CA Review Panel: Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Nicaragua

THE CIGAR ADVISOR TASTING GUIDE TO ROMEO Y JULIETA HOUSE OF CAPULET NICARAGUA CIGARS

Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Nicaragua Backstory

There’s no doubt that Romeo y Julieta’s House series is among Famous Smoke Shop’s most popular exclusives. In fact, the House of Romeo Capulet line is the best-selling Romeo at Famous. Period!

The new Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Nicaragua aims to add some bolder excitement to a beloved blend.

More on Romeo y Julieta House of Nicaragua

Excerpted from a press release originally published on Cigar Advisor, 5/4/23:

Like any cigar blending project, it takes a good team. Working with Elmer Suarez of the Grupo de Maestros and his team from Tabacalera La Flor de Copan, the blends were developed by Tim Person, Director of Key Accounts for Altadis USA, Famous Smoke Shop House Brand Manager Mike Klingerman, and Famous Smoke Shop Buying Director, Jenny Ryan.

“The House of Romeo lines have been our strongest selling exclusives over the last several years,” said Mr. Klingerman. “We felt that adding a touch of Nicaraguan influence through these highly desirable tobaccos would enhance and complement the existing portfolio of brands.”

House of Capulet Nicaragua’s biggest change—a Nicaragua Habano 2000 wrapper standing in for the original blend’s Ecuador Connecticut.

Even with the departure, we’ve been told Capulet Nicaragua still smokes with an inviting medium body. Let’s see how it holds to a flame! First, some particulars.

Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Nicaragua – Cigar Details

Factory: Tabacalera La Flor de Copan, Honduras
Size Reviewed: 6” x 52 Toro
Strength: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaragua Habano 2000
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (including Jalapa)

Construction: All lauded its oily sheen and expert rolling.
Draw: Unanimously smooth.
Pre-Light & Toasting Flavors: Salt, wood, earth, pepper, leather, cocoa, and a cake-like flavor.
Key Cigar Flavors: A wide range of flavors from leather and coffee to cedar, salt, and wood.
Smoke Aroma: Sweet with notes of graham cracker, wood, and fermented tobacco.
Burn & Ash Color/Quality: Dense grey ash that was looser on one sample.

Presented in boxes of 20

John Pullo’s Tasting Notes…

First few rips are medium-bold with a profile boasting mineral earth and toasty cedar. Lots of pepper, and there’s a ton of smoke production from “go.” After that, this Capulet is full-up on pepper, baking spices and lime tanginess. The smoke turns earthy and woody but still laced with all this sweetness, while the retrohale offers more toast and wood.

Middle section throws lots of smoke. Lots of sweetness. The lime sensation is more like cranberry now, and the finish is really long. Pepper and earth balance it out. I didn’t expect these flavors at all. The last third is when that tangy taste lets off the gas, making way for mineral earth and leather to drive the profile. I agree with Gary’s original assessment when he did the press release: “smooth & balanced.” I would add consistent, as this version of Capulet is not complex. But neither was the original.

The RyJ Capulet is still the most popular House in the series, because it has so much going for it: actual flavor for a Connecticut, some spice, some creaminess. The way people smoke it, I don’t know why anybody would mess with a good thing. But they did, and somehow ended up with a totally different Capulet. This is not “Nicaraguan” in the sense of My Father, or AJ Fernandez – this Romeo is more billowy and plush. And it steals more of its character from the other Houses: Montague’s earthiness, some of the exotic taste of Verona. And I have no idea where all this sweetness came from. But whatever the case, this Capulet Nicaragua has carved out a little niche for itself. It has a very “bright” profile that’s awesome with coffee. I think you will like it for its medium body and consistency, as well as the fact that it’s more potent than its Connecticut housemate.

Gary’s Tasting Notes…

Summary: If you think the world doesn’t need another Romeo y Julieta cigar, you might think twice after smoking this new Nicaraguan recipe. Both of my Toro samples lit beautifully. The first several puffs were the predictable spicy followed by some earth and saltiness. The cigar started off medium in body with an impressively even burn. Smooth, creamy and a bit peppery to start with a fair amount of earth and some budding sweetness. The pepper settled down at about the first half inch and continued on a smooth course as notes of cedar arrived. Good smoke volume, too.

At about midway the cigar began to improve further. Sweet tobacco and baking spices were added to the profile. Everything was well-balanced and the flavors became better defined. The smoke remained very smooth and turned medium-plus in body.

During the final inches, the smoke was now medium-full. Still smooth and balanced, I picked-up some drive-by citrus notes, too. My pre-video sample, which was a little over-humidified, caused some harshness in the last act, but my on-camera sample ended nicely with some earthiness returning in the last inch-and-a-half.

Impressively well made, plus, the overall performance of the cigar was excellent. For cigar smokers seeking a dark, rich-tasting Nicaraguan at a reasonable price, this new Capulet line is it. Medium-full in body for the most part, it also offers a little more strength. Those a little new to cigar smoking should probably start with the Romeo y Julieta Capulet. To avoid confusion between that line and this one, know that the Capulet Nicaragua is a completely different animal. It’s heartier, more refined and tailored to the more experienced palate. I also feel that some home aging will reveal some nice improvement, too. Suffice it to say… a solid smoke for the money.

Paul’s Tasting Notes…

Summary: As flame kissed foot, the Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet Nicaragua sprang to life with a flourish of light pepper, cedar, cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Sweet tobacco presents itself in the billows of smoke emitted, while the dance continues with some floral notes and earthiness just popping in to say ‘hi’ on the finish.

More stout than its predecessor, this all-Nicaraguan rendition of House of Capulet displays a restrained strength. No sweating, nicotine shakes, or buckling knees as I smoke through the second portion. Flavors from the first section continue with some sweetness—like pear or nectarine—thrown into the mix. Pepper lingers like a phantom, barely seen in the background. Medium and building, the RyJ Capulet Nicaragua is balanced and behaving with a razor-sharp burn and an envious ash.

Down to the nub, RyJ Capulet Nicaragua was entertaining and enjoyable. While the main core of flavors didn’t deviate too much from the first and second parts, they mixed and mingled in creative ways with some marked transitions. Color me impressed.

As I mentioned in the video—this cigar is a perfect ‘gateway’ to Nicaraguan tobaccos. As in, I’d recommend RyJ Capulet Nicaragua to any enthusiasts who are looking to step up from mellower Dominican or Connecticut wrapped blends to something with a little more ‘oomph.’