While it did take me a while, I am now convinced that Nicaraguan tobacco is the best in the world. In fact a lot of times people ask me “Do you like Cubans?”, I reply that I prefer Nicaraguan cigars. My reason is that I’ve seen the variety with what the tobaccos from this part of the world bring. I’ve also seen that Nicaraguan puros are often what many Indie cigar companies target for their blends. Some Indie cigar companies are successful in bringing something unique and different to the table, and others have not. With the case of Reinado Cigars, this is one of the companies that definitely has been doing something right. With that thought, today’s cigar assessment focuses on the core line of Reinado Cigars.
The name “Reinado” is Spanish for “Reign”. I’ve heard about Reinado for sometime, and at the New Jersey Cigar Festival I got my first real exposure to them. Being a New Jersey-based company, it made sense for Reinado to have a presence there. At the festival, I managed to chat a little with Antonio Lam, the owner and founder of the company. Lam was extremely proud of the blend he produced and was very confident in the product he delivered. The distinguishing factors with Reinado are the five year aging process followed by a unique and proprietary fermentation process. It are these processes that Lam feels sets his brand apart from the rest.
Right now, Reinado offers this single blend. Let’s take a closer look at this cigar:
Blend Profile
The Reinado cigar is an all-Nicaraguan puro utilizing Cuban seed.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitolas Available
The Reinado Cigar is currently available in the following vitolas:
Churchill: 7 5/8 X 48
Robusto: 5 1/2 X 50
Torpedo: 6 1/8 X 52
Preparation for the Cigar Experience
For this cigar experience, I selected the Torpedo to enjoy. Therefore, it was on to put a straight cut through the pointed cap. Once I started some dry draws on the pre-light ritual, I was treated to some interesting medium-bodied notes of cocoa and nutmeg. It was then on to toast the foot and enjoy this cigar.
Flavor Profile
The initial notes of the Reinado were similar to the cocoa and nutmeg that I got on the pre-light draw. However, I was treated to another interesting flavor – namely some floral notes. This made for a most unique start to a cigar. The Reinado also produed a nice volume of smoke early on.
The floral notes are the ones that move center-stage early on. The floral notes were not infused-like – and made for a very smooth start to the smoke. Around 15 percent into the cigar, some sweetness begins to emerge. At this point, it’s a little tough to put my finger on the sweet notes, but I would categorize it as a cross between honey and caramel. It is around this point where the cocoa-notes got more chocolately and balanced nicely with the floral notes.
As the cigar progressed to the one third point, there was a wonderful balance between the chocolate, floral, and caramel/honey sweet notes. It is just past the one third point where the floral notes started to diminish and by the midway point the chocolate notes moved to the forefront. It is also at this point where another interesting transition takes place as the caramel/honey sweetness became more butterscotch-like.
Early in the second half of the smoke, the sweetness did fade and some earth tones join the chocolate notes. The chocolate flavor during this part of the smoke was very nice. Toward the end of the cigar experience. the chocolate takes yet another transition – this time to more of roasted coffee flavor. I also picked up a little black pepper spice at the end as well – on both the tongue and through the nose. The nub I got was a bit soft and warm, but the finish was still flavorful.
Burn and Draw
The burn of this cigar was very solid. I did have to put a few touch-ups at the beginning, but once things progressed, the burn on this cigar was sharp. Although the nub was a little warmer than I prefer, the Reinado burned at the right temperature and at a good rate.
The draw on this cigar was a little looser than I prefer. I typically say this with a looser draw – you need to accommodate this looser draw when you smoke it – or you affect the burn rate and burn temperature. I don’t think you need to be a cigar expert to work this draw – just don’t overdraw it and you will have a perfect experience time and time again.
Strength and Body
I did not find the Reinado an overpowering cigar from a nicotine standpoint. It’s pretty much a medium in terms of strength and provides for a smooth experience. The flavor notes are robust – definitely falling into the medium to full range in terms of body.
Final Thoughts
This cigar served up a lot in terms of complexity – and I was pleasantly surprised how much it offered in this category. The floral notes with the unique sweetness in the first half of this smoke made this a nice surprise – and showed me more of what the power of a Nicaraguan puro can bring. I think this cigar can appeal to a wide audience and it is definitely a cigar worth checking out.
Summary
Burn: Good
Draw: Good
Complexity: High
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Assessment: Nice to Have
Disclaimer: This cigar was provided to myself from Antonio Lam of Reinado Cigars at the New Jersey Cigar Festival. The request was initiated by Reinado cigars to myself in order to provide feedback.
