By Jeremy Hensley | January 13, 2018

In 2010, Joya De Nicaragua re-introduced the Rosalones line after a twenty year hiatus. The value-priced line was first made available in the European market before arriving in the US in 2013. I reviewed the Rosalones in September 2013 and it actually made my Top 10 Cigars that year. It is a hard cigar to beat for the price. The Rosalones line expanded in 2016 with the addition of the Rosalones Reserva. And, like the first release, the Reserva hit the shelves of European countries before making their way to this side of the Atlantic.

Manufactured in Esteli, Nicaragua at Joya De Nicaragua, the Rosalones Reserva is a Nicaraguan puro featuring a Habano Criollo wrapper over tobaccos from the regions of Jalapa, Condega, and Esteli. The following vitolas are available:  RR440 Petit Corona (4 by 44), RR546 Corona Gorda (5 ½ by 46), RR 550 Robusto (5 by 50), and RR650 Toro (6 by 50).  

You can purchase the Rosalones Reserva from our good friends over at Famous Smoke Shop.

THE FACTS

Vitola: RR550 Robusto
Size: 5 by 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa, Condega, and Esteli)
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 10 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Rosalones Reserva is dressed in a medium brown wrapper that has orangish tint with loads of dark color splotching. There is no seen or felt tooth, but some bumps are scattered down the leaf that has a fair amount of oils. The cigar is rolled firmly and evenly from head to foot.

As I bring the wrapper to my nose, I note a big aroma of raisin and barnyard, while the foot of the cigar has a pleasing aroma of chocolate and raisins. Upon clipping the cap, the dry draw has a light amount of resistance allowing flavors of rich cedar, baking spices, raisin, and chocolate to move freely across my palate.

FIRST THIRD

The Rosalones Reserva starts out with medium to full flavors that are thick on the palate. Cedar and a dark earth flavor are first greet me followed by sweet, dark fruit. The burn that began with a small wave has self-corrected and a layered, light gray ash is forming. There is a light spice in the mouth and not much more on the retro-hale.

MIDDLE THIRD

The sweet dark fruit flavor has taken center stage followed by a newly arrived pepper and the earlier cedar and earth. A tart flavor is developing in the profile that is working well with everything else going on. Copious amounts of smoke pour out of the Rosalones Reserva as the cigar buns with a minor wave, but nothing alerting.

FINAL THIRD

As I make my way into the final third, a charred wood flavor joins in and pushes the other flavors to the backend of the profile. While the spice has gained a bit of ground, the other flavors have decreased in their intensity. 

WRAP-UP

As soon as I spotted the Rosalones Reserva online, I knew I had to order up some. And over the last month, I have smoked nearly half a box. Joya De Nicaragua has once again created a solid cigar with a very approachable price in the Rosalones Reserva. For a cigar that can be found for under $4, the Reserva provides a mostly medium profile with some woodsy and dark flavors accompanied by a mild to medium spice and sweetness. The smoke production was satisfying and no issues were encountered with the burn or draw. You can’t go wrong trying out this Nicaraguan puro.

One last thing…

Tony and I keep it simple here at Casas Fumando. All we do is smoke cigars and drink beer. But there are a lot of great resources available, especially for newcomers to the hobby, that can teach you some of the basics. Famous Smoke Shop recently launched “The Beginner’s Guide to Cigar Smoking”. The site is easy to navigate and covers the essentials. Do us a favor and check it out!