Juan Lopez No 2 (Late 2008 vintage).
Ring gauge 50,124mm in the length.
Appearance; the wrapper was of good quality, the colour of the cigars is a nice Colorado shade and the condition of the cigars was first class, as it should be for a late 2008 vintage. On opening the box the aroma is a strong, deep and rich tobacco smell.
Construction; Juan Lopez have improved the construction of their cigars (especially the larger RG cigars) over the past 4 or 5 years and these cigars are now on a par with the likes of Partagas and Hoyo de Monterrey in their construction.
Taste; full bodied. Initially there are strong hints of rich woody/cedar taste and the cigars appear full strength right from the start. The Juan Lopez No 2 is still more mellow and smoother than some of the Bolivars, but full strength none the less. Because the cigars are so young my only criticism would be that another year in the humidor would benefit the cigars and make them even more mellow and enjoyable than at present.
Summary; Very enjoyable smoke and an improvement on the cigars produced by the company in years gone past. Although it does not have the spiciness of the Partagas SD4 (of which I am a fan), in my opinion this is a better all round smoke due to its mellower taste and its ability to still retain that full bodied strength. Often forgotten and underrated by many cigar smokers, this has to be in the top 5 of the Cuban Robusto vitola. As stated previously JL cigars do age well and another six months/year would make these absolutely outstanding.
Score; I would rate this as 8.5/10.
Ring gauge 50,124mm in the length.
Appearance; the wrapper was of good quality, the colour of the cigars is a nice Colorado shade and the condition of the cigars was first class, as it should be for a late 2008 vintage. On opening the box the aroma is a strong, deep and rich tobacco smell.
Construction; Juan Lopez have improved the construction of their cigars (especially the larger RG cigars) over the past 4 or 5 years and these cigars are now on a par with the likes of Partagas and Hoyo de Monterrey in their construction.
Taste; full bodied. Initially there are strong hints of rich woody/cedar taste and the cigars appear full strength right from the start. The Juan Lopez No 2 is still more mellow and smoother than some of the Bolivars, but full strength none the less. Because the cigars are so young my only criticism would be that another year in the humidor would benefit the cigars and make them even more mellow and enjoyable than at present.
Summary; Very enjoyable smoke and an improvement on the cigars produced by the company in years gone past. Although it does not have the spiciness of the Partagas SD4 (of which I am a fan), in my opinion this is a better all round smoke due to its mellower taste and its ability to still retain that full bodied strength. Often forgotten and underrated by many cigar smokers, this has to be in the top 5 of the Cuban Robusto vitola. As stated previously JL cigars do age well and another six months/year would make these absolutely outstanding.
Score; I would rate this as 8.5/10.
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