and I enjoy the JL line as a whole. The #1 is a Corona Gorda vitola which provides for a great smoke in the winter.

The wrapper is very dark and oily....an attractive cigar. The draw is also very good with it being a tad on the loose side. At first, the cigar does not give you much to work with. For about the first inch, it is just clean, straight-forward tobacco with little else. After that first inch though, it really opens up to reveal earthiness and woodiness that fight to control your attention. Great aroma coming from this smoke as well.

It is decidedly a mild-medium bodied stick best smoked in the afternoon or morning with water. The flavors are pronounced enough, however, to be enjoyed at any time IMO. One thing it lacks is balance in that it seems to go to suffer from up-and-downs in terms of strength and complexity. One minute everything is right in the world, the next it acts shy and closes up. Can be frustrating, but it never lasts more than a couple of minutes.

Towards the end it develops a herbal sweetness and a stronger charred wood character that I have noticed, albeit briefly, in younger JL. The last several inches are very balanced and consistent. It has a rather medium-long finish, nothing to write home about but acceptable.

Overall: 90 and somewhat disappointing. Others from this box have been consistently better with only one exception. Another reason for the disappointment is the infamous Habanos 2000 wrapper which, while not as bad as on some other cigars H.Upmann , it still required a lot of touch-ups.