Description

The Long Shadow Over the Malecón: A Night with the Romeo y Julieta Churchill

I remember bending over the stanchion of a balcony balustrade atHotel Saratoga in Havana. On one of those nights when the air was a hot wet blanket draped over you, smelling of salt spray from the Mal ecón and molasses ex haust fumes from three -wheel 1950s Chevys wheezing northand al:flth along cobblestoned streets in the distance. Well, I’m a curious person and I wasbrowsing through this small cedar glass-fronted closet that faces into theroom and which had probably not been opened since TheMissile Crisis.
burtondown one aluminum tube under all of them. That itwasn’t shiny;it had that matte, dead, oxided look you can only get from some fifty years worth of sittin’ in the Cuban humid. I fished it out, and twisted the cap there…a Romeo and Julieta Churchill. And it was no fake stick — the box bottom that in all likelihood it fell from one noted “Revisado,” or checked and stacked for ripening. Which is an uncommon occurrence in a city where the good stuff typically sells out faster than you can say Habano.”
For what must have felt like hours, I sat there and looked at it. Ever get that feeling where you’re reading…and then two hours later your brains just been to five thousand fucking years? I wasn’t in a rush. I had a glassof something local and dark, and I staredat the sea.
That smoke? Today’s is theRomeo y JulietaChurchill.

The Specs

The OpeningThird: A Good Handshake

There’s a kindof ceremony to firingup a Churchill. It’s not the sort of thing you can scorch away with a tripleor doubledegree. Using one of those extra long cedar spills to light it, it took me at least 5 minutes charring the foot before it started sparking on the edges so plenty of heat.
The first drags weresurprisingly smooth. I have to tell you: If you wanta punch in the throat, looktowhat brand? I’m smoking the RYJ stuff that’sthis nice medium-bodied grace?…and that’s how this Churchills began. The smoke was insane, very thick and creamyrich toasted cashew flavors with a super smooth tobacco flavor as well.
A couple of inches of cedar became visible. Halfan incoor more. Itwasn’t obnoxious, just a really good woodsy backbone thatplayed well with thenuttiness. There is, you know, such a thing as Cuban twang — that malic/raisiny-sourdoughy/mineral sourness — and it was present here, but softened. It was like speaking with an old friend who apparently doesn’t see any need to shout in order to get your attention.

The Second Third:Shit GetsReal

I dying there, staring at the waves gettingthat my cigar waschewing on Malecón. And then theChurchill size part reallystarts tokickin! Being that it’s so long you’ve had time for the smoke to cool off before reaching your mouth, and so the smokyness is a little less in-your-face.A bit of the more subtle flavors (banana for instance – if anyone has ever claimed they could taste a banana at one of those pretentious bourbon tastings) also have more room to stretch their legs.
Thethird had itsmoments. For me Your own Fruit finished developing due to mine,something black currant-y I guess, and the more I followed this process,the more I allowed myself to think that it could even be related of verydark cherry. It was subtle, mind you. You’re not smoking a fruit basket, per se, but it does contributea muted layer of complexity I could not help leaning into. Then came the spice. Not pepper but something — warmerand huger, I think nutmeg or a touch ofcinnamon.
The ash held firm, a nice light gray with the pretty unique nature “teeth” pattern that oils in the wrapper will sometimes leave behind. I was too scared toshrug it off; I wanted to seewhich way it would fall. It was no more than a couple inches long, and it snapped. The burnwas razor straight, and that’s a positive for something this longand jonesenDoes have. You ever walk around with a seven-inchlongcigar canoe in your pocket? It’s heartbreaking. This one, though? Solid.

The FinalThird The Deep End

However, by my final third the sun was definitely downand the streetlights were turning on. Thecigar had gotten heavier. There under the cream was still that creamy, but then darker notes of toyland leather and wet earth.
Theclarification was increaseda little too. It had turned from that sligtly warmnougat of something mineral-laden. Itwasnonaggressive but still forceful. There was a nice wisp of caramel sweetness on the tail end that was aninterestingcontradiction to theearthiness I gotoverall.
And, Jeez Louise, this old stick — andI think part of that might have been due to his beinga Revisado or maybe it was justthe long break between— also stayed super smooth as ithit short. After all,you fuck offand it goes a bit hot and bitter. This stayed cool. I smoked that cane to its dregs, and myfingers were hot before I dared pinch it out. It wasjust like thatcigarwasma takin a little bit of all-afinal shitlick and just jammin right up my ass.

Pairing: What to Drink?

So I mean now — ’cause if you’regonna smoke somethin’ like that, you can’t be drinkin’a dietsoda. You want one thatwon’t fade — or suffocate — in the mix.
(The Havana Club 7-Year-Old I was sipping, between us, is perhaps the ideal accompaniment.) The vanilla and oat come from the rum, which also balanced well against the caramel/cedar notes of my cigar. PhotoIf rum’s not your thing, perhapsanother good smoke-and-sip option this afternoon is a decent Cuban espresso — sugar andcaffeine in the blood with booze thrown in.
For youscotch-loversGodad!” I’d recommend an unpeated option. Smoke on smoke is notwhatyouwant. [ Page 75 ]. sweet Highlandmalt witha splash of honey would suffice. But really, keep it simple. The cigar is the star here.

The Verdict

So, who is the Romeo y JulietChurchillfor?
And now I’mgoingto tell you who won’t love it: the guy just trying to sneak away for a 20-minute smoke while walkin’ his dog. This is a commitment. You will be in for at least a two-hour ride. It’s for the person who wants to sitdown, set their phone asideand actually think aboutwhat it is that they are tasting.”
It’s a balanced, elegant smoke. It has no place for brute force or for pepper bombs to get a message across. (Nobody can afford a Vuelta Abajo tobacco, not one of the Julieta No. 2 vitola.)
Themost reliable cigar around? It’s Cuban, so no. You may findsome that are rolled too tight or not very good. Bur whenyou find a good one —espec iallyone that’s been resting comfortably in a humidor for awhile — it can be magical. It’s a classic for a reason.
In my book, it’s a staple. That’s where I hoard that cigar; ever since, I’ve saved it for a “sack-me-a-special” occasion like when maybe for sure or at evenin’ we’ll be sittin out there on the balcony and you’re sayin: gee b-y-janggles if this here ain’t one of thems what-ja-calla something easy-to-shop-for goin begging around these parts.
Final Thoughts:
If you for instance see anything resembling a tube with a bit of age anywhere,snatch it. But it is smooth. Sometimes that’s all I’m looking for in a smoke- something predictable, but fulfilling. A really basic flavorprofile. I also enjoyed the flavors this cigar had to offer. It’s not the nicotine; it’s time-wasting. O.K., so, time well spent a few hours next to a Romeo y JulietaChurchillis.
Solid. Very solid.