Stogie Reviews: Romeo y Julieta Aniversario Toro
25 Nov 2008
I thought I’d tried almost everything made under the extensive Romeo y Julieta label, not excluding some fantastic Cubans. It turns out, however, that one of the standard Altadis-made RyJ blends has, until now, managed to stay off my radar.
Introduced in 2003 to celebrate 130 years of Romeo y Julieta cigars, the Aniversario series features a light and oily Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Connecticut broadleaf binder, and a three-nation filler blend of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos. It comes in five typical vitolas ranging from Churchill to Robusto and is packaged in lacquered boxes of 25.
The two six inch by 54 ring gauge Toros I smoked last weekend seemed firm enough and big enough to use as weapons. But a closer inspection revealed more nuance. Wrought with veins, wrinkles, and crannies, the light brown wrappers had the look of age and frailty, almost akin to an antique map.
That’s why I was worried when the delicate head exploded when I clipped it with my double guillotine. Fortunately, when the shards cleared, what remained was a clean cut, a smooth draw, and a tight cross-section of tobacco that smelled of mixed nuts.
Like the other sizes in this blend, the Toro ($6-7 apiece) is supposed to be a “hearty and memorable smoke.†I found it neither hearty nor memorable. Medium in flavor and light in strength, the simple and straightforward taste is of roasted almonds, straw, and damp firewood. Don’t be surprised if you lose interest after the midway point; the flavor is consistent to a fault, even for those of us who appreciate milder cigars.
The Toro’s set-it-and-forget-it physical properties, though, are excellent. The burn is straight and slow and the ash holds up to stiff winds throughout the 80-minute smoke.
In the end, this agreeable yet less-than-sensational cigar doesn’t deserve your full attention—and, depending on your taste, it may not be worth the money. But if you’re looking for a well-built companion to guide you through your morning coffee and newspaper, the Romeo y Julieta Aniversario Toro isn’t a poor choice. I give it three stogies out of five.
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Not so sure about damp fire wood, but it's a good looking cigar.
OK, so maybe I struggled a bit to accurately describe the flavor of this cigar. All I know is this: The taste reminds me of the smell of firewood that's been left out in the rain/snow. Musty.
This is another cigar that benefits from choosing the right size. The churchill is a great smoke, haven't had the robusto. Maybe some of these high production cigars are suffering from poor qc because this is another review I don't really agree with. Maybe some of my opinion is that I never pay retail for these cigars. I suppose I would be pissed if I pay $8 for a stick that isn't spectacular.
While its no powerhouse, for me it makes a tasty relaxation smoke. Then again, im not into the "knock me on my butt, downing a packet of sugar" smokes anyhow. The cigar is fairly one dimensional with a deffinate nutty taste/smell. Its honestly one of the few that ive nearly burnt my fingers nubbing. I prefer the Torpedo vitola myself.
But hey, everyones taste is subjective and thats why there are so many blends/vitolas! (and that means more for me) So uh, yeah…dont try them. Total dog rockets 😛