Connoisseur’s Corner: Romeo y Julieta Churchill (1991)
Iconic is not a word we use lightly, but it’s appropriate in this case. The Romeo y Julieta Churchill is one of Cuba’s most iconic cigars, and it’s named in honor of perhaps the most iconic cigar smoker in history—Winston Churchill. These Churchills have spent more than three decades in a dress box, giving them a lot of time to mellow. The first inch stays toasty and cedary before layers of fruit and graham cracker start to unfold. Spicy bursts of cinnamon and ground clove hint at this cigar’s previous power, but the pecan finish assures us that this old Romeo Churchill is as sophisticated and dignified as the person it’s named after. —Gregory Mottola
This is a great cigar and has a good 10 to 15 years before reaching its peak. The colorado wrapper is perfect. There is a medium-body balance on the palate, full of coffee and nut flavors that keep going into the medium-length finish. An example of the best pre-pandemic tobaccos from Cuba. —Gordon Mott
This chunky, attractive torpedo came in the limited-edition humidor created for the 50th anniversary of Cuba’s Trinidad brand. It’s quite strong and burns evenly with a very cedary start. Hearty wood notes and persistent flintiness dominate the rest of the smoke. A cigar that still shows signs of youth. —David Savona
Slim and elegant, with a smooth and supple wrapper that gleams with oil. The cigar looks gorgeous, but sadly it’s an empty suit. It’s tangy, sharp, oily-tasting and woody, lacking depth and finesse. The year 1990 was a great one for Cuban cigars, but this isn’t one of them. —David Savona
