Stogie Reviews: Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro No. 4

A few months ago, I wrote favorably about a Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro Robusto I enjoyed. Several readers, including Stogie Guy compatriot Patrick A, asked whether I’d noticed the salty taste that he commonly encountered with dark Romeos. I hadn’t, and vowed to smoke them again with that in mind.

Well, a few weeks ago I got a five-pack of the No. 4 — a five inch by 44 ring gauge vitola — on CBid for $15. And when I lit one up the other day I immediately grasped all the talk about saltiness. That wasn’t the only unpleasant taste, either. With a stick this thin, I was conscious of the danger of overheating it by smoking too quickly. But even with a slow approach, the first third or so was bitter with a charred aftertaste.

I was truly disappointed. Then, something unusual happened — unusual, at least, in my experience. The entire stogie changed for the better.

For the final two thirds of the Reserve Maduro, I was no longer smoking a bitter cigar, but a smooth, creamy stick with all the subtleties and complexities of its multi-country composition.

I got an occasional touch of sweetness from the Connecticut Broadleaf blackened Maduro wrapper. The Nicaraguan binder and the filler blend of tobaccos from Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic burned perfectly and combined for a satisfying smoke.

My plan is to leave the remaining Romeos in my humidor for at least several months. I’ve got my fingers crossed that the good part will overtake the bad — and not vice versa.

This one was hard to rate, since it was like smoking two different sticks. Even though I enjoyed the final two-thirds, due to the poor beginning, I can’t give the Romeo y Julieta Maduro No. 4 more than three out of five stogies.

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-George E