Following up on my recent review of the @joyacigars silver, I wanted to explore more from the brand. This led me to start with their staple Antano Gran Reserva. The original Antano may possibly be their most well known cigar for the past decade due to its full body and strength. Joya realized that the Antano had a following but may not meet all smoker’s palates. They then took the Antano and aged it for 5 years in order to mature the tobacco and makes it a more refined smoke. It’s a true puro Nicaraguan with a Corojo Oscuro wrapper and filler from the Jalapa, Condega, and Esteli regions.
The #GrandReserva presents a matted brown outer leaf, gold embroidered dual bands, and bunched construction. It’s a box pressed cigar with tiny veins but quite a noticeable spiral seam. There’s a deep cocoa aroma on the smooth, soft chocolate wrapper. With a punch cut, it took some time to toast but had a perfect pull through. That perfect draw delivers flavors of cedar, fruitwood, slight pepper and a “sluggish” sweetness underneath that’s similar to molasses.
The smoke is medium and has a cloudy, creamy texture. You experience the benefits of having mature, aged tobacco by just how smooth the cigar is. It’s a very manageable and pleasant smoke. The fruity wood is the keynote flavor, but the sweetness softens to a creamy coffee. There’s a small amount of spice in the retrohale but barely noticeable. As I close out the second portion moving on to the third, I notice a charred earthiness on the finish of the smoke. Overall the cigar lives somewhere near a medium bodied stick with clean flavor.
I feel as though you get a reintroduction to the pepper, wood, and spice. None of this is a surprise for a puro Nicaraguan cigar, especially from the Joya. The big take away that I have here is how smooth the cigar has been. The strength in which it is delivered is so approachable…somewhat not typical of Joya. This is a more regal…i.e. RESERVED blend. Because of this, I would recommend being careful with what you pair with this cigar. You don’t want anything that overpowers the delicate cigar flavor…maybe a good Pinot Noir or Rum.
