Warped Don Reynaldo
I have heard really good things about the Warped Don Reynaldo and the one I received from Kyle at this years IPCPR was calling my name for months Finally the weekend after thanksgiving I called my fellow Stogie Press member Big Al to come over for a mini-herf session and to bring along his Don Reynaldo to compare notes.
Now it should be no surprise that I truly enjoy Kyle’s creations and the Don Reynaldo was to be no exception.
For this review I sampled the Regalos (5×46) vitola and Big Al sampled the original Coronas Deluxe (5 1/2 x 42).
A little background on the Don Reynaldo. Kyle Gellis originally created this blend as a very limited release of only 1000 cigars and released them in December of 2014. They were created to honor his father Don Reynaldo. In his own words:
From construction issues, flavor profiles, proper way to cut and light, to the art itself, my passion would not have been ignited if it wasn’t for him. I wanted to thank and honor him for all the support he has given me and blend a cigar that combined the flavor profiles he loved.
Kyle then announced at this years IPCPR that they will go into full production but in a slightly smaller vitola than the original. The blend is the same as the original consisting of Dominican Corojo wrapper and filler and binders from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.
So Big Al had the original and I had the Regalos introduced at the 2015 IPCPR. This review combines the notes and observations from both of us. Our first observation was the rich dark brown corojo wrapper that was smooth and light on veins. It was finished with a perfect triple cap. There is an earthy pre-light aroma on the foot and barrel.
Well it was time to get this tribute ready to fire up. I used a small punch for mine while Big Al clipped his.The dry draw delivered a distinctive red pepper and a touch of earth.
Warped Don Reynaldo
Once toasted up, the initial flavors were a mix of red pepper and dark espresso laid into a rich and thick smoke. The smoke production was at full volume coating the palate with a long finish.
The pepper tones down after about a half-inch of burn, giving way to a hint of honey that builds and develops into more of a spicy honey sensation. The ash is a solid medium grey.
As the honey lingers there is some sweet chocolate that enters the profile. The burn has a slight wave to it midway that quickly corrects itself. The draw has been perfect.
The aroma shifts to a chocolate nut and we pick up a sprinkle of sea salt, that adds a dimension to the chocolate and spice. The nut aroma continues to build through the burn.
The final third brings an increase of white pepper in the profile as the strength clocks in at medium-full. The only issue we had is that it did not last longer even as we smoked them down to the nub.
The Warped Don Reynaldo is, as expected, a flavorful full body cigar that burned well and delivered just the right amount of strength. For a small cigar it performed like a champ with almost an hour of smoking time. I can see myself pairing this with a cafe mocha in the mid afternoon on the deck with some soft tunes playing in the background.
We really appreciate the work that Kyle and the Warped team does with all their blends. Al purchased his cigar and Kyle gave me mine at this years IPCPR.