My Weekend Cigar: Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Robusto

By Gary Korb

Ever get into one of those situations where you plan on doing something and never get around to it? Not because you've been procrastinating, but because something always happens to prevent you from doing it. I've been trying to smoke the new Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Robusto sample I got at the RTDA show ever since I came back in Houston in early August.

I didn't want to smoke it at the office because this cigar looked so gorgeous I wanted to smoke it where I would have no interruptions, like on my deck. So I took it home, and either it ended up raining, or I had to help my son with his homework, or I had an appointment, or band practice, or…well you get the idea. I just never got around to smoking it until this weekend. I had even pre-clipped it way back when in anticipation of smoking it sooner. OK, I digress, so let's get to it.

This Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve selection is quite different than you're typical Dominican Romeo. Although it's made in Honduras, you could call it the "Nicaraguan Romeo y Julieta." The filler is high-priming Nicaraguan and Honduran, with a Nicaraguan binder and a flawless and beautifully oily Nicaraguan wrapper - Habano? - (it's only listed as "Nicaraguan" on the Altadis U.S.A. website.)

The smoke was very smooth - typical of the brand - yet was much more robust and earthier in flavor with a strand of sweetness running though it. It started out more medium in body, then grew considerably fuller in strength as it smoked, and became much spicier, too. The cigar burned perfectly and offered a sweet and spicy aroma. I also like the balance of the Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers, which gave the smoke a little more complexity.

Comparatively speaking, if you want to get as close to the Cuban Romeos as possible without breaking the law, this new full-bodied Habana Reserve blend may be the ticket. I've found the ISOM's much too spicy for my taste, and this Honduran version was much more appealing to my palate.

It may have been an elusive cigar these past three months, but it was worth the wait.