Joya de Nicaragua Rare Breeds Series Cigar Reviews
Famous Smoke Shop has partnered with Joya de Nicaragua to reimagine three cigars: Cunning, Merciless, and Carnage. We call them our Raza Rara - “Rare Breeds” - because they utilize Joya’s expertise in creating blends that idealize the Nicaraguan flavor profile, as well as their access to exceptional tobaccos from throughout the region. “We wanted to create blends that capture the essence of Joya’s factory and their blending team’s esteemed traditions,” we’ve said. The second goal was to make affordable, daily go-to’s that would easily win their way into your humidor.
Here's a quick review of each…
Carnage by Joya de Nicaragua Cigar Review
The first of our three Famous bestselling bundles made by Joya de Nicaragua. Carnage is represented by a bear on the band; and while you might think it represents the cigar’s strength, that’s not necessarily so.
Body & Strength: Medium-plus
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Presentation: Bundle of 10 cigars
The reddish-brown San Andres Maduro wrapper was raw and toothy; the cigar felt firm throughout. Cold draws issued cocoa and leather. Once lit, each draw was earthy with black pepper on the finish; by the first inch, the tobaccos had caramelized and the smoke became smooth, offering a combination of sweet tobacco and leather notes, plus a pepper finish; early retrohales offered a cascade of chili pepper through the nose.
By halfway, the smoke was creamier, revealing balanced flavors of herbs, leather, wood and an underlying sweetness replaced the peppery finish. Earth and spice returned to the profile as the strength and body of the Carnage blend intensified to nearly full by the end.
Summary: A darker blend, and more than just because it’s a Maduro. The Nicaraguan core tobaccos provide their characteristic profile, along with added complexity; the San Andres leaf offers a nice bit of sweetness that puts the Carnage up against the Joya Black and Joya Silver selections.
Merciless by Joya de Nicaragua Cigar Review
The Joya Raza Rara (“Rare Breed”) series spotlight continues with Merciless, a robust recipe of Nicaraguan long fillers underneath a Habano wrapper leaf grown in Ecuador. And unlike Carnage, the cobra on the band is very much indicative of the profile: full of spicy bite.
Body & Strength: Full
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Presentation: Bundle of 10 cigars
The length of the cigar was evenly firm; after cutting, the cigar had an excellent draw with an earthy and herbal prelight flavor.
Merciless issued a peppery start, until the smoke acquired medium-strength nuances of earth, spice, and some natural sweetness. The profile took on a floral taste as it arrived at halfway; the Merciless ended as a full-bodied experience, providing notes of earth, sweetness, salt, and spice.
Summary: Compared to the Carnage San Andrés, the Merciless Habano is fuller in strength and body – and although not as sweet, this blend would be comparable to Joya Red. A beauty for bargain hunters who want a Nicaraguan-forward blend that’s full in body and strength.
Cunning by Joya de Nicaragua Connecticut Cigar Review
Read our full review here.
The third and final cigar in our Raza Rara (“Rare Breed”) cigar series is Cunning; the blend features a fox on the label, a nod to Joya’s sly way of giving this supposedly mild cigar some oomph with Nicaraguan binders and long fillers. Cunning features an Ecuador-grown Connecticut seed wrapper and is a more “refined” version of the brand you might remember from previous years.
Body & Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Presentation: Bundle of 10 cigars
Cunning’s attractive blonde wrapper had that familiar straw aroma; after cutting, the cold draw had a leathery taste. First notes after lighting were smooth, sweet, and nutty, with a leathery character emerging to accompany the sweetness.
At midway, the body is fuller – but not stronger. Baking spices arrived with nutmeg being the most evident flavor, until earth defined the last few puffs.
Summary: Overall, it’s a pleasant flavor profile – a mild-to-medium Connecticut that still has a bit of Nicaraguan character, especially notable in the somewhat peppery retrohale. It is, however, notably easygoing in comparison to the Merciless and even the Joya Carnage. A very versatile cigar, this is a good first stick of the day regardless of your level of cigar experience, and easy to enjoy while knocking around the backyard. Compare to Flor de Oliva Gold 6x50, or the Romeo y Julieta Capulet Toro.