JOYA DE NICARAGUA ANTANO 1970
BELICOSO
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo Sungrown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online
TASTING SHEET RESULTS
SIZE: 6x54
APPEARANCE: very good: very few thin veins with very toothy, dry, coarse wrapper, evenly colored with tight seams
CONSTRUCTION: good to very good: nicely applied wrapper (which is quite thick, by the way) and cap, but very tight bunch, looks a bit overfilled
DRAW: firm to tight
BURN: average to good – for thick Antanos IMO excellent
AROMA: very good to excellent
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: pepper, wood, molasses
AFTERTASTE: heavy wood, molasses
STRENGHT: strong to very strong
GENERAL IMPRESSION: very good
CUT: Compact scissors
PRELIGHT: pepper, molasses, oak
LIGHT: 3 cigar matches, took some time
BEVERAGE: milk coffee
1/3:
Strong, sharp opening with pepper bomb on the palate. Soon wood and molasses tame the pepper but never really subdue it. Sharp nose blow – not recommended.
2/3:
Little complexity, all the flavors remain. This is touted as very strong and it delivers. Puff after puff, without lessening intensity. Unusually good burn and acceptable draw. for Antano. I ought to mention I have had construction issues before, mentioned in the Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion. review. Firm, solid barrel, very good construction. The cigar takes a beating but does not overheat easily.
3/3:
Very peppery and strong. Molasses persist. Very heavy on the palate with long, long, peppery, woody finish.
NUB:
The strenght went beyond scale, but still not what I would consider harsh. Tolerable for those of us, who enjoy a generous kick. Palate at this point coated with molasses, pepper and wood – almost like tasting a young rum. Finish is very long, so eating something or brushing is advisable soon, otherwise you are left with aftertaste even the next day.
This is one of my go-to smokes, if I can`t decide what to smoke. It is strong, bold, tasty smoke that delivers. My beef with Antanos and Celebraciones is crooked burn and tight draws, so I try not to go above 48RG, plus keep tabs on RH. This belicoso performed well, due to lower humidity I have been experimenting with. In Europe, we tend to go lower than 70/70 widely recommended for storing our smokes. English even practice about 60-60%RH for better long term aging their Habanos, which is what I tried, at around 62%. It works, at least short-term. Now, Cubans are not Nicaraguans, tobacco is different, though both can be really excellent, so I will see what this RH does to these smokes down the road in a few years.
BELICOSO
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo Sungrown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Place of purchase: Famous Smoke Shop Online
TASTING SHEET RESULTS
SIZE: 6x54
APPEARANCE: very good: very few thin veins with very toothy, dry, coarse wrapper, evenly colored with tight seams
CONSTRUCTION: good to very good: nicely applied wrapper (which is quite thick, by the way) and cap, but very tight bunch, looks a bit overfilled
DRAW: firm to tight
BURN: average to good – for thick Antanos IMO excellent
AROMA: very good to excellent
FLAVOR: good
DOMINANT FLAVORS: pepper, wood, molasses
AFTERTASTE: heavy wood, molasses
STRENGHT: strong to very strong
GENERAL IMPRESSION: very good
CUT: Compact scissors
PRELIGHT: pepper, molasses, oak
LIGHT: 3 cigar matches, took some time
BEVERAGE: milk coffee
1/3:
Strong, sharp opening with pepper bomb on the palate. Soon wood and molasses tame the pepper but never really subdue it. Sharp nose blow – not recommended.
2/3:Little complexity, all the flavors remain. This is touted as very strong and it delivers. Puff after puff, without lessening intensity. Unusually good burn and acceptable draw. for Antano. I ought to mention I have had construction issues before, mentioned in the Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion. review. Firm, solid barrel, very good construction. The cigar takes a beating but does not overheat easily.
3/3:Very peppery and strong. Molasses persist. Very heavy on the palate with long, long, peppery, woody finish.
NUB:
The strenght went beyond scale, but still not what I would consider harsh. Tolerable for those of us, who enjoy a generous kick. Palate at this point coated with molasses, pepper and wood – almost like tasting a young rum. Finish is very long, so eating something or brushing is advisable soon, otherwise you are left with aftertaste even the next day.
This is one of my go-to smokes, if I can`t decide what to smoke. It is strong, bold, tasty smoke that delivers. My beef with Antanos and Celebraciones is crooked burn and tight draws, so I try not to go above 48RG, plus keep tabs on RH. This belicoso performed well, due to lower humidity I have been experimenting with. In Europe, we tend to go lower than 70/70 widely recommended for storing our smokes. English even practice about 60-60%RH for better long term aging their Habanos, which is what I tried, at around 62%. It works, at least short-term. Now, Cubans are not Nicaraguans, tobacco is different, though both can be really excellent, so I will see what this RH does to these smokes down the road in a few years.
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