Vice Advice: Cigar Review, Wherefore Art Thou Romeo and Juliet? My Humidor

Smokey Says: Buy Romeo and Juliet

I’ve been on a Romeo and Juliet kick for several years now. It’s not the only thing I smoke but it’s the brand I smoke most, so I decided to talk about the three Romeo and Juliet sticks I have in my humidor: the 1875, the 1875 Reserve, and the Anejados 5 Anos.

1875

The 1875 is one of my favorite everyday smokes. Some people consider it a medium-bodied cigar, but I find it to be a little lighter than that, almost light enough to be a “breakfast” cigar. The Indonesian wrapper is a little oily, just the way I like wrappers to be. It has a nice draw, unless I cut it poorly, which I still sometimes do. I’m not big into describing cigar tastes with adjectives like “oak” and “leather.” I’ll just say it’s a great-tasting, lighter-to-almost-medium cigar. I smoked one “bad apple” that just wasn’t working, but every other cigar from the box has been gangbusters. I prefer this cigar in a Robusto so it doesn’t eat up my day. I like that it’s lighter because when I smoke one at 1:00 pm the apartment doesn’t smell like cigars when my girlfriend gets home at 5:30.

cigar review — Photo credit: Kevin Downey Jr., PJ Media.

1875 Reserve

If the 1875 is great, then the 1875 Reserve must be better, right? That’s a matter of taste. This smoke is a little heavier than its 1875 sibling. I prefer it to the 1875 for a smoke later in the evening. It’s richer and has more “taste” per draw, probably due to its darker, Nicaraguan wrapper. It has a nice, rich flavor and it’s a little smoother than the 1875. I prefer this cigar in a Corona size, at night, with a bourbon.

Anejados 5 Anos

My Puerto Rican girlfriend told me this means “aged five years”. My cigar guru friend James Russell, of the Huntington Humidor, tells me this cigar is only made for JR Cigars, which makes sense because that’s where I got them (I ordered my 1875s and threw in five of these for fun).

This is the lightest of the three Romeo and Juliets mentioned. This would be a great morning smoke if it wasn’t a Magnum, as I prefer a light smoke in the morning but a shorter one as well. This is the cigar you give to a friend who “doesn’t want anything too heavy.” It’s also the nicest-smelling cigar as far as non-smokers are concerned and it burns slowly.

Wrapper Up

All three of these are great smokes but for different reasons. All three also went out repeatedly, but that could be my fault. My hygrometer reads 62, but I think we all know most humidors don’t always work well. Mine needs a conditioning treatment anyway.

Let me know in the comments what you smoke and I’ll try to snag a few and write about them.