Cigar Ratings & Reviews

Romeo y Julieta Cigar Review

Talk about being taken for granted: the Romeo y Julieta 1875 – let’s call it the original Romeo – has been around in name form for better than 130 years. Some like to think of this cigar as “old faithful,” because they can go back to it time and time again for a quality cigar experience. But even though it’s got heritage, many smokers have “been there, done that” with it – and it doesn’t get a lot of looks anymore, as people develop their palates and look to move on in search of new tastes. In a way, it’s like the first girl you kissed: you might remember her name, but chances are you can recall a lot more of the situational details after you moved on to other girls and started playing “hide the salami.” But let’s be real – Romeo y Julieta cigars have launched a million cigar enthusiasts into the hobby…and that is why we pay it a visit today.

Romeo y Julieta Cigar Review:

Construction and Overall Appearance: Nice dark brown Sumatra wrapper – some pronounced veins, but nothing weird or way out of left field. The 1875 nicely shows off what “toothy” can mean.

Draw: Considering they’ve been making them for 130 years, it’s down to a science. Excellent.

Pre-light flavor: VERY mild. Which surprised me – this is often billed as a medium-bodied cigar, though it tends to lean just a little less than so. This trend will play out in the rest of the review, to be sure.

Toasting & Light: There is an almost instant sweetness present (though not a saccharine sweet) to the first few puffs. When people talk about creamy Dominican tobacco, they mean this.

Base flavors: Key flavors and textures I ran into throughout…creaminess and earthy tobacco flavor from the Dominican tobaccos in the binder and filler, and that laid-back sweetness we just discussed. That sweetness just kind of chills out and hangs with you for most of the smoke. What ran contrary to the mellowness is the Indonesian shade grown TBN wrapper, which delivers just a hint of spice – it’s not overpowering – but it’s what gives the Romeo y Julieta 1875 its final grade as a medium bodied cigar.

Retrohale: If you don’t normally retrohale, this is a kinder and gentler stick with which to try it. You’ll see a nice little boost in the overall flavor you get out of it.

Aroma: This is where the milder side of this cigar plays out – nice aroma, and no one should be looking at you being the reason the room cleared. The 1875 is very crowd-friendly.

Burn / Ash Quality: You know how people say that a nice white, tight ash is the sign of an excellent cigar? You get pretty close with this smoke – not perfect, but still pretty good.

Balance and Consistency: Obviously different from its Cuban counterpart, this 1875 made its bones through its consistency – box to box, cigar to cigar, from start to finish. If there’s one thing to point to, it’s the consistency that has made Romeo y Julieta cigars one of the most popular brands on the planet.

Summary:

What we know: 1875 is a tremendous value, and it prides itself on excellent construction and consistency.

Earlier in my Romeo y Julieta cigar review I mentioned the cigars as being a sort of leafy initiation ritual to the art of cigars…so I’ll give you TWO reasons why you should consider always keeping this cigar in your humidor: first, this is an excellent stick with which to introduce friends to smoking cigars – not only are you being a good friend and turning your pals on to this little ritual of ours, you’re being an even better friend by not giving them something that will turn them off. Though it’s medium bodied, it’s a pleasant first smoking experience for just learning about developing their taste for cigars. Second – and why I happen to come back to the 1875 from time to time – is that this is a great change of pace smoke for those of us who may be a little more used to smoking fuller bodied cigars. It’s like skydiving to work everyday: by Friday, I’m a little bored with it (though that might be my adult-onset ADD). So I figure if I smoke full-bodied stuff all the time, the thrill can wear off after a little while; so why not take a step back and go for a little nuance now and again?

So here’s my bottom line: if you’re searching for a medium bodied cigar…want something that’s easy on the palate, has a classic tobacco taste, produces a good quantity of thick and creamy smoke and will deliver a smoking experience you had expected – the Romeo y Julieta 1875 is a winner. I hope you enjoyed my Romeo y Julieta cigar review, and I hope you enjoy it if you give one a try. If you want to learn more about Romeo y Julieta cigars, check out Altadis USA’s official website for more details on the Romeo line and all the other fine cigars they produce!