Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchills

 December 14th 2020: Straight out of the box of 10, this was a very sophisticated, full body, medium to full strength Cuban robusto of high quality. 

I always smoke one from the 2019 box upon arrival to allay temptation. Then I will leave the box for a few weeks. My supplier does a good job of packaging with a 69% Boveda included and double plastic wrap. I've only had one box where the cigars weren't really ready for sampling. The RJ Wide Churchill was not in that category. I couldn't imagine it would be much better in a year or three. So it will be difficult to restrain another indulgence in a month or two. 

Size: 5.1 X 55 - a very comfortable size.

Construction: Fine construction.  Beautiful colorado wrapper. Looks like a single cap. But I've read elsewhere that it's a triple cap. The cigar I selected had a good weight. 

Draw: Just the right amount of resistance. A strong puff gave a good volume of smoke.

Flavour: Rich and complex, with a few pockets of medium/milder flavour. 

Aroma: Good, rich Cuban aroma.

Consistency: Fairly consistent flavour. Towards the middle, flavour dwindled, only to return to a full bodied flavour in the second half.

Burn: Required a couple of touch ups, otherwise burn was consistent. The cigar felt a bit squishy, which suggested it was a bit too moist. But the crack in the wrapper around the band suggested that the wrapper might have been too dry.

Finish: long finish.

Body: Full body with occasional dissipation.

Strength: Quite strong but not overpowering. 

Time smoke: 85 minutes

Overall: Satisfying. Much more so than the Short Churchill. For a robusto this was as satisying and enduring as a toro cigar, a good inch longer.

2. March 4th, 2021: My goodness! It's been eleven weeks since I dipped into this box. What a delight. Much the same as the first sample from the box of ten. My only regret is that I only bought one box when it was on sale. This cigar is close to perfection: well constructed, heavy in the hand but easy on the draw. The burn is consistent enough - unevenness righted itself. Flavour, body and aroma deep and rich with that very satisfying Cuban complexity that nothing can imitate. 90 minutes of leisurely bliss.

3. July 22nd, 2021: A solid, meaty, robusto indeed. This one was perhaps not as well filled as no.2, above. Burn time was 70 minutes and that was pacing it. Draw was a bit tight at the beginning but the cigar opened out with plumes of smoke by the mid-point. Burn was a bit wonky and required a touch up. Otherwise, rich, mellow medium to full body with quite a bit of pepper and a medium finish. Excellent aroma. My only regret is that it lasted a mere 70 minutes, although, for a robusto that is a good duration. 

 

I pulled out one of these R&J's yesterday because I wanted to compare them with the two figurados that I had smoked earlier this week: the Oliva Serie V Liga Especial and the AJ Fernandez Enclave. Both figurados had an excellent rich, almost Cuban richness and depth, so I wanted to compare an actual Cuban. I would have to say that if the Cuban was better than either or both figurados, it was by a small margin. The two figurados deliver as much satisfaction at a much lower price.

4. June 25th, 2022: I've been sitting on these for nearly a year. The cost of Romeo y Julieta cigars has risen over the last couple of years such that I wouldn't buy them. It's worthwhile, then, to compare this cigar to similar Nicaraguan cigars. The Oliva Serie V is the closest in my collection. Flavour and aroma are quite close. When I lit up the Wide Churchill I wouldn't have been able to distinguish it from an Oliva Serie V. Both are deep, rich, full bodied,  with an intense, complex aroma. The RyJ aroma was perhaps a little fleeting.

The RyJ started off with a dirty blast of pepper but soon smoothed out. The first half of the cigar was mellow, peppery and medium-full bodied. Pepper and strength built in the second half as did body and strength. Flavour was still clean, despite the full body and spiciness. In fact it was so delicious that I smoked it to the nub, at around one cm. 75 minutes and very satisfying. 

A very oily, mottled, wrapper with a very rich, meaty profile

5. September 1st, 2022: This cigar began with the same dirty, strong blast as the previous cigar, but soon mellowed into a medium bodied, smooth, morsel. The cigar became a bit squishy, despite being kept below 69% humidity. Burn and draw was perfect, but body was a bit lacking. Still satisfying, and a leisurely 90 minutes. 

6. November 19th, 2022: Also squishy after being alight for a few minutes, despite being firm to touch before lighting. The cigar was much like the previous cigars: full bodied, spicy, good burn, easy draw, but became bitter before the second half. It was pleasant at best. 90 minutes.

7. April 18th, 2024: Slightly moist and burn was erratic, requiring several relights. Flavour and body were good, as was aroma, but uneven burn was a bit of pain, preventing the cigar from reaching full flavour. Quite satisfying at around 70 minutes.

The price of these cigars has now risen to around $30 each. When I bought them they were on special at around $10. There are far better alternatives, such as the La Aurora 107. I smoked a Toro 107 a few days after this cigar and it delivered the same amount of flavour, body, complexity for a fraction of the price. I won't be hurrying back to buy these.