Stogie Reviews: JR Alternative of the Cohiba Sublime
17 May 2006
If you read our post from May 7 – when StogieGuys.com was still in its infancy – you will recall Patrick mentioned we planned to review the JR Alternative version of the Cohiba Sublime. Since we have received many emails inquiring about that forthcoming review, I’ve decided to go ahead and appease the masses before any coup d’état could be staged.
My first inclination is to report that JR’s rendition of the Sublime falls short of any attempt to mimic the famous smoke. At 6.62 inches with a 54 ring gauge, the real Cohiba Sublime is a substantial stogie with caramel and coffee undertones and a perfect burn. While JR certainly got the dimensions right, it’s rendering of the cigar is more earthy with leather and tea flavors, and it tends to require a bit of work to produce an even burn.
That said, if you can clear your consciousness of the stogie’s lack of resemblance to its superior Cohiba cousin, this JR alternative is not a bad smoke – especially if you’re in the mood for something spicy at a reasonable price ($29.95 for a bundle of 20). If you’re enjoying it with an adult beverage (as you should), make sure the drink has a bold flavor; the cigar’s full-bodied taste is sure to drown out any subtle cocktail.
I give the JR Edicon Limitada Alternative version of the Cohiba Sublime a respectable three out of five stogies.
-Patrick A
Patrick Ashby
Co-Founder & Editor in Chief
Patrick Semmens
Co-Founder & Publisher
George Edmonson
Tampa Bureau Chief
At 1 buck fifty a cigar what do you expect?
If you have the humidor space (and the patience), this is the type of cigar that I feel strongly would be enhanced by 6 months to a year of aging.
-Patrick S
i just recvd and smoked a JR Cuban alternative Romeo y Julieta Churchill….i ordered them Thursday, they arrived Monday, and they are beautiful to look at, they taste great, and the ash was better than the real Cuban i smoked yesterday…at 1.50 a stick, this is a great cigar…
I think JR is guilty of bad marketing in that they seem to sell these and other JR Alternatives as famous sticks that they simply are not other than in length and size. That said some are clearly good values and The JR Limitada Edicion Montecristo Edmundo that I am smoking as I type this looks just like the Cohiba Sublime except for the size. This makes me think it is the same blend too! The Stogie Guys review nailed the taste. It's good and has strength, spice, and no rough bitterness. Except for being less smoth and complex than what the namesake advertises it is a bargain on it's own terms; the Cohiba Sublime and Montecristo Edmundo sticks are quite decent tasting bargains.