Normally my reviews are all about hunting gear or the something to do with hunting. This time, I decided to review something different, but that I enjoy – some good cigars! As with bow hunting, you have to practice (or smoke a few cigars, in this case) to get good at it. It takes some work to tell different flavors and aromas apart. At least, that’s how it is for me. It’s no secret that I enjoy good cigars and keep a stash in my humidor. I like one when I am planning my hunts, sometimes after planning, and many times as a celebratory end to a successful hunt. The good folks over at Famous Smoke Shop found out I have a fondness for flavorful maduros and contacted me regarding the Romeo y Julieta line and gave me the opportunity to review two cigars; the House of Montague and the 1875 Reserve Maduro Robusto.
First, I want to let you all know that when the donated cigars arrived, I resisted the urge to smoke them right away. When any cigars are sent through the mail, you should let them rest for at least two weeks in your humidor at around 70% humidity. I like to leave them in the cellophane wrapper, too. This allows them to regain any lost moisture and burn more evenly. After two weeks, it was time to enjoy a smoke!
While I did not go on a hunt, I set up my bow and began researching my fall deer hunts. That seemed like a great time to enjoy a nice maduro from Romeo y Julietta. Opting to try the House of Montague first, I removed the cellophane and admired the aroma of the wrapper. Smooth, earthy goodness greeted my olfactory system. The 5 x 54 Honduran cigar has a dark, natural, almost chocolatey wrapper. This one had plenty of veins, which sometimes scare me due to irregular burn issues in the cigar. The Brazilian wrapper is Arapiraca, a city in Brazil (don’t worry, I had to look that up, too) that was only slightly oily. Most Brazilian wrappers I have smoked are a bit more oily, but this was limited and very nice!
The draw was much smoother than anticipated and that was a very nice surprise! Earth and leather is what flavors I got off this cigar throughout the hour I spent smoking it. While the cigar might look to be a strong cigar in flavor and smoke, it is a medium-bodied cigar that I enjoyed very much. It’s one of those cigars you can share with a buddy after a day of hunting and he won’t turn green. Trust me, if this review is sounding good so far, you can find great deals on Romeo y Julieta Cigars from Famous Smoke. I’m already itching to buy a bundle! At around $6.00 per stick, you are getting a great cigar at a great price.
Depending on how fast you like to smoke, the House of Montague will last anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour. It burned even with no canoeing. It gets a consumer rating of 78, but I feel that is extremely low for this cigar. It’s not a complicated cigar, and maybe that factors in, but I felt this was at least in the mid-eighties. I thoroughly enjoyed this and I think one of the main factors was that it didn’t have much of a black pepper or spicy finish. Many cigars have a peppery finish and I am not a big fan of that. No worries with this one as the peppery notes are virtually nonexistent.
The other cigar I was asked to try was the Romeo y Julieta 1875 Reserve Maduro Robusto. A smaller gauge cigar, the 5 x 50 Reserve is also a nice cigar. This hails from the Dominican Republic (I am a big fan of DR cigars) and has a dark, chocolatey Connecticut wrapper. I normally don’t care for a Connecticut wrapper as they tend to taste like I am smoking a green leaf, but this was surprisingly delicious. It has an amazing flavor and similarly to the House of Montague, the 1875 Reserve has earth tones and a smooth leathery flavor that lingers on the back of the tongue. This one might be a bit sharper on the tongue, but not much. There was just a hint of spice on the back of your tongue.
The Romeo y Julieta 1875 Reserve Maduro Robusto should last anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour. The draw was smooth, but I had some burn issues with mine, meaning that sometimes it canoed and other times completely went out. It gets a consumer rating of 85, and for those factors previously mentioned I would lower that personally. It’s not a cigar that I found I could smoke slowly, otherwise it would burn out on me. I think it was packed rather tightly and for some reason it would burn out on me. The good thing was that when I would relight it, it didn’t taste like charcoal. I would get nearly the same flavor as when I first lit it. For roughly $7.00 a stick, you get a balanced cigar, but I would have thought this one would cost less than the HoM.
On a side note, many people ask what drink I like to pair with my cigars. Do I like scotch or whiskey, or maybe a rich coffee. Neither one to be honest. As I have grown older, I shy away from the hard liquor that I once enjoyed. No, I prefer to smoke my cigars while drinking a Monster Energy Drink. It’s just my own way of doing things. You should drink what you like and enjoy the cigar.
I must thank the folks over at Famous Smoke Shop for giving me the opportunity to review these two cigars. It was definitely a pleasure! If I had to choose one cigar over the other, I would have to go with the House of Montague as it had a consistent smooth draw and flavorful smoke. That’s just my humble opinion though. Why not judge for yourself. If you want to try the House of Montague or the 1875 Reserve Maduro Robusto, you can pick up your next Romeo y Julieta here. Both are worthy of enjoying by yourself or with friends.
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