Weather warmed up a bit the past couple days. Smoking in above freezing weather is always much more comfortable. This week I have another gem of a cigar for you. A new release from Joya de Nicaragua and an addition to their Antano line. The Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo was announced during the 2009 IPCPR trade show in New Orleans and just recently started hitting shelves. I did receive a couple pre-production samples of the Joya de Nicaragua Dark Corojo from David Lafferty, Regional Sales Manager for Drew Estates who distributes Joya de Nicaragua products, at IPCPR. Our great friend, Chief Hava, was generous enough to send me an assortment of these production version of the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo.
The Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo has one of the darkest wrappers I’ve seen. It literally looks like a mouth watering dark chocolate bar. The Dark Corojo is a Nicaraguan puro containing 75% ligero tobacco. The Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo’s wrapper is specifically from the Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua.
Video runs around 10 minutes and the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo is like I said, a gem. I’m not sure what the pricing on these are but if its around the $6 to $8 range, then its an awesome buy in my opinion. The Dark Corojo wrapper looks like it should be in a box of chocolate. I did have to do some nursing to keep the thick wrapper on the Dark Corojo burning evenly. I also experienced the occasional rough, sour and not so deep flavor moments, but none were unbearable. Nothing a little aging won’t iron out. Besides, with its balanced combination of awesome flavors and full bodied power, the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo will definitely be a hot selling must buy…don’t just take my word on it, check out our friend Tony Casas’s review of the La Pesadilla size.
I didn’t pick up any “swedish” in mine, 🙂 Awesome review as always Jerry, thanks for the link bro!
so it was thick and dark, was it hard too? LOL! great review Jerry! – is it fuller than mowr
First off – please dont EVER let us see the “third thumb”, thanx 😉
Way too strong for me, nicotine is my enemy! I wish they could dump the nicotine and keep the flavor, then I would have a great time smoking one.
Mike
as always great review jerry
Like you Mike (KnightRid) I am not a big fan of nicotine. This would not be for me.
Its funny to see Jerry evolve. You can tell how old a review is by Jerry’s opinion of strong cigars.
Regardless, nice review.
I’ve got to try this cigar. I don’t like the JdN Antano 1970, but do like the FD Double Ligero, so I should like the Dark Corojo (chocolate/coffee flavours rule).
And I understand the comment about nicotine … it’d be nice at times to get the flavour w/o the kick, just like I’d like to have a good ale or scotch w/o the alcohol every now and then.
Note the link to Tony Casas’ review is broken: http://www.casasfumando.com/2010/01/12/joya-de-nicaragua-antano-dark-corojo-la-pesadilla/
Cheers
Just tried a few. I really like the El Martillo (5.5×54)–basically a toro–although it’s a bit inconsistent, and doesn’t burn perfectly. It was really, really strong; more so than the LFD 2xL and the Ol. Series V. I tried the Peligroso (5×44), basically a corona, but found it too harsh.
Cheers
Great review Jerry, gotta get my hands on a couple of those bad boys. I must say I was a little disappointed when your face popped up on the screen though, I thought I was going to see Brandon “The Truth” Vera review this stick after that intro…lol
Jerry,
Yeah, I got a pair of these, although they were branded differently. The band is really generic and they read “JDN-ADC El Martillo 2009” I smoked one shortly after the trade show and it was NOTHING like you described. All I got out of it was power and very little flavor. I did only smoke one of them and its been a considerable amount of time since then. There is a good chance that the show samples may have required some rest before opening up.
I’ll have to smoke another one (I think I have 1 or 2 more) and see how it compares to this official release.
I absolutley can not wait for this cigar to come out. Your review has officially put me over the top. Depending on the price point I may buy a box blind.
Nice review Jerry. The flavors you describe sound great but I have to agree with Mike and Brian on the nicotine. Too much nicotine and I wind up with sparks flying off my head and it ain’t a pretty sight!
Too bad because other than that it sounds like a winner.
Great review… Leave the third thumb zipped up… We do not want it on video that will definitely put the iTunes adult content on SR forever.
I enjoyed your review. I like to see the true review that it is not cigar company hand-out review…..Thanks
Bought a box blind. A friend said one he sampled kicked his hiney. So of course I had to have in 🙂 But seriously, thick smoke and loads of flavor and it did not affect me nic-wise, but that only happens to me very rarely. I pulled an aged Antaño lancero out recently and so I had that frame of reference fresh – the flavor of the DC is just even huger in comparison. And way more complex. IMHO. I can’t wait ’til these get a little age on ’em to even out the burn issues.
Great smoke, I agree…. didn’t need too much nursing on mine… the sour note actually is on the end of the cigar… every time my tongue hit it, a sour note popped up… otherwise it wasn’t noticeable… nice complex flavors!
Finally! A worthy replacement for my favorite, the Joya Antano Gran Reserva. This cigar looks, feels, draws and taste great. From the first draw it has volumes of creamy smoke with notes of white pepper and a spicey flavor. Most cigars seem to need about a half inch of burn to settle in, this one doesn’t. Yes, it does have a bit of that ligero punch at first, but it settles into a very smooth and satisfying smoke. I really love this cigar. Now that the Antano Grand Reservas have been out of production for awhile I was getting desperate. Glad J de N is making these.
Jerry, have you smoked the JdN Fuerte (their bargain line with the Antano wrapper, I believe)? I’ve been a big Celebracion fan for a couple of years, but I’ve found the construction to be an issue with some of the Antanos (half or so of a few boxes over the years), and almost all of the Fuertes. I just bought a box of the Dark Corojos, and it seems very similar to the Fuerte in construction. The cap is very small and there’s almost no second cap between it and the wrapper, so cutting it without causing it to start unraveling mid-smoke was an issue. Maybe it’s the thickness of the Fuerte, Antano and Dark Corojo wrappers VS. the Celebracion, and I almost expect it from a bargain cigar. But at this price point, it’s not something I’m too pleased about. Has anyone else run into these issues with JdNs?
I smoked my first JDN Dark Corojo the other night. It was the box pressed toro format, I don’t recall the name. I am a fan of the JDN Celebracion and the “regular” Antano. The flavors I got from the Dark Corojo were mostly bitter and sour, and the cigar featured a super tight draw. The smoke coming off the foot was obnoxious. With about one third of the cigar left I performed an autopsy. I was astounded by how moist the filler felt (which might explain the bad draw). This cigar was kept in my humidor at about 65% humidity for approximately one-and-a-half months prior to smoking. Out of curiosity I smoked a Don Diego Grande right after I put down the Dark Corojo just so I could check how my other cigars were performing. The Don Diego burned and smoked flawlessly. At the moment I have a bunch of non-Dark Corojo JDN Antano Robusto Grandes and Lanceros resting in my humidor. In light of my experience with the Dark Corojo, I will be paying close attention to how they perform. In my opinion, the Dark Corojo is a dud.
Stefan, if you like chocolate, are you sure you don’t like the Gran Consul size of the JdN Antanyo 1970s? I had one the other day from a sampler, and for a half hour afterward all I could taste in my mouth was pure chocolate…the big ring size isn’t nearly as strong as the little Machitos, which I think have extraordinary flavour, but made me green by the time I’d finished…
This JDN DC was absolutely one of the worst cigars I have ever smoked. No flavor, just tasted like wet tobaccy. I am a huge fan of the JDC Antano ’70 and is a mainstay in my humidor, but I would never recommend this stick at any price. On top of the flavor issues, the body was not as full as other JDN’s I have smoked. Maybe it has mellowed too much over time, but this is not a good blend in my opinion and the fillers were too damp which made the cigar have many soft spots and in turn burn issues. Anyway, I would definitely recommend that you stay away from this one, especially at $8+ a stick!
Great flavor! Draw was a lityle tough at first but i am very pleased
@Barak … a very late reply, but I’m smoking a, well, I think the 5×60 blunt-torpedo size of the JdN Antano Dark Corojo, and thought I’d re-check-out any videos I could find of this line while smoking … the JdN Antano 1970s do produce a chocolate-ish flavour (and something else, like a weird candy-ish malty flavour in the background which, although subjective, I don’t like at all), but it’s to me a **milk**-chocolate flavour.
The Dark Corojo is a bitter, **dark **chocolate flavour.
Hate milk chocolate, as it’s too sweet, and love darker chocolate.
That’s the difference and in part (secondary to that malty-sweet flavour) what I dislike about the 1970s stick.
So, yeah, I’m sure 🙂
I can handle tons of nicotine, at least in one cigar (I rarely have smoked 5, let alone 10 in one day as some others who smoke seem to somewhat regularly do … that’s a chore, and I really feel the nicotine then), but what I was saying about nicotine isn’t why I dislike the 1970 … it’s just exacerbates an already, in my view, somewhat sickly sweet taste, and it’s not worth putting up with either issue.
Oh, right … my cigar now is going really well. Like Jerry said, the Dark Corojo tastes great for the most part, but burns imperfectly (sometimes like crap, and you have to not only touch it up, but relight it). Admittedly it’s early-days, as I’m only about 1/4 in. Although that’s a 1/2 h – 40 min. or so in (yes, I smoke a tad slowly at times), but no touch-ups at all yet, and the burn is self-correcting so far. Surprising … it reminds me currently of how the 6×60 Triple Maduro Camacho smokes.
I prefer the ring-guange I mentioned above, as it’s a bit richer, at least flavour-wise, but the burn thus far is making up for things. And, I can set it down easily for a couple minutes plus, and it keeps burning well. Straight from a B&M, too.
Cheers