A Gentle Giant - Easy on the Palate: Royal Jamaica Churchill
Written: Oct 09 '04
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Pros: Well made, interesting flavor profile, reasonably affordable, mild body.
Cons: Won't win any beauty prizes.
The Bottom Line: A solid performer in its price range. I rank with overall score of 87--or 4-stars on the Epinions scale.
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| 4-1-1's Full Review: Royal Jamaica Churchill |
Royal Jamaica cigars are a product of the Jamaica Tobacco Manufacturing Co. Ltd., which is a joint venture cigar manufacturing operation owned 75% by Altadis USA and Robert Gore--once the original owner of the company and director of cigar manufacturing. (The company was founded in 1929 by Gore's father: an Englishman by the name of James Gore.)
Consolidated Cigar (now, Altadis) bought a stake in the company in 1988, after Hurricane Gilbert nearly destroyed the tobacco industry in Jamaica. Since 1988, Royal Jamaica cigars have been made in the Dominican Republic. However, in recent years an effort is underway to revive the Jamaican production of this brand.
A special fermentation additive (bethune) is used to create a unique flavor profile that is slightly sweet. Bethune is a mixture of different ingredients -- including rum, native herbs, wine and vinegar -- that is sprayed on the tobacco leaves after they have cured. This is the secret ingredient that gives Royal Jamaica cigars their unique, slightly sweet taste.
The Royal Jamaica Churchill is handmade in La Romana, using an Indonesian wrapper, a Cameroon/Mexican binder, and a filler that blends tobaccos from the Dominican Republic, Indonesia, and Jamaica. It's a long, beefy cigar that's well made, mild on the palate, and makes for an enjoyable after-dinner smoke.
In terms of size, this Churchill borders on the giant: fully eight inches long with a hefty ring gauge of 51 (51/64ths of an inch in diameter). The body is firm, fully packed, with no softness or sponginess. I found the wrapper to be of good quality, but some variation in shade and texture across the leaf can be observed on some of the cigars. The filler blend--featuring tobacco from Jamaica's Rio Minho Valley--is folded sandwich-style with no visible evidence of stems or stalkiness. The foot is neatly trimmed and the cap is well-constructed.
This is a mild-to-medium bodied cigar with a spicy cedar and light rum aroma. It features a gentle, effortless draw and a slow, even burn that produces a soft, white-gray ash. I pulled on this cigar for 90 minutes, so it lasts a good long while. The flavor held consistent for most of the burn: cedar wood with gold rum tones and a touch of maple sugar and nut that yield to a pleasant, leathery finish.
Rating and Recommendation
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A solid performer in its price range, but not the most attractive looking cigar. I rank 16/20 on appearance, 35/40 for flavor, and 36/40 for performance for an overall score of 87--which I translate to 4-stars on the Epinions scale.
A Royal Jamaica cigar I prefer for its size and flavor is the New York Plaza Gran Corona. As for Churchill-sized cigars (a size that was named after Sir Winston Churchill, who was a big fan of the Cuban brand, Romeo y Julieta), other brands I recommend include the Puros Indios Presidente (one of my favorites), the Montecristo Cigare des Artes Delacroix, the H. Upmann 1844 Monarch, and the Romeo y Julieta 1875 Souvenir Churchill.
Price and Availability
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Fairly easy to find at most cigar retailers, and a popular cigar in the Royal Jamaica line. I purchased a box of 25 cigars from J.R. Cigars of North Carolina. The suggested retail price for a box is $175 ($7 per cigar); JR's normal price is a reasonable $104.95 ($4.20 per cigar) ...but I purchased during a "Weekly Special" promotion at a price of only $69.95 ($2.80 per)--a very good deal.
I think paying full retail price of $7 is a bit steep, but this cigar is a good bargain at a price under $5. This is a cigar that I would recommend to beginners or to those who enjoy something on the mild side.
The manufacturer's website:
http://www.altadisusa.com/cigar/royaljamaica.asp
Recommended:
Yes
Cigar Name: Royal Jamaica Churchill
Cigar Rating: Better than most
Price per cigar ($US): 7
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Epinions.com ID:
4-1-1
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 - Top 50 |
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Member: Tom Carr
Location: Southern California
Reviews written: 1090
Trusted by: 689 members
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