Factory: Plasencia Cigars – Estelí, Nicaragua
Size: 6″ x 50
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder & Filler: Nicaragua
Construction: Excellent. The Habano wrapper on this solidly-built Romeo is flawless, and beams with an attractive caramel color. Finished with a triple-seam cap, the wrapper is devoid of soft spots, plus the white and orange band color scheme really pops. Burn-wise, the Toro was even from top to bottom exposing a firm grey ash.
Dominant Flavors: Cedar, oak, cashew, sweet spice, earth, charred oak
Balance: Excellent
Where it’s at: Although Plasencia has been making excellent cigars for generations, their blends of late have been extraordinary, and this Romeo 1875 Nicaragua Toro is another fine example. Using an all-Nicaraguan recipe, they’ve created a cigar that is every bit a “Romeo” in refinement and character, plus it pays respect to the brand’s Cuban flavor profile.
The cigar was deftly handcrafted and boasted an open draw after cutting. A leathery pre-light flavor opened to a smooth, nutty, and woody smoke underscored by a layer of sweetness. The finish was creamy and medium in length. Well-balanced flavors of cedar, oak, cashew and sweet spice became more defined throughout the first act.
At the midsection, even more sweetness surfaced. The smoke remained smooth and creamy augmented by cashew and oak notes. It was at this stage that the flavor profile took on that Cubanesque component. I doubt this was intentional on the part of the Plasencias, but it was a pleasant surprise, nonetheless.
For the final act, the body skated over into the full range. The underlying base flavors remained unchanged while some charry notes entered the mix offering a hickory-like aroma/flavor—think the smell of a fireplace log. Moreover, retrohaling at this stage provided an agreeable burnt wood flavor. Working down to the nub, I also picked-up what I can only describe as an “oily” flavor. It wasn’t a bitter, resin-like taste; it was more like the peaty element found in whisky.
I found the Romeo 1875 Nicaragua Toro extremely enjoyable, and to anyone in the market for a medium-plus Nicaraguan puro I say, go for it. I know I plan on returning to it on a regular basis.
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Executive Editor
Gary Korb has been writing and editing content for CigarAdvisor.com since its debut in 2008. An avid cigar smoker for over 30 years, he has worked on the marketing side of the premium cigar business as a Sr. Copywriter, blogger, and Executive Editor of Cigar Advisor. A graduate of the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, prior to his career in the cigar business, Gary worked in the music and video industry as a marketer and a publicist.
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