Joya Black Double Robusto

5 x 56 Nicaraguan binder and filler with a Mexican San Andres Maduro wrapper.

October 6th, 2021: This cigar, like all of the Joya cigars that I've tried in the last couple of months, suffered from construction flaws. When a cigar is badly rolled, it burns badly, draw is compromised and flavour is compromised. After the cigar passed the badly rolled portion it was quite interesting; so much so that I smoked it to the nub, taking over 80 minutes.  

Appearance and Construction: The cigar looks good. It felt weighty. But alas, the construction was flawed, preventing appreciation until the second half. 

First Puff: Instantly revealed the earthy, maduro flavour of the cigar. But draw very soon became difficult.

Draw and Burn: First half, draw and burn were problematic. Draw was hampered by a construction defect. Burn canoed from the first half inch - not a good sign. It didn't correct and needed touching up. 

Canoeing started after less than half an inch. 

Construction flaw was revealed by the glowing ember. An even burn would not leave such a residual spike.

Flavour and Complexity: Once the construction flaws were passed, at around the second half, the cigar revealed a dark, woody, earthy (dirty) dark roast flavour. Complexity was not great. It was more than monodimensional, with a decent amount of pepper and maduro sweetness, but flavour was not deep and rich. The last inch, however, was quite compelling and flavourful, such that I hung onto the nub much longer than I would have anticipated. There must have been something in it.

Body: a steady medium body, perhaps a little over medium.

Strength: Nothing overwhelming, although I felt a bit of a buzz at the end.

Finish and Aftertaste: Finish was not long or satisfying. It was adequate. Aftertaste was a bit dirty. This is not a refined cigar. 

Aroma: Excellent, rich aroma.

Ash: Nothing remarkable.

Balance and Consistency: The first half was dreadful. The second half was quite balanced in the medium body/strength, earthy flavour range.

Time smoke: Due to the tastiness of the last inch, I eked out 80 minutes. I wouldn't expect such performance if the cigar had burned well. 

Overall: I like the size: 5 x 56. It's a nice, meaty, robusto. I'd really like to try one without construction issues. However, considering the very poor construction in the five or six Joyas that I've smoked in the past month, I'm not hopeful. Verdict: promising and quite pleasant. 

October 18th, 2021: Much the same as above. Canoeing started after about an inch.

The construction flaw, shown by the glowing ember in the second photo on this page, was much the same in this cigar. Flavour was muted and there wasn't much aroma to speak of; perhaps the occasional whiff.

After a touch up and passing the defective first third, the cigar became quite enjoyable. Draw was easy and burn was regular. The flavour was much the same as previous: a dark roast, burnt toast flavour, but almost complex and almost creamy. Finish and aftertaste were not long and lingering, but it was a clean aftertaste; not at all dirty.

Strength crept up towards to the final third and as I stood up, after finishing the cigar, I noticed a bit of dizziness. It was not unpleasant and soon passed. If anything, it was a nice enhancement to the medium body of the cigar, which picked up in the final third to quite a delicious flavour.

The cigar barely lasted 65 minutes. But it was quite enjoyable. Verdict: Almost satisfying. The construction defect was a detraction. It now seems that all of the Joyas I've tried have this problem: The Black, the Red and the Antano.

Despite the rough start, the cigar became quite satisfying in the final third. 

June 23rd 2022: After eight months I revisited this cigar. The burn was quite good as was the initial draw. There was no tunnel or canoeing. At the halfway mark, there was resistance but this passed and soon draw was easy enough.

Flavour was much as described above: woody, burnt toast, dark roast, a bit of pepper but not balanced or sufficiently complex to maintain interest. There were no moments of complexity. 

Aroma was quite pleasant, albeit not a major factor. 

Finish was short. It wasn't a cigar I would put down for long periods due to being satisfied. Aftertaste was a bit bitter and dirty. 

Strength built up towards the second half and this was quite a pleasant addition to the package. But unlike the previous cigar there was no delicious flavour in the final third. 

In summary, this was not a very inspiring cigar. The flavour profile wasn't sufficiently complex and the aftertaste was too bitter. 65 minutes. Not very satisfying.