For Jameson Cigars’ latest release, owner Brad Mayo dug into the history books a bit and came up with a name that hasn’t been seen for over 150 years.

La Resolución is a Cuban brand from the mid 1800s, a fairly obscure marca with relatively little turning up in a Google search of the name. What does exist is an old box label that Mayo turned up via the National Cigar Museum:

Image courtesy of Tony Hyman, National Cigar Museum.

As can be expected with cigar names from this period, little is known about that cigar and its history, other than that it was the creation of a man named J. Pablo Valdes of No. 109 Escobar Street in Havana, and that the tobacco comes from the Vuelta Abajo region of Pinar del Rio, where the best tobacco from Cuba is grown to this day.

Jameson’s incarnation of the La Resolución name bears little resemblance to its namesake, at least on the band. It is a 5 x 50 Robusto, a single vitola release that will be part of Jameson’s regular offerings.

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Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s light this stick up.

Jameson La Resolución 1

  • Cigar Reviewed: Jameson La Resolución
  • Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Factory: La Tradicion Cubana
  • Wrapper: Dominican Republic
  • Binder: Dominican Republic Habano
  • Filler: American Broadleaf, Dominican, Nicaraguan
  • Size: 5 Inches
  • Ring Gauge: 50
  • Vitola: Robusto
  • MSRP: $7.25 (Boxes of 25, $181.25)
  • Release Date: September 2012
  • Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
  • Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

The Jameson La Resolución is a firm cigar, showing just the slightest give when squeezed. The wrapper is a slightly darker than medium brown with some dark spots and veins of various sizes. The pre-light is complex and unfamiliar – sweet and spicy off the top, but with a deep complexity that gets revealed after more inspection. There’s a spice that is somewhat unfamiliar but very enjoyable, like trying a culture’s cuisine for the first time. A saucy tang ties everything together with an almost Worchestershire sauce like flavor. The cold draw is easy and shows a thin wood note with just a faint bit of spice.

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Right out of the gate the first third of the Jameson La Resolución presents the same bold flavor that was picked up on the pre-light aroma. While the beginning isn’t a spice bomb—it is a serious flavor bomb—loaded with tanginess, some wood and a decent, but not overwhelming amount of pepper – at least until the burn line approaches an inch or so. The ash is tight and about as light of a grey as you could get without becoming white. Just past an inch in, the flavors start to subdue a bit with the ramping pepper quickly dropping off and being replaced by a chalk note.

Jameson La Resolución 2

Even with the transition that takes the La Resolución into its second third, the cigar doesn’t lose the intensity of its flavor. What does change is the dryness of the flavor: what was rich and saucy is now dry and almost bristly, a fascinating change in smoke texture that keeps the palate and mind engaged.

Jameson La Resolución 3

The final third brings about a steady build of pepper both on the palate and in the nose, to the point of becoming cough-inducing and hard on the nostrils. The saucy note starts to come back as the oiliness of the leaves slows the burn down just a bit, extending the flavor building process and offering plenty of opportunity to take in all the complexity that the La Resolución has to offer.

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Final Notes:

  • The level of humidity in the cigars makes a pronounced difference in the burn speed, particularly in the final third. Assuming you’re able to get cigars that have been kept between 67–72% humidity, you’ll extend the smoking time of the cigar by a good 20 minutes or so and get a much more intense flavor throughout the cigar.
  • While the flavor and strength changes in the two cigars were the same as far as when they occurred, the changes were much more pronounced in the first cigar smoked and resulted in a much stronger cigar in the final third.
  • I love the band on this, although the font used for ‘La’ just doesn’t quite look right next to the rest of the words.
  • In addition to making cigars, Jameson Cigars also sells coffee on their website under the RockStone name.
  • As of now, there is only one size of La Resolución. There is no word on a second size. 
  • Besides the La Resolución, Jameson Cigar Co. also released a parejo version of their Santos de Miami line, a 6 x 54 Toro Extra called Haven at IPCPR 2012. Charlie reviewed it here, while Steve Valle reviewed the original box-pressed version here.
  • I’d forgotten what a fantastic resource the National Cigar Museum is. Definitely worth a visit.
  • The English translation on the original Cuban brand is notable: Segars Manufactory The Best Vuelta Abajo Tobacco. It makes me think that it was sold in the U.S. in some form, and that people didn’t know how Fabrica de Tabacos de la Vuelta Abajo translated.
  • Shipping is slated to begin in 2–3 weeks, once the finished boxes arrive from the factory.
  • The cigars for this review were provided by Brad Mayo of Jameson Cigars.
  • Final smoking time is about one hour and 35 minutes.

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The Bottom Line: Somewhere in between the incredibly full flavored first cigar and the medium-plus flavored second cigar is probably where the true flavor profile of the Jameson La Resolución lies, and while I’m not sure I got the exact flavor Brad Mayo was shooting for, it was a heck of a fun and tasty experience trying to hone in on it. While the varied intensity of the flavors cost the overall score a point or two, I wouldn’t turn either one down, and will likely be picking a few more up as this offered too many flavors and textures of what I like to not have in my humidor.

Final Score: 88

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.