Like I wrote in another review, Joya de Nicaragua is the oldest cigar factory in Nicaragua and about a year ago they got into bed with Drew Estate for distribution and building their portfolio. First cigar that comes from this collaboration is the Joya de Nicaragua Antano dark corojo, which should be an extra strong cigar to claim back the market Joya once owned, the market of the ultra strong cigars. Four cigars from the series made it to The Netherlands and the first one to be reviewed by my was de 4½x42 Azarosa which has a price tag of € 4,50.
The cigar looks great, the wrapper is very dark and the double band is very stylish. The wrapper is quite oily and has one tough vein. The construction feels a bit hard and the cigar reeks of charcoal. The predraw is great and I taste tobacco.
I taste a peppery earthy falvor with some coffee and wood. Soon I taste a lot of herbs and a metallic flavour. After half an inch I taste earth with wood and lots of citrus.
After a third a lot of black pepper joins the flavour profile, the cigar is quite spicy with the mix of black pepper, citrus, dark wood and earth. After two thirds I taste wood with some citrus, the pepper disappeared. The cigar remains spicy in the aftertaste with some pepper and herbs.
This cigar lasted me an hour and forty minutes. The draw was great just like the amount of thick white smoke. I had to correct the burn a few times. The ash is medium gray colored, compact and firm, it only breaks once. This cigar is definitely full flavoured and full bodied.
Would I buy this cigar again? Yeah, for a strong finish of a herf.
Appearance: 8 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 7 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10