Romeo y Julieta Mille Fleurs UUA 14 Weekend review competition

[frenchkiwi]

I aint sure if this qualifies, as i was just about to post a review (which happens once in a blue moon) in the much neglected cheap and cheerful category (once in an eclipse of a blue moon), and lo and behold a review comp is on the site.

Anyways ye olde Mille Fleurs ... as Forrest said, it's like a box o chocolates, you ain't never gonna know what you gettin. Definitely the type of cigar that i'd be passing over, unless i'm in that time and space where i don't wanna waste a good one.

However these are total cheats ... as i got'em on Rob's solemn vow that they were a once in a million type of Mille Fleurs a few weeks ago. Was he playing foot loose with the truth?

I'm a sittin here in the dark on a humid summer evening with Joe Pass doing his magical thing in the background. My cousin gave me a box of his tapes (yes cassette tapes) when i was about 15, and one of them was Joe Pass - Blues for Fred. A guitarist is my cuzzy Raph and I still thank him now for his gift of good music.

Back to the cigar. I'd love to sit here and pontificate about our good man El Pres robbin me blind, especially on his own forum. Just for controversy value, you know? Fact is i can't ... as this is a farkin good cigar. Farcking good! Love you Rob. Man cuddles. (can anyone tell i've been drinking all evening)

The draw is as fast and loose as your standard nicaraguan puro with excess wrapping and marketing slogans, as you generally expect on these. A ton of smoke. But from the first herf, you are hit by a wave of RyJ coffee grinds with hints of charred cherry... and quite a rarity, a ton of saltiness. I'll spoil it for you straight away and say it lasts throughout. I really don't know where this saltiness comes from, are these the hoyos that were hit by a tidal wave? Or from the fields Batista vengefully sowed with salt before running off into anonymity? Anyways, the last time i had a cigar this salty was ye venerable Sancho Panza Bachilleres.

To be precise, this salt is quasi cumin-spiced peatiness with mushrooms. It's followed by a familiar white pepper ending and encased in an oaked leather body. It's youth is betrayed by the strength in flavour and relative lightness in body, and no great depth or richness. But who needs those idle luxuries when you have such highly distinctive flavours leaping out at the palate. It smokes fast and goes out often, burning out like a drunk bogan on an abandoned carpark ... the evidence is in the ashtray.

I cheat again by pairing it with a port slightly above its pay grade - a Penfolds Father 10y.o. Light but treacle sweet, a true sticky. A great match.

I'll sign out here and say that this is one of the best 3rd grade cigars i've ever had. Almost as dissonant as Joe Pass still playing well on a 30 year old tape, or a refined 10 yr port masquerading as a "sticky" - a definite once in a blue-moon oxymoron. I promise to finish the box within the year, before they lose their wonderful brashness. My love to the team at Czars for calling it out.

[TomF]

I've had a few very salty cigars lately. I began to wonder if salt dust from the container of Heartfelt beads that was attached face down to the lid of my humidor was getting into the cigars, so I took it off the lid and put it face up on the shelf with the cigars. No more salt dust in with the cigars; seems to have worked. No more overly salty cigars.

[billh1]

Very entertaining review...thanks for sharing.

[Akela3rd]

I've just recently got a box of RyJ MFs (MUL 14) so when I get into them I'll re-read this excellent piece. Bloody freezing here in UK so might just wait for that humid summer evening to turn up...

[frenchkiwi]

I've had a few very salty cigars lately. I began to wonder if salt dust from the container of Heartfelt beads that was attached face down to the lid of my humidor was getting into the cigars, so I took it off the lid and put it face up on the shelf with the cigars. No more salt dust in with the cigars; seems to have worked. No more overly salty cigars.

Thanks for the suggestion ... No problem with that here, i have large plastic storage boxes filled with cigar boxes and bags of humidity beads.

I've had another couple of RyJ Mille Fleurs since this one and apart from the burn problem (i think i need to drybox them for a bit) they are beautiful. At the moment, most other of my other cigars seem to pale in comparison if i want something to match an after dinner port. Only a 2013 box of RyJ Exh no4 can compete, more refined, but not as strong in flavour.

ps i remember one other cigar that was as salty, some HdM petit robusto in packs of 3 when it was first launched. But that was not enjoyable salty, it was just plain salty.

[joejack11]

one of my favorite smokes, 2 boxes in a row so far.

[TonyAccardo]

Joe Pass RIP one of the great jazz guitarists of the ages. When I began really getting down to studying different guitar styles and expanding my abilities....Joe Pass was one of the ones I studied meticulously.

[TheMonk]

Nice review, thanks!