Quick Smoke: Joya Red Robusto

Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

It was about a year ago that I first got to sample the blend that would become Joya Red. I was wholeheartedly impressed then, sitting around a table at the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Estelí, and I’m still impressed now. One of the best new releases of 2014, Joya Red is a Nicaraguan puro with a Habano wrapper and a profile of roasted nuts, citrus, cedar, coffee, and a little black pepper. With excellent construction and a balanced, complex taste from light to nub, the Joya Red Robusto (5.25 x 50) is easy to recommend, especially at the reasonable asking price of about $6.

Verdict = Buy.

–Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys