Juan Lopez Ideales (Austria Regional Edition 2011)

Overall Score

1 review for Juan Lopez Ideales (Austria Regional Edition 2011)

  1. Avatar photo

    C**** I********

    Juan Lopez Ideales (Regional Edition Austria)

    Juan LopezOrigin : Cuba
    Format : Petit Robusto
    Size : 102 x 19 mm (4 x 50)
    Ring : 50
    Released in : 2011
    Hand-Made
    Price : ~9 EUR each

    Juan López is an old cigar brand in Cuba, dating back to somewhere around 1870, but it is not a very well-known brand. There are three regular production sizes: the Petit Corona, the Selección No. 1, and the Selección No. 2. Until 2006, Juan López also manufactured the Panatelas Superba and a Corona. In the recent years, Juan Lopez was mostly known for its regional editions, and we’ve reviewed quite a few of them on the blog: the Don Juan (Benelux, 2014), the Seleccion No. 3 (Benelux, 2010), the Maximo (Switzerland, 2008), the Short Torpedo (Caribbean, 2008)

    Back in 2011, three regional editions were released: the Distinguidos for Germany, the Supreme for Canada, and the Ideales for Austria. I had a chance to try the Austria edition, which I paid a bit less than 10 EUR per stick on my recent trip to Vienna.

    Appearance : [rating:4/5]
    The Juan López Ideales Regional Edition Austria is a somewhat squat-looking stogie. The wrapper leaf is a warm medium brown color with a bumpy texture and an oily sheen, but not much in the way of veins.

    Juan López Ideales (Regional Edition Austria)

    Construction : [rating:4/5]
    The draw is nice on this cigar. It’s on the open side, but not too loose for my taste. The burn line needs corrections now and again, but in general it stays pretty straight. I’ve seen a couple of other reviewers mention a very wavy burn line, so I’m not sure if those were flukes or if I just lucked out. Either way, the construction seems pretty good to me.

    Juan López Ideales (Regional Edition Austria)

    Flavor : [rating:2.5/5]
    The flavors are pleasant, a woody profile with a hint of cocoa and maybe something floral thrown in there for good measure. The only thing is, while these flavors are very pleasant, they change very little over the course of the cigar. By the end, the only change has been an increase in an earthy note which was previously in the background. Otherwise, the flavors are almost entirely uniform, which frankly I find a bit tedious. I’d characterize strength somewhere between medium and low.

    Will age do anything for this cigar? I don’t think so, being as the stogie I smoked was already more than four years old. I don’t expect the flavor profile to change much if it just sits. Again, the problem isn’t the specific flavors which are there. It is the fact that those flavors are uniform across the entire cigar. If they had just added a few evolutions, it would have been pretty good in all likelihood. As it is, it just isn’t my thing.

    Overall Rating : [rating:3/5]
    The best thing about this cigar was the construction, which was quite good. The flavors were enjoyable in their own right, but the lack of evolution and the somewhat high price point for a petit robusto make it impossible for me to give the Juan López Ideales a higher rating. There will be other schools of thought, so if you think you’d enjoy these flavors and a relatively quick smoke, you may still want to give this a try given the opportunity. For me, though, the price just isn’t justified for another go.

    Helpful?
    0 0
Add a review
Cigar Region Cuba
Filler Cuban
Wrapper Cuba
Binder Cuba
Length 4
Ring Gauge 50
Vitola Petit Robusto
Construction Hand Made