Deep Dive: Juan Lopez Number 1

[El Presidente]

Deep Dive: Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1 

Simply a favourite of mine. I love a Corona gorda and in 21/22 none are better than the Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1. The inherent sweetness and complexity of Cuban tobacco is on show in this cigar.  It is one hell of a performance. 

 

Let's talk Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1

• Do you like the Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1?
• Where does it stand compared to other similar cigars. 
• Have you noticed a blend/flavour/body change over the years? If so, approximately when?
• How long does it take you to smoke a Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1 
• Discuss and do the poll!

  Juan Lopez Seleccion Number 1 

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[99call]

One of my favourites, 

Strangely it would be much harder to understand the JL1 if it wasn't for the JL2.     JL2 is such a generous simple cigar, that chocolate cointreau thing it does, it does in spades. and if it has that one trick......well.... it's a bloody good one, so fair play.       The JL1  I find to be both more refined, whilst also being a bit more brutal in the nic hit, and general darkness of the flavour profile.  It's got more cream, more tannic woodsiness, and a bit of umami funkiness to it.       I think one of the FOH forum members said they experienced a bit of a BBQ sauce sort of flavour, and I can sort of see that in there. 

Great after dinner smoke,    a cigar that could age and age and age.    

[rcarlson]

Love, love, love these.  Every now and again I get floral.  Buttered croissant for the most part.  

[Nevrknow]

3 hours ago, 99call said:

Great after dinner smoke,    a cigar that could age and age and age.    

I sincerely hope you are right. I have a 2 yr old box that just doesn't do it for me. Waiting for the 5 year mark. Unless a trade pops up. Then they're gone.

[jakebarnes]

Love when I get the floral in it. Has legs for decades. One of the best. Agree with @99callthat the jl1 makes sense because the JL2 exists. Beautiful 1-2 punch of the marca that makes them my "desert cigar marca" 

[westg]

I actually cant remember even smoking one . 🤔

[Capn_Jackson]

The JL1 and JL2 are right up there with BBF for my top 3 smokes. Had a JL1 today, as a matter of fact. I think I like the JL2 just a tiny bit more, but the JL1 is my favorite Corona gorda, followed by Punch Punch and Ramon Allones Superiores. There is a flavor blend in the Lopez cigars that, personally, I find incomparable. My favorite cigars, hands down.

I have some boxes from 2015, 2018, and 2021. Honestly, the body seems to be the same with all. The flavor, to me, is much more enhanced in the 2015 boxes I have, over the newer ones. However, this could be because my 2015 boxes have darker wrappers than the 2018 and 2021 boxes.

The one I had this afternoon took about an hour and a half. That is typical for me of most Corona gordas.

[MrBirdman]

JL1 is the best cigar in the world to pair with port. If you’ve never tried it, grab an LBV and give it a go. 

Would add “toasted tobacco” to the tasting note options above, as I always get some with a JL1. My oldest examples have over five years and clearly have legs to improve for many more. 

[fabes]

One of my favorites as well. Gotta be top 3 or top 5 for my taste. Smoked a JL from ‘08 the other day and it was top class all around! 
 

Love the intense barnyard aroma/funk from a fresh box. It could be me, but it seems like the more recent year boxes have been a bit more aggressive or mongrel while young. Same core JL1 goodness, just a bit more rowdy upfront. Fun to sample one or two from a fresh box, but I like to sit on JL as long as I can. It seems they continue to get better. 

[JohnS]

I've got to live vicariously through you guys, I suppose. I haven't had a Juan Lopez Seleccion No.1 in the last seven years, according to my Smoking Diary on Cuban Cigar Website. I've also only had one Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.1 in that time, too. By comparison, I've had the Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 and Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 regularly in that time.

[99call]

11 minutes ago, JohnS said:

I've got to live vicariously through you guys, I suppose. I haven't had a Juan Lopez Seleccion No.1 in the last seven years, according to my Smoking Diary on Cuban Cigar Website. I've also only had one Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.1 in that time, too. By comparison, I've had the Juan Lopez Seleccion No.2 and Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 regularly in that time.

In fairness John you have smoked every other cigar on the planet in the intervening time ha!

[joeypots]

I had a fiver years ago. They were pretty ordinary, if I remember correctly. I had a fiver of 2s later and the first were not to my taste. I held on to a couple and, here I go again, at about 5 years they blossomed. So, if the 1s are like the 2s they are pretty damn stunning at 5 years but I haven’t smoked enough to make a solid call.

[Shrimpchips]

I have a 2019 box that was a bit ho hum when I first got it, but after three years down the aforementioned floral, herbaceous, or sometimes perfume (reminiscent of potpourri) came out a lot more.  In my limited experience, these and others that are known to have a more refined blend tend to need a bit more time down before they shine.  

[BrightonCorgi]

I stopped buying them shortly after they came with bands.  They seem a little more inconsistent than the No. 2.  Still a great a cigar, but No. 2 is more to my vitola preference.  Only reason I don't buy the No 1 so much.

[Tradesman]

The no.1s and no.2s are definitely cigars I find myself reaching for without even knowing. Definitely one of the favourites.

Prefer the no.1 over the no.2 personally, flavours are sweeter, nuttier compared to the no.2 which I find to be darker, cocoa and coffee

Definitely gonna get at least 5-10 boxes of the JLS1 to age, but they fantastic cigars young too, especially for the price 

[Li Bai]

I buy most of my cigars from a shop that doesn't have many connoisseurs as clients.

It had displayed two boxes of JL1 recently and nobody seemed to care (the band's not sexy enough ??) so I had to take those poor abandoned little sticks home. 😋

This cigar is a real delight, I prefer them over the JL2 (it might just be the size tbh) and it certainly is my favourite corona gorda (on par with the Mag 46 and the Punch Punch 😉).