Cigar Review: Aladino Classic Corona

Set to be introduced officially at the 2022 PCA Trade Show, JRE Tobacco released Aladino Classic to farm tour accounts a month in advance. It’s a Honduran puro with all the tobacco grown at Fabrica de Puros Aladino S.A under the watchful eye of the world renowned Julio R. Eiroa in the Jamastran Valley. We first smoked the cigar a couple of months back when Justo Eiroa was in town to be on The Cigar Authority and we were eagerly awaiting their release which has finally come.

Cigar Review: Aladino Classic
Wrapper: Honduran Habano
Binder: Honduran Corojo
Filler: Honduran Habano
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 44
Size: Corona

The Look: Like the rest of the Aladino line the inside of the red box features artwork from an old Cuban magazine that takes us back to the glory days of cigars when gentlemen would wear suits and fedoras. Inside this box sits 20 Corona’s in two rows of 10 featuring the classic Aladino band in brown with a gold background and red highlights. The Habano wrapper is rustic looking and coarse under the fingers with a few veins that stand out. In the hand the cigar is firm with an average weight and no voids of tobacco.

The Notes: The cold draw of the Aladino Classic serves up kola nuts and a subtle cayenne pepper next to some earthy components. The aroma from the foot of the corona is fairly non-descript with an abundance of tobacco and a very subtle earth. Once the cigar is toasted and lit the initial notes remind me of a soft pretzel that has been toasted on a cart in the middle of winter in NYC. Normally, I don’t like to go down these crazy paths but everything about the first few puffs reminds of me buying a pretzel from a cart back in my hometown. It’s always mind blowing to me how a cigar can trigger a memory and the Aladino Classic does just that.

As we smoke the first third notes of yeast, brown sugar, cedar and the slightest hint of cayenne pepper encapsulate the palate creating a harmonious symphony captivating the taste buds. The finish is moderate in length with a retrohale that provides notes of rye alongside some additional brown sugar.

Moving into the second third notes of rye become dominant with additional nuances of brown sugar and cedar. Around the halfway point the cedar becomes dominant with a touch of roasted nuts, especially on the finish. The retrohale sees black pepper develop with a continued rye that is extremely enjoyable.

As we conclude the Aladino Classic experience, rye remains dominant with elements of roasted nuts, cedar, pepper and brown sugar. The resting aroma of the cigar serves up pepper while the retrohale sees a black pepper, licorice and continued rye notes.

The Finish: When we had our first sample of the Aladino we weren’t sure what to make of the cigar. It’s different than the corojo heavy blends that are currently within the portfolio. The Classic is Habano heavy with only Corojo being utilized in the binder. By the time we put down that first sample we wanted more. Thankfully the wait is over as these are now on the shelf, and we see smoking copious amounts of the Aladino Classic in our future.

Score: 94
Price: $7.19 / $125.99