JC Newman

September 05, 2016

Joya Black Double Robusto (5 x 56)





Video review HERE.


The Joya family is proud to present Joya Black, a follow up to the very well-received Joya Red launched in 2014.

Both Joya Red and Joya Black were engineered by the youngest executive team in the industry, along with the most senior Master Blenders of Nicaragua. 

"This is Joya de Nicaragua’s first cigar to feature a Mexican San Andres Negro wrapper. We have had these wrappers available for some time and we wanted to create a blend with rich Nicaraguan tobacco, yet without the overpowering strength. The result is a balanced, rich and pleasant smoking experience - the type of experience the new JOYA brand is known for as demonstrated by the release of Joya Red" said, Mario Perez, Factory Manager.

Joya Black will be available in 20 count boxes and will be priced similarly to Joya
Red, ranging from $5.50 to $8.00 per cigar. It will be available in the following sizes:

• Robusto (5 ¼ x 50)
• Toro (6 x 52)
• Doble Robusto (5 x 56) REVIEWED TODAY
• Nocturno (6 ¼ x 46)

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (Joya de Nicaragua SA)


The cigar is very dark; almost black. The wrapper is somewhat oily and the cigar is very well made. It also has a dense feel in the hand.




The test draw after cutting the cap was good with a touch of firmness. The initial flavors were dark chocolate, cream, underlying black licorice, espresso, and black pepper rated at a 7 1/2. There is quite a bit of sweetness in this cigar which was surprising.



Close to an inch in the licorice notes are gone. There is now a lot of brown sugar and a buttery cream which adds a lot to the flavor profile. The chocolate notes are being challenged by the heavy brown sugar and buttery cream. The pepper has moved up to an 8. The finish is a straight sweet cream with a little lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. 



2 inches in the burn is perfect The ash is very white with a sprinkling of black specs. I struggled with what the new flavor was as it seemed to change from time to time. I settled on a white chocolate, which is mixing with the brown sugar and buttery cream. The regular chocolate and coffee notes are somewhat subdued and hold a narrow base. The sweet notes on the front end are very nice. The cigar is still medium bodied and the finish is unchanged.



The brown sugar and buttery cream are the stars of this cigar. The white chocolate gives it a little richness and the regular chocolate and coffee hold a narrow base. For a maduro cigar this is quite a departure from the average cigar. It ended up on the upper end of medium bodied. I found this to be a very nice, pleasing cigar that would appeal to just about anyone. Brand new and on shelves now!

Score: 93

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Tim how would you compare this to tattoo?

Tim Rollins said...

Similar. I reviewed the Tattoo in 2014 and it received the same score. Here is that review: http://tinytimblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/tatuaje-tattoo-cabellero-robusto-5-x-50.html