Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra

The Reinado Grand Apex Reserve marked the rebirth of boutique cigar company Reinado Cigars. If you were following the boutique cigar scene from 2010 to 2014, chances are Reinado Cigars was on your radar. Reinado Cigars was founded by Antonio Lam, and his cigar line quickly built a strong following. He partnered with Agros Tabacos Industriales factory in Nicaragua to handle his production. Cigars such as the Reinado, Reinado Grand Empire Reserve, and Reinado Grand Empire Reserve Ecuador Edition were his best-known releases. A few years ago, Lam needed to step away from the cigar industry and the brand went on hiatus. But in 2021 Lam came back with the new Grand Apex Reserve line, and a new manufacturing partner, Aganorsa Leaf. Today we take a closer look at the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve in the Toro size.

Lam has said the launch of the Grand Apex Reserve is the first of many projects he has planned. However, his restart has begun at a controlled pace. The Robusto Extra size of the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve was the first cigar launched when Lam made his comeback. As a part of the comeback, he is donating a portion of all sales to the Dementia Society of America as Lam has personally seen the devastating effects of dementia with his father.

Without further ado, let’s break down the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra and see what this cigar brings to the table.

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

Back when Lam launched the line, he was known for his Nicaraguan puros with the Reinado and Grand Empire Reserve lines. For the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve, Lam goes with a San Andres Mexican maduro wrapper. This is a wrapper that Aganorsa Leaf works very well with. The remainder of the blend consists of Nicaraguan tobaccos grown on the Aganorsa Leaf farms.

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacos Valle de Jalapa (TABSA)

Vitolas Offered

Following the release of the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra, a Gordo size was added. The Robusto Extra is presented in 20-count boxes while the Gordo size comes in 15-count boxes.

Gordo: 6 x 60
Robusto Extra: 5 1/2 x 52

Appearance

The Reinado Grand Apex Reserve’s San Andres wrapper had a dark chocolate look. There was a light coating of oil on the wrapper. The complexion of the wrapper was slightly rugged – giving a certain charm to the cigar. The surface of the wrapper had some visible veins and visible wrapper seams.

Reinado’s banding got a whole new look with the release of the Grand Apex Reserve. The band is blue with black pinstripes near the upper and lower portions of the band. There is a white crown at the top of the band (Reinado is Spanish for ‘reign’). Below the crown is the text “REINADO” in white font. Below that text is the text “GRAND APEX” in large black font. The right side of the band contains the Aganorsa Leaf logo in white font. Below the logo is the text “HANDMADE IN NICARAGUA” in white font surrounded by a white rectangular border.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Prior to lighting up the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra, a straight cut was used to remove the cap. Once the cap was detached, it was on to the pre-light draw ritual. The cold draw delivered notes of coffee, bittersweet dark chocolate, and some cedar. I consider this to be a satisfactory pre-light draw. At this point, it was time to toast up the foot of the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra and see what the smoking phase would have in store.

Tasting Notes

The Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra opened up with notes of mocha and cedar. Mocha is a term I use to describe a fusion of coffee and chocolate. The mocha notes moved to the forefront with the cedar notes settling into the background. Some black pepper notes entered the background. There also was an additional layer of black pepper present on the retro-hale.

Later in the first third of the Reinado Gran Apex Reserve Robusto Extra, the fusion of the mocha notes broke apart. The coffee notes stayed grounded in the forefront while the chocolate notes receded into the background with the black pepper and cedar. As the cigar moved through the early stages of the second third, earth notes joined the coffee in the forefront.

As the cigar moved into the second third. There was an increase in the black pepper notes. The pepper notes made their way into the forefront before the second third was completed. The final third saw the coffee, earth, and pepper notes remain primary while the cedar and chocolate notes were in the more distant background. This is the way the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra came to a close. The resulting nub was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

While the burn line and burn path remained relatively straight on the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra, there were frequent touch-ups that were required along the way. The touch-ups did their job, but there were more touch-ups than I prefer. The resulting ash wasn’t overly firm, but it was not loose or flaky. This was an ash that was silver-gray in color. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.

Burn of the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra

Draw

The draw of the Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto Extra had a touch of resistance to it. This made for an ideal draw in my book. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar to derive flavor from.

Strength and Body

This was definitely the boldest cigar I have smoked from Reinado. This is a cigar that started out medium to full in strength and body. There wasn’t much change in the strength level, but the body ramped up to full territory by the second half. In terms of strength versus body, the body maintained an edge.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

The Reinado Grand Apex Reserve Robusto marks a whole new chapter for Reinado Cigars. The company delivers a rich and bold maduro smoke. Perhaps what is most interesting is that this cigar seems to me a throwback to some of the Aganorsa Leaf maduro cigars of nearly a decade ago. This is a fine comeback for Antonio Lam, and I’m excited about what the future holds for him. In the end, because this is a bolder cigar, it is one I would steer to a more seasoned cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would buy and smoke again.

Summary

Key Flavors: Mocha (Coffee, Chocolate), Earth, Cedar, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium to Full
Body: Medium to Full (1st Half), Full (2nd Half)
Finish: Very Good