Over the last decade, cigar giant Altadis U.S.A. did something many large corporations are hesitant to do. The company reconsidered its entire cigar portfolio and fully committed its resources to modernizing its blends and updating the flavor profiles of its most iconic brands. 

One brand in particular that got a complete retooling was the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real, a fairly mild Dominican cigar. The original brand still exists, but the newest version went to Central America, and the Romeo y Julieta Reserva Real Nicaragua Churchill was born. It’s one of the most impressive cigars we smoked all year. It’s made by A.J. Fernandez in Nicaragua in collaboration with Rafael Nodal, who serves as head of product capability for Altadis and has been instrumental in shaping the new portfolio. 

Romeo y Julieta is Altadis’ best-selling premium cigar brand, and this non-Cuban line is available only in the United States, where Cubans cannot be legally sold. The Reserva Real Nicaragua is full of hearty Nicaraguan tobacco that is assertive without being overbearing. As a large-format Churchill, it provides a long progression of flavor that starts with dense, creamy layers of salted caramel transitioning nicely to a palate of Mideastern spices and coffee over a nutty, leathery core.