Who of you reading this can say that they have committed 55 years to anything? Be it a marriage, a career—heck, some of you reading this aren’t even 55 years old (myself included)! So, when 2023 brought about the 55th anniversary of Joya de Nicaragua, it was all but certain that a special cigar would arrive to mark the occasion. Joya de Nicaragua has honored their continuing reign as the oldest cigar manufacturer in Nicaragua with leapfrogging five-year interval releases over the past decade—including the Cuatro Cinco, Cinco Decadas, and now the Cinco de Cinco. These milestone releases join the acclaimed Número Uno and Dos Cientos cigars in Joya’s super-premium Obras Maestras or Masterpieces collection.
Executive President of Joya de Nicaragua, Juan Ignacio Martínez, had this to say upon the cigar’s announcement last summer: “This cigar was made with the people, by the people and for the people. […] Our past is all about tobacco. Our bright future is all about tobacco. We are here, stronger than ever thanks to our wonderful community of amigos.”
Cinco de Cinco Toro Breakdown
Wrapper: Mexican San Andrés
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua, S.A. (Nicaragua)
Production: Regular Production
Vitola: 6? × 52 (Toro)
Price: $19.95?? (MSRP)
Corona Extra??: 6¼” x 46 | $15.95??
Robusto?: 5? x 50 | $15.95 | *International?? Exclusive (Non-USA)??
Robusto Gordo: 5½” x 54 | $17.95??
Toro?: 6? x 52 | $19.95??
Corona Doble: 7? x 54 | $20.55 | *International?? Exclusive (Non-USA)??
The Cinco de Cinco’s blend showcases tobacco characterized as “ultra-vintage,” incorporating a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, with the binder and fillers sourced from Nicaragua. Joya has called upon the hundreds of records gathered during private blending sessions so that the company’s master blenders could build what it calls “the perfect scoring recipe.”
This regular-production release is currently available in five soft-pressed vitolas, and comes packaged in striking emerald green-colored boxes of 10 cigars.
Appearance
The contrasting color between the bold emerald green banding and the dark chocolate-hued San Andrés wrapper is very striking. It makes me think of those little Andes mints—with the green metallic foiled wrapper hiding little bite-sized chocolate-covered minty goodness. The vibrant green banding color is carried onto the 10-count boxes as well, with only the white underside of the lid breaking it up. Speaking of the box, I must say that I do enjoy when they put separation pieces of wood between the cigars on these little 10-count displays. It doesn’t change the smoking experience; I just like how it looks. I think it classes up the presentation a little bit.
The wrapper itself is thick and sturdy in appearance, with light veins visible and raised to the touch. There is a very gritty feel to this semi-box-pressed stick, which, in my experience, hints that the body of the cigar may lean towards the medium-to-full side. The seams are tight and evenly placed, seeming to be a well-constructed cigar with an average heft.
Pre-light aromas abound from the foot of the Cinco de Cinco, with tons of dark chocolate and a tinge of soured milk. The wrapper itself has a lot more nuanced notes coming from it. A classic barnyard and black pepper aroma is the dominant yet delicate impression. In the background, there is a dusty earth profile that is fleeting at best.
A snip with my guillotine cutter reveals a looser-than-preferred draw, but still an acceptable 6/10. Cold draw flavors are mild as well, with light coffee and a dry cocoa powder being the primary notes, as well as a light black pepper finish.
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Smoking Experience
Usually an extended toast is needed on a wrapper as thick as this, but I find that is not needed on the Cinco de Cinco. It catches light with ease, and smoke abounds from the foot as I take my first couple of puffs. Burnt coffee mixed with a wet oak are the first notes I catch, as well as a big cayenne pepper zing on the retrohale. The smoke is medium/full bodied, medium/full flavored, and medium in strength. It’s a little bit of a rough start, but first lights can have this happen.
Now that I’m a solid inch into the Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco toro, the flavors have settled into a more palatable profile for me. Dry cocoa powder is easily picked up, as well as a floral coffee flavor that swirls nicely with it. Flavor/strength/body remain steady since the beginning, and the cigar emanates a thick, oily smoke with each puff. I’m picking up a musty wood note now, but it’s stepped on by the pungent pepper-filled retrohale.
Crossing the halfway mark, the Cinco de Cinco is mellowing a little. The flavor of an espresso-heavy mocha latte is a nice change, but I find it being muddied by an old and musty wood note. The pepper on the retrohale has lightened, but is still very present. I have to touch up the burn at this point, as it is getting too wavy to not affect the smoking experience. The draw remains unchanged at a 6/10, with the flavor and body now setting at a medium-plus, and strength holding steady at a medium.
The band comes off easily with no damage to the wrapper, and I find that what remains of the toro is in need of yet another touch-up. I give a lot of grace to the burn of a box-pressed cigar, as they tend to be wavy, but both touch-ups were essential to maintain a proper burn and avoid severe canoeing. The smoke itself has become dry on the palate, with cayenne pepper taking the lead on the flavor train. It lingers on my palate between puffs, making it difficult to distinguish the more enjoyable old oak and leather that is sitting behind it. The flavor and body has bumped back up to a medium/full, and the strength is up a tick, at medium-plus. There has been no change in the draw of the Cinco de Cinco, and I don’t expect any variation for the rest of the smoking experience.
The final puffs of the toro are dry, moderately peppery, and filled with a musty wood and burnt coffee profile. It’s not a bad close, and honestly, I wish more of this combo would have been present throughout.
Would I Smoke This Cigar Again?
I wouldn’t shy away from smoking this, yet I would not actively seek it out. I have been a huge fan of the Número Uno and the Cuatro Cinco—both of which are in the Obras Maestras series from Joya de Nicaragua. But the Cinco de Cinco tended to be very singular in profile, and transitions were subtle if not non-existent. This isn’t always a negative, and some people will really enjoy this smoke, but I found myself a little bored by the end.
At the time of writing this, the Cinco de Cinco has a “97% Smokeable” rating, with an overall ranking of 1,996 out of 5.1k cigars (placing in the top 39 percent of cigars on the Dojoverse leaderboard).
The Cinco de Cinco is the fifth release in Joya de Nicaragua’s ‘Obras Maestras’ series.
Flavor: Medium / Full
Strength: Medium-Plus
Body: Medium / Full
Musty oak
Cocoa powder
Floral coffee
Black/Cayenne pepper
Dry leather
Smoke Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Pairing Recommendation: Bourbon (neat) | Cuban coffee | Negroni | Cane sugar cola
Purchase Recommendation: Snag a few and see if they are your jam
Consistent throughoutEasily distinguished flavorsVoluminous smoke output
Burn required two touch-upsThe flavors get muddied at timesTransitions and complexity are soft
2024-01-19
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