Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale

Discuss any industry long enough, and the question of could Company X make Product Y? will eventually come up. For instance, could a sports car manufacturer make a quality SUV?

Those kind of questions come up in the cigar industry every so often, namely when a company known for full-bodied, fuller strength cigars venture into lighter-bodied, milder cigars. In the case of Joya de Nicaragua, it was a question I wasn’t necessarily asking back in June 2018 when I reviewed the Joya de Nicaragua No. 1, an event-only cigar that was based on a cigar made for use by Nicaragua’s diplomatic ambassadors. That cigar would go on to be named halfwheel’s 2018 Cigar of the Year, and then get a wider release under the name Joya de Nicaragua Número Uno, which would be added to the portfolio as an ongoing, limited production line.

However, I did ask the question in 2019 when Joya de Nicaragua introduced the Antaño CT, a cigar that uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and filler. The answer turned out to be a resounding yes, as the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Robusto was named halfwheel’s 2019 Cigar of the Year.

After debuting with four vitolas, a fifth was added in May 2022. It is a 6 5/8 x 44 lonsdale that uses the same blend and comes with an MSRP of $9.95 per cigar.

“When we launched Antaño CT, the reaction was amazing,” said Daniel Barrios, global commercial manager for Joya de Nicaragua, when the cigar was announced. “The blend was well-received, just as we expected. Initially, we launched four vitolas, but we knew that it wasn’t going to stop there. That is why we have the pleasure to announce Antaño CT Lonsdale.”

After being announced on one of Drew Estate’s Freestyle Live shows on May 12, the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale shipped to retailers in July. In order to carry the vitola, retailers had to be part of Joya de Nicaragua’s Club de Amigos, a retail program similar to Drew Estate’s Drew Diplomat Retail Program.

• Cigar Reviewed: Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuador (Connecticut)
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Length: 6 5/8 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 44
• Vitola: Lonsdale
• MSRP: $9.95 (Box of 20, $199)
• Release Date: July 2022
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale has a wrapper that is very even in color with a decent number of veins and has a very smooth texture, almost with a slightly waxy feel. It also feels fairly fragile, so I’m interested to see if there will be any issues once the cigar is burning. The fragility stops me from giving the cigars too much of a squeeze, but from what I can tell each is rolled well; firm but with a consistent bit of give. The foot has aromas of corn flakes and similar cereals, with a bit of lightly toasted white bread. It’s a pretty singular aroma and there’s no sweetness or pepper to be found. The cold draw is a bit softer in terms of mouthfeel, with the flavor still reminding me of cereal again but now one that has been sitting in milk for a bit. There’s a bit of toast, a sprinkle of pepper and an underlying flavor of thick cream that does its best to balance the mouth-drying flavor.

The pre-light aroma and cold draw certainly didn’t suggest the peppery opening puffs of the Joya de Nicaragua CT Lonsdale, as they lead the way atop white toast and a little bit of creaminess. There is also a lot of smoke being put off the foot with each puff, and that smoke has plenty of body right out of the gate. Just shy of the one-inch mark, the black pepper gets amplified a bit, particularly by way of a more impactful and lingering finish. While I retrohale the cigar every couple of puffs, the volume of smoke means that some ends up in my nose even if I don’t, providing a similar effect and tingle of my nostrils. Intentional retrohales have more black pepper as well, with one cigar having enough strength to remind me of the sensation of sampling ligero leaves while visiting some factories, including Joya de Nicaragua. It’s tough to explain, other than to say it is a potent, distilled expression of pepper that also has an aspect that reminds me of a freshly extinguished fire pit or charcoal grill. It pushes the profile to medium-full, while the body is medium-plus and strength is medium-minus. Each of the three cigars burn wonderfully with no issues, though I’m keeping an eye on the durability of the ash.

As the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale gets into its second third, it shifts to a slightly less intense profile than what the first third offered. The base is still thick and creamy, while the brighter parts of the profile have a more pronounced toast flavor that is quickly turning towards a light, dry wood flavor, which then get accented by a bit of pepper. That pepper is the biggest variable in the three cigars, as it dials back almost completely in one cigar, while one feels like it’s almost intensifying. The creaminess tends to be the next thing to leave the profile, slowly departing and turning the flavor drier. Retrohales around the midpoint are loaded with white pepper, which imparts both a significant and lingering tingle in my nostrils. There is also varying amounts of black pepper sprinkled in for some added kick, making retrohales rich and nose-tingling, though without getting rough or harsh. Creaminess begins to make a return towards the end of the second third, which helps to once again soften out the flavor and gives it a more rounded sensation on my taste buds. For the most part, flavor sits around medium in this section, as has the body of the smoke, while strength is just getting close to medium. Construction remains excellent, with a spot or two where I need to relight the cigar after seemingly letting it sit too long in between puffs.

The final third of the Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale gets going by adding a flavor that reminds me of plain Lay’s potato chips, adding a slight bit of oiliness to the profile. There is still plenty of pepper in the retrohales, but it impressively seems to get cleaner and more focused. While I wouldn’t say that they were blunt with strength earlier, they now are clean, crisp and focused. The final two inches sees the flavor make some fairly quick steps, introducing a dry, slightly dusty earthiness, which comes along with a change in the creaminess that sees it diminish and become powdery. Some cigars offer peanut shells, but all develop a bit of roughness in the final inch-and-a-half, as the black pepper gets some aggressive on the back of my throat. Flavor finishes medium-plus, body is medium to medium-plus, and strength is now medium. Construction remains fantastic, while combustion is generally solid with regular puffs.

Final Notes

• The ash was a bit more delicate and fragile than I would have liked. More annoyingly, it builds to just long enough to make me think it’s going to hang on, only to drop as soon as I touch the cigar.
• One cigar seemed to suck the moisture out of my lips when I was taking the cold draw.
• The Joya de Nicaragua Antaño CT Lonsdale was announced on the same Freestyle Live show on which Drew Estate announced Nica Rustica Adobe.
• None of the cigars hit me with much in the way of nicotine strength.
• Joya de Nicaragua advertises on halfwheel.
• The cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel. After we purchased cigars, Joya de Nicaragua sent a box of cigars. That box was not used for this review.
• Final smoking time was two hours on average.