ROMEO by RyJ Churchill

The Romeo by Romeo y Julieta Churchill cigar is an enigma hidden in a puzzle wrapped in a chewy Habano leaf. You’ll really need to smoke it yourself to see why it deserves such a perplexing designation, but a couple of the more obvious reasons are easy to note. First is the heavier, bolder style in a departure from the usual milder smokes to wear a Romeo y Julieta label. Second, a boutique-style team of artisans was formed at Tabacalera de Garcia to craft the new and unique blend of Dominican Piloto and Olor filler to compliment the Olor binder and spicy, hand-picked Ecuadoran Habano wrapper.

An unlit aroma and cold draw of simple, clean tobacco turns into black pepper and earth with a burning cigar, a seemingly familiar Habano flavor profile. However, once the solid ash and razor-sharp burn reach an inch, the whole game changes. Puffing this cigar slowly, taking time to savor the intricacies of the dry white smoke, will reveal a multitude of secrets. The fragrant Olor’s sweetness obtains hints of both stone and dark fruit, with the rich Piloto adding in cocoa and leather in concert while the Habano ramps up the strength with spices and oak.

One final surprise revealed by the Romeo by Romeo y Julieta is the top 3 ranking bestowed by Cigar Aficionado in their list of the Best of 2012. To prevent masking the more subtle flavors that undoubtedly led to such an honor, this medium to full cigar is best investigated with a tall glass of cool water and some time to burn.

NOTE: Smoking is injurious to health