Juan Lopez is another one of those Cuban brands that are overlooked by the masses. They do not have the “chops” of a Monti or Partegas but belong in the same ballpark.
I sampled a Juan Lopez #2, 4.8 x 50 which was sitting in my humidor for about 3 months at 66% humidity.
Initial presentation was the wrapper had some small veins but overall was a good looking smoke with a soft but not spongy touch. No bumps or obvious issues in the look.
After the first light , the ash was a light grey with an even burn. The cigar was smooth, very smooth with some light fruit notes, cherry perhaps? This was a very good start. Was really looking forward to enjoying this baby.
4 out of 5 so far. Take a look.
As we started to dig a little deeper came the first bump in the road. The burn became a bit off and had to relight the cigar. Not a major flaw but needed to rethink the cigar a bit. The profile was medium to full with a bit of a kick to the blend. The cigar did self correct itself and the burn became even again.
Here is the next photo of the self correction of the burn.
Here is what you get after the hour or so.
No cigar hits on all cylinders , the burn may be off, construction has flaws. These are the quirks of the cigar roller, they may make mistakes, this is a hand made product. Taste is subjective, you may like it , I may not. Cigars are like that. Overall I liked this blend and recommend it. 4 out of 5 seems right to me.
Keep smoking.