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Romeo Y Julieta Medallas de Oro 1875 Connecticut


Aficionado Knowledge:

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Company: Altadis U.S.A
Release Date:
Production: Regular
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan (Plasencia farms)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Plasencia farms)
MSRP: 11.99-13.99
Example smoked: Bully 5×50
A prior caveat:
     I am not the biggest fan of Romeo y Julieta, I typically gravitate towards Macanudo when it comes to Domican Republic made cigars rather than Romeo y Julieta. Even in the case of the new 1875 line by Romeo y Julieta, their attempt to make a Nicaraguan puro has me skeptical. When I think Nicaraguan cigars I immediately think of Perdomo. I find that companies that attempt to overstep their boundaries with bold new or re-imagined products often fall flat. I do however, have an open mind and would be more than willing to change it in the case of the 1875 Connecticut.
     
Real time review:
    The unlit cigar's foot is subtly sweet and earthy. The body is a light brown color with very visible veins and seams that appear to be not very tight. The initial draw is very easy and the smoke is quite light on the palate. I get notes of bread and hay. The first third of this cigar is quite consistent in flavor profile, with a retrohale that is very similar in flavor to a normal draw. As the first third comes to a close the flavor profile remains constant but a 3rd subtle spice adds a layer of complexity to the overall flavor profile. Unfortunately, the ash stack that develops is not the best, the stack is quite light and will break away easily without much effort, reducing the cigars insulation and exposing the ember.
     The second third of the cigar is far more interesting than the first. The flavor profile of the cigar starts to incorporate the spice with the hay and bread notes quite well. Curiously, the retrohale of the cigar at this stage is very mild and one dimensional, it reminds me of the smell of an ash cake that you'd make when primitive camping, a blended mix of burnt bread and the bitterness of wood smoke.
     As I move onto the final third of this cigar, I find that the final third breaks way into a harder and more noticeable pepper bite. The sweetness of the hay and bread notes are still there, but their presence has been noticeably overtaken by the bite of pepper and spice. Similarly, the retrohale of this cigar consists of that same white pepper note with an undertone of bitter wood smoke.
    During the smoking process, I did have to constantly touch up the ember and even out the burn. This might not be a big deal for others, but I expect a Connecticut from RyJ to require less maintenance given their reputation and eye for detail. 

Closing thoughts:
     The RyJ 1875 connecticut is a pleasant suprise. The evolution of the flavor and its overall balance on the palate is commendable for such a flagship product given their experimental Connecticut wrapper and puro construction. Overall I would recommend this cigar to any cigar enthusiast looking for a RyJ smoke that is familar yet different at the same time. On principle this cigar is quite good, it is not very often that a company can pull of what the 1875 has set out to achieve. Unfortunately, minor defects in the cigars wrapper, the uneven burn and the weak ash stack prevents me from rating this cigar above a 90.

84/100.
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