The Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro is the second size released in JRE Tobacco Company’s Aladino Corojo Reserva line. At the 2018 IPCPR, the Aladino Corojo Reserva line made its debut in the Robusto size. It’s a cigar that went on to capture the 2018 Cigar of the Year on Cigar Coop. The Toro size made its debut in 2019 with a soft-launch to select retailers prior to the IPCPR Trade Show with a formal launch at the Trade Show itself. The Aladino brand has become JRE Tobacco Company’s signature brand. The Aladino line has three regular production offerings in Corojo, Maduro, and Connecticut. The Aladino Corojo Reserva is a limited production line. Like the regular Aladino Corojo blend, the Aladino Corojo Reserva was a 100% authentic Corojo offering – utilizing tobaccos grown by the JRE Tobacco farm. The Corojo Reserva was designed to be a bolder offering under the Aladino brand. Today we take a closer look at the Aladino Corojo Reserva in the Toro size.

JRE Tobacco Company is owned and operated by the father and son team of Julio R. Eiroa and Justo M. Eiroa. The Aladino name can be traced back to the 1970s. There was a historic movie theater in Danlí, Honduras known as El Cine Aladino. This theater was operated by Christian and Justo Eiroa’s grandfather. Today, Christian owns the Aladino factory, which is in the theater’s former location. Aladino is also the name that Julio Eiroa chose to name one of his brands. When Aladino was released, this was a brand positioned as delivering a classic, “old-fashioned” cigar experience reminiscent of those during the “golden age” between 1947 and 1961.

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

As mentioned, the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro consists of 100% Authentic Corojo tobaccos grown on the JRE Tobacco farm in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras. Authentic Corojo originates from the original Cuban seeds. It is a leaf that is susceptible to disease and as a result, it started to vanish from the market. Today many growers have opted to use a hybridized seed that is more resistant to disease. Using a series of innovations to mitigate risk of disease, the Eiroas have been able to resurrect the Authentic Corojo leaf. Production for the Aladino Corojo Reserva occurs at the company’s Las Lomas factory located adjacent to the JRE Tobacco farm.

Wrapper: Authentic Corojo
Binder: Authentic Corojo
Filler: Authentic Corojo
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Las Lomas

Vitolas Offered

There are three sizes of the Aladino Corojo Reserva line. At press time, the Robusto and Toro sizes are currently available on the market. The No. 4 size is scheduled for release in November. The Robusto and Toro sizes have a monthly limited production. The No. 4 size is planned to be a one-time limited edition release. All three sizes are presented in 20-count boxes.

Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro: (Left to Right): No. 4, Robusto, Toro) – Photo Credit: JRE Tobacco Co.

Robusto: 50 x 5
Toro: 52 x 6
No.4: 44 x 5 (Limited Edition. Scheduled for November release)

Packaging of the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro

Appearance

The Authentic Corojo wrapper of the Aladino Corojo Reserva had a medium/medium to dark brown color to it. Upon closer examination, some darker mottling can be seen on the surface. This was a wrapper that had some light oil on the surface. There are some visible veins making for a slightly bumpy surface. There were also some minimally visible wrapper seams.

The Aladino Corojo Reserva features two bands. The primary band is brown with white font. The front and center of the band features a brown circular field with white trim. On that field is a large shied “A” with the text “ALADINO” arranged in a curved fashion above it. To the left of the circle is the text “HONDURAS” while to right is the text “HECHO A MANO” – both in white font.

The secondary band rests just below the primary band. This band is brown with thick yellow trim. On the band is the text “COROJO RESERVA” in white font. The lower half of the cigar is wrapped in a white tissue paper sleeve.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

After removing the paper sleeve from the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro, a straight cut was used to remove the cap of the cigar. From that point it was time for the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered notes of earth, natural tobacco, and chocolate. I found this to be a very good pre-light draw. The next step was now to light up the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro started out with a short blast of assorted pepper spices. The pepper subsided giving way to notes of natural tobacco, classic wood, and coffee. Early on the natural tobacco notes had a slight edge. These notes had a subtle fruit-like sweetness to them. By the middle of the first third, the wood and coffee notes eclipsed the natural tobacco notes and became primary. As the cigar moved through the first third, the flavors smoothed out and developed a creamy texture. Meanwhile the assorted pepper was also presented on the retro-hale.

By the second third, the coffee notes took over as the primary note. The creaminess remained present keeping the profile smooth. The natural tobacco, wood, and pepper notes remained in the background. At times the natural tobacco emerged as the most prominent of the background notes. During this stage, the assorted pepper notes transitioned to more of a black pepper note on the tongue and retro-hale.

The last third saw no significant changes in terms of flavor transitions other than a slight increase in the pepper notes. This Aladino Corojo Reserva finished up with a cool and firm nub.

Burn

The Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro maintained a straight burn path from start to finish. There was an occasional bit of jaggedness from time to time o the burn line. For the most part, the cigar had a firm ash, but there were times the ash had some flakiness. The ash itself had a silver-gray color. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Draw

The draw to the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro was flawless. It had a touch of resistance – something I have said many times is ideal when it comes to the draw. This was a cigar that produced an ample amount of smoke.

Strength and Body

The Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro is a cigar that started out medium to full in strength and full in body. The depth of the flavors is definitely felt when the retro-hale is factored in. Right before the final third, there is an increase in both strength and body and as a result, the cigar moves into full strength territory while becoming more intense in body.

In terms of strength versus body Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro, the body has a slight edge from start to finish.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

One philosophy I subscribe to on Cigar Coop that “size matters” and every vitola in a blend should be considered on a case by case basis. In general, I’m fascinated by what a slight change to ring gauge and length can to do a cigar. That being said when it comes to the Aladino Corojo Reserva Toro, it’s going to smoke different than the Robusto. I found the two sizes excel equally in the flavor category, but the Toro is going to deliver a soft flavor profile with less complexity and flavor transitions. The Toro line extension certainly is worthy of being considered in the category of elite releases for 2019. Given it’s still quite a bold cigar, it’s one I’d recommend to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again and have no problem buying a box of.

Summary

Key Flavors: Coffee, Wood, Natural Tobacco, Fruit, Pepper
Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Medium to Full (1st 2/3), Full (Last Third)
Body: Full
Finish: Excellent