Cigar Review – Joya de Nicaragua Cinco Cinco (55th Anniversary)

Brand: Joya de Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro 6 x 52
Filler: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Nicaraguan
Smoking Time:  1 hour
Body: Medium
Flavor: Medium to Full
Price: $20.00

What Makes it Special:
From the company, “This cigar was made with the people, by the people, and for the people,” said Juan Ignacio Martinez, executive VP of Joya. “Our past is all about tobacco. Our bright future is all about tobacco. We are here, stronger than ever, thanks to our wonderful community of amigos.”

The blend is made with tobacco considered “ultra-vintage” and includes a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, along with binder and fillers from Nicaragua. It is rated as a full-bodied and medium-strength cigar with a complex profile, receiving a five-out-of-five rating. Let’s smoke it and see where it takes us!

Visual/Prelight Draw:
The wrapper of the cigar resembles a milk chocolate bar, with a dark brown and slightly oily appearance. There are no visible veins or blemishes, making it look ultra-premium, but only trying it will confirm its quality. The prelight draw hints at flavors of earth, coffee, tobacco, and cedar.

It has a single green band, which appears almost emerald on the back side of the label, with an inscription on the inside of the band alluding to the quote above.

First Third:
Upon lighting the cigar, you will first taste the sweet, green wheatgrass with underlying earthy notes. As the ash begins to form, you will notice a hint of spice at the top note. The burn of the cigar is razor sharp, and lighting it was quite easy.

Second Third:
The second third remains much the same but with the spice ratcheting up near the halfway point. Ashing the cigar produces a fine ligero cone, indicating a near-perfect burn. As we progress towards the end of the second third, the notes of grass, spice, and earth have balanced perfectly. It is more of a peppery spice at this point, more defined than before.

Final Third:
At the beginning of the final third, the earth,  coffee, and chocolate notes finally come in strong. The pepper softens a bit, allowing it to become more of a feeling on the retro than a defined flavor. These flavors just come in waves in this third, with easy smoke production. This is quite the experience, indeed.

I would pair this cigar with a brown sugar-forward Bourbon such as Buffalo Trace, Calumet Farm Small Batch, Stagg, or Widow Jane.

Score:
It’s definitely a fine addition to this line, with a near-perfect burn throughout, razor-sharp burn lines, and oodles of complex flavor. You may taste even more than I did, but certainly, I can say I won’t taste anything wrong or obviously out of balance. At $20 for a toro, it may not be for every day, but this should be one that you at least try if given a chance. With a medium nicotine level but strong defined flavors layered perfectly, you’ll want another, as do I.

Final score: 99