Aladino Vintage Selection Prelight
Aladino is a brand run by JRE Tobacco founded by Julio R. Eiroa and his son Justo M. Eiroa. JRE is at the forefront of cultivating, growing, and rolling quality tobaccos from Honduras. They most notably acquired Camacho, and grew it before selling off the brand and factory to Davidoff in 2008.
The Aladino Vintage Selection debuted in 2020 in Rothschild, with the Elegante, and Toro launching in May of the following year. The blend is intended as a callback to the golden era of Cuban cigars when most blends were Habano wrappers, over Corojo fillers. The blend here is a Honduran grown Habano wrapper, with Honduran grown Cuban seed Corojo for for binder, and filler leaves. The Elegante vitola weighs in at 7″ by 38.
This particular example has a gorgeous milk chocolate/colorado wrapper. The vintage inspired “fauxtina” colors on the label work really nicely here. The aroma is all fresh, bright cedar. The draw is slightly snug, expected given the vitola, and the cold draw notes are of forest floor, and more cedar.
Aladino Vintage Selection First Third
I’m immediately hit with the notes of toasted nuts, creamy coffee, and cedar from the get go. The palate is giving me crusty bread, mixed nuts, vanilla and cedar undertones. The retrohale is showing sweet creamy coffee, and a tickle of white pepper. The profile is expertly balanced, and very cohesive so far. There’s a medium finish of nuts and vanilla. Smoke output is strong, and there’s a creamy smoke texture. Ash, and construction have been A+ so far.
Aladino Vintage Selection Second Third
I’m picking up on some baking spices making their way into the profile here in the second third. Cedar, toasty bread, mixed nuts, and vanilla extract on the palate. Sweet creamy coffee, clove, and a tickle of white pepper on the retrohale. These are classic Habano flavors executed perfectly. Smoke output is staying strong, and smoke texture is still creamy. Medium/long finish of nuts and clove.
Aladino Vintage Selection Final Third
The cedar and clove flavors are now leading the pack. Cedar, toast, vanilla extract, musty oak, and a touch of the mixed nuts on the palate. Sweet creamy coffee, clove, and a tickle of white pepper on the retrohale. The wood is a bit tannic, and I’m wishing there was a touch more sweetness here, but the blend is still finishing strong. Smoke texture and output are both excellent, and there’s a long finish of cedar, and oak. Past the band the blend just kept on trucking with little to no harshness. I smoked this one down all the way to the nub.
Aladino Vintage Selection Conclusions
The Aladino Vintage Selection delivered on a top notch experience. This blend is packed with sweet, creamy, and toasty flavors from beginning to end. I’ve always loved Aladino’s Corojo, and the Habano wrapper added the nutty toasty flavors to push it over the edge. I had purchased this cigar long enough ago that I had forgotten the price. I’m shocked this is being sold for less than $10 USD. Huge shout out to the team at JRE for putting together such a great lancero blend – especially at this price point. Pick a few up, I’m sure you won’t regret it!
