Today, we review the Aladino Limited Edition from JRE Tobacco Co. As the name indicates, it is a limited-edition cigar. Since the company launched in 2016, much of the focus has been on building up the regular product offerings in its portfolio. In the case of the Aladino Limited Edition, this was intended to be a true one-and-done limited edition. According to JRE Tobacco, the Aladino Limited Edition came about when JRE was developing the (still to be released) Julio R. Eiroa birthday cigar. The Aladino Limited Edition debuted at the 2023 Premium Cigar Association (PCA) Trade Show.

One of the big innovations from the JRE Tobacco Farm was the use of tobacco grown with Cameroon seed. In 2020, this leaf was used as a wrapper on the Aladino Cameroon. It is believed that the Aladino Cameroon was the first major release utilizing a Honduran-grown Cameroon wrapper. This year, at the PCA Trade Show, JRE showcased the Aladino Cameroon Reserva, the first Cameroon puro to feature 100% Honduran-grown Cameroon.

For now, let’s turn our attention back to the Aladino Limited Edition and see what this cigar offers.

Aladino Limited Edition – Cigar Review

SPECIFICATIONS

Blend and Origin

The Aladino Limited Edition is a Honduran puro featuring tobaccos grown on the JRE Tobacco farm. The blend is highlighted by the Honduran-grown Cameroon seed wrapper and is produced at the company’s factory, Fabrica de Puros Aladino, located in the Jamastran Valley in Honduras.

Wrapper: Honduran Cameroon seed
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Country of Origin: Honduras
Factory: Fabrica de Puros Aladino S.A.

Vitolas Offered

The Aladino Limited Edition is only available as a 6 x 52 Toro and shipped in 20-count boxes. Its total production has been limited to 600 boxes.

Appearance

The Honduran-grown wrapper of the Aladino Limited Edition was medium-brown with a slight rosado tint. There wasn’t much oil on the surface of this wrapper. In terms of visible veins, there were several on the cigar. The visible wrapper seams were on the thin side.

PERFORMANCE

Pre-Light Draw

Before lighting up the Aladino Limited Edition, I used a straight cut to remove the cap. Once the cap was detached, it was on to the pre-light draw experience. The cold draw delivered a mix of cocoa powder, wood, cedar, and natural tobacco. Overall, this cigar delivered a satisfactory pre-light draw experience. At this point, it was time to toast the cigar and move on to the smoking phase.

Tasting Notes

The start of the Aladino Limited Edition picked up where the pre-light draw left off. The cigar delivered more cocoa notes, natural tobacco, cedar, and wood. This was as close to the pre-light as I’ve seen the start of a cigar have in a long time. As the cigar burned through the first third, the cocoa and natural tobacco took to the forefront. The cedar and wood settled into the background. Meanwhile, the retro-hale had an additional layer of cedar (with some black pepper mixed in).

The second third of the Aladino Limited Edition continued to feature cocoa and natural tobacco notes in the forefront. Wood and cedar were joined by some mixed pepper notes, which began to gradually increase in intensity.

By the final third, the cocoa and natural tobacco remained grounded in the forefront. The pepper and cedar notes were more prominent, and some wood notes were present. This is how the Aladino Limited Edition came to a close. The nub at the end of the cigar was soft to the touch and cool in temperature.

Burn

Each of the Aladino Limited Edition samples had no problem maintaining a straight burn path. The burn line also started out straight, but it did get jagged on each sample. It still required frequent touch-ups to straighten the line. The resulting ash was skewed toward the looser side and silver-gray in color. The burn rate and burn temperature maintained ideal levels throughout the smoking experience.

Draw

The draw of the Aladino Limited Edition performed ideally. It was a cigar with a touch of resistance—something I have often said is a personal preference. At the same time, this was a low-maintenance cigar from which to derive flavor.

Strength and Body

The Aladino Limited Edition is not very strong on the strength scale. It’s a cigar that comes in as mild to medium strength. The strength level remained remarkably constant. As for the body, the Limited Edition started out medium. There was a nominal increase along the way, but the body remained in the medium range.

When it came to strength versus body, the body had a clear edge—and the edge got greater as the smoking experience progressed. However, the body should not be confused with strength here, as strength refers to the nicotine level in the cigar.

BANDING AND PACKAGING NOTES

The Aladino Limited Edition carries a white, red, and gold version of the classic Aladino “A” band. JR Tobacco Co has been making more color variants of the classic “A” band, and they have done a great job. When it comes to the Aladino Limited Edition, this color scheme worked great. The cigars are packaged in boxes containing the classic Aladino vista.

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

Final Thoughts

A lot of times, when I see “different” tobacco on a blend, I’m unsure about how well the tobacco will work. As much as JRE Tobacco had a strong track record, I was even skeptical about the Aladino Cameroon. It turned out that the Aladino Cameroon was an excellent cigar, and it proved to me the Honduran-grown Cameroon wrapper could work for this blend. The Aladino Limited Edition only strengthens that argument. While it’s not a cigar that will undergo significant flavor transitions, the flavors delivered are excellent. This is one limited edition I really hope makes a comeback. Ultimately, this is a cigar I could recommend to any cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar I would smoke again and buy multiples to keep in my humidor. Coming in at 90 points, the Aladino Limited Edition earns the Cigar Coop Standard of Excellence designation.

The Smoking Syndicate Review

In October 2023, Ben Lee smoked this cigar and assessed it at a 90.

Summary

Key Flavors: Cocoa, Natural Tobacco, Cedar, Wood, Pepper
Burn: Very Good
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium Minus
Strength: Mild to Medium
Body: Medium
Finish: Very Good