(vintage) Joya de Nicaragua Antano Gran Reserva Torpedo

[Don Fernando]

I love Joya de Nicaragua and one thing I like is the different way they are perceived by different continents. In Amerika they are known for their strong cigars yet in Europe their mild Clasico blend is the one they are famous for. Yet they cover the whole spectrum, from mild with the Clasico and Cabinetta, to strong with the Antano and Antano Dark Corojo, from classic with the old lines to modern and fresh with the Joya Red and Black, from budget friendly with the Rosalones to ultra premium with the Cuatro Cinco and all without breaking the bank.

Back in 2005 Joya de Nicaragua released a limited edition of their acclaimed Antano 1970 line, the Antano 1970 Gran Reserva, don’t ask me how but I have one in my humidor, a 6×54 torpedo. And when Juan Martinez handed me the new release, which is a different blend as he said, I decided to review both the old one and the new one back to back, two days in a row, starting with the vintage one.

The wrapper is dark, oily and has a few veins, it looks like an Antano wrapper should look, intimidating. The ring is the recognizable Joya de Nicaragua ring yet an older version, the new line has an updated ring with some minor changes. The secondary ring is simple, red with black outlines and black letters. As always with Joya de Nicaragua, the construction is flawless. After 12 years most of the aroma is gone I guess, I smell a mild minty and peppery aroma.

How else can I decap this cigar than with my Joya de Nicaragua branded Xikar cutter? The cold draw is perfect, spicy but also fresh. After lighting the cigar with my soft flame lighter I taste a pleasant smooth roasted coffee flavor. After a centimeter the cigar gets peppery and strong, just like expected. After a third the cigar is earthy with pepper and herbs. A very nice, balanced pepper, string but not overpowering. Halfway the pepper tones down, I taste an earthy dark chocolate. The final third is earthy, with a little pepper and some lime, very balanced and pleasant.

The draw is great. The smoke is medium thick, it’s full and bright white. The burn needed a touch up, and the light gray ash is firm after it broke off at the start. The cigar is full bodied, very full bodied, yet very balanced and then strength isn’t too much of an issue. The flavors are full too. The smoke time of two hours is very long.

Would I buy this cigar again? That’s impossible since it’s a 12 year old limited edition.

Pics? https://cigarguideorg.wordpress.com/...serva-torpedo/