Aladino Limited Edition

In July, JRE Tobacco Co. announced the Aladino Limited Edition, a blend made up of tobacco that was grown by the Eiroa family and aged five to six years before being rolled into 6 x 52 toros at the company’s Fábrica de Puros Aladino at Las Lomas Jamastran factory. When it comes to the blend, the Aladino Limited Edition is made up of a Cameroon-seed wrapper grown on the Eiroa farms in Honduras, along with binder and filler tobaccos that the company describes as “other Honduran tobacco of undisclosed origins.”

“This cigar is a precursor to one of several larger personal projects from our archive and we are excited to begin sharing them in the near future,”the company wrote in a press release. “As always, we were looking to have a cigar that has high complexity in flavor but at the same time is contemporary for our smokers. The slightly ambiguous description of this cigar invites smokers to discover the mystical joy of our blending journey.”

The Aladino Limited Edition was available to be purchased exclusively by retailers who placed orders during the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, which took place July 8-11 in Las Vegas. The MSRP for the Aladino Limited Edition is set at $16 per cigar, and production is limited to 600 boxes of 20 cigars that started shipping to retailers in late July.

• Cigar Reviewed: Aladino Limited Edition
• Country of Origin: Honduras
• Factory: Fábrica de Puros Aladino at Las Lomas Jamastran
• Wrapper: Honduras (Cameroon-seed)
• Binder: Honduras
• Filler: Honduras
• Length: 6 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 52
• Vitola: Toro
• MSRP: $16 (Box of 20, $320)
• Release Date: July 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: 600 Boxes of 20 Cigars (12,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Covered in a pale brown wrapper that is almost totally devoid of any obvious oil, the Aladino Limited Edition is both smooth and dry to the touch. There are multiple large, protruding veins running up and down the lengths, and all three cigars are nicely firm when squeezed. Sweet nutmeg and cedar start off the aromas emanating from the wrappers, followed by barnyard, baker’s spices, dry dirt and straw. Scents from the feet are creamier, with a general nuttiness and leather easily outpacing dark chocolate, gritty earth, coffee beans, lemongrass and maple syrup sweetness. Finally, after a straight cut, the cold draws bring flavors of creamy cedar, almonds, leather tack, cocoa nibs, cinnamon and bready graham crackers sweetness.

A combination of spicy leather and cotton candy sweetness starts off the cigar, but after about 10 puffs, main flavors of cinnamon and cocoa nibs take over the top spots in the profile. Secondary flavors of charred meat, citrus peel, coffee beans, leather, cedar and sourdough bread flit in and out at various points, while the retrohale includes copious amounts of both black pepper and milk chocolate sweetness. Flavor ends the first third at a point just over medium, strength is at a point just under medium, and the body is at mild-plus. Construction-wise, there are no issues whatsoever, as the burn, draw, and smoke production are all working harmoniously together so far.

The creamy cedar note that has been hanging out in the background of the profile joins the cocoa nibs flavor to take center stage during the second third of the cigar, followed by creamy cashews, more cinnamon, toasted bread, barnyard, leather tack and a light vegetal note. Two of the three cigars feature a slight mineral saltiness I can taste periodically on my tongue beginning just after the halfway point, while the retrohale for all three cigars continues to be dominated by a combination of black pepper and rich milk chocolate sweetness. Flavor increases to medium-full, strength increases to a solid medium, and the body increases to a point just under medium. In terms of construction, one of the cigars gets into enough trouble that I am forced to make a minor correction with my lighter, but the other two are fine in that regard, and all three cigars continue to exhibit excellent draws and copious amounts of smoke.

Around the time the final third of the Aladino begins, the profile shifts again, with a combination of creamy cashews and cedar taking over the top spots until the end of the cigar. Additional flavors include gritty earth, cloves, saltine crackers, lemongrass and charred meat, while the mineral saltiness that debuted in the second third continues to make itself known at various points in the same two cigars. In addition, milk chocolate sweetness and black pepper are still present on the retrohale, although the former does become more aggressive as the cigar comes to an end. Flavor remains at medium-full until I put the nubs down with less than an inch remaining, while the strength and body hit a point just over medium and a solid medium, respectively. Finally, the construction is quite similar to what I experienced in the second third, with only one cigar needing a quick burn correction and excellent draw resistance and smoke production.

Final Notes

• JRE has hinted at various times—including in the quote above—that the Aladino Limited Edition is a preview of a larger release slated for a later date.
• While the metallic gold foot bands on these Aladino do have the words Limited Edition printed on them, there is no indication on either the bands or the boxes that these cigars are a PCA exclusive release.
• During the 2023 PCA Convention & Trade Show, JRE also introduced a lounge exclusive release that will only be available at the three branded Aladino Lounges: The Cigar Vault in Austin, Texas, Final Third Cigar & Whiskey Lounge in Indianapolis, Ind. and Nelson Loguasto’s Cigar in Greensburg, Pa.
• The overall construction for the three cigars I smoked for this review was fantastic, with great draws, plenty of dense smoke and only two cigars needing one correction with my lighter each.
• Cigars smoked for this review were purchased by halfwheel.
• Final smoking time for all three samples averaged one hour and 41 minutes.
• If you would like to purchase any of the Aladino Limited Edition cigars, site sponsors Atlantic Cigar Co. and Corona Cigar Co. both have them in stock.