Joya De Nicaragua Antano 1970 Machito Review

[Mr. Ed]

* Initial Impressions: Got it as a freebie when I ordered a box of the JdN Antano Consuls on Famous-Smoke. Petite Corona that had some heft to it (like all the sizes seem to do from this blend, they pack in a lot of tobacco). Not the prettiest wrapper as it had some prominent veins and was a little bumpy, but hey, who cares, right? If we could date a super-model with a little acne we would... I've had some of this guys bigger brothers before so I knew I was in for a good time.



*Smoking: The construction on this puppy was superb. The draw was great and there was more smoke than I ever expected coming out. Kept under good humidity and temp, the wrapper behaved well. The burn was cool and razor sharp the whole way through even down to the darn nub. I did have to relight once towards the end, but that was more my fault as I left it idle on a cold, windy night much longer than I should have.

1) This stogie started out with a lot of spice and a lot of kick. The finish for the first third was short and spicy with some sweetness to it.




2) I had a nice white ash going and was reaching for the camera when it fell off. At this point the spice was gone and the taste moved to a coffee/ dark chocolate sort of experience. The finish, from here on out, stayed on the palette for a longer time and was very sweet and savory.



3) Right here the light went out a little and I had to whip out good ole Mr. Lighter and bring this sucker back to life.



4) Nubbing it...



*Conclusions: Not a big believer in "aging", but the JdN's really benefit from spending some time in the humidor. With about 1-2 months of rest, the harshness seems to come out of them. This old boy was not nearly as powerful as its bigger brothers, but you could definetly tell this was a Nicaraguan Puro. It took about an hour to smoke and was quite a treat. Solid construction and a great taste with an amazing value to boot. They're available at Famous as a box of 50 for $131.99. Under 3 dollars a stick, a can't miss! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a robust Nicaraguan puro in a small package.

*Final Score: 9/10 on the Mr. Ed scale

Happy Holidays!

[Ratters]

Nice review.

One of my favorite smokes, though I enjoy the churchill. I do have a box of the lanceros coming I'm interested in trying.

[smokinfish]

Great review. I like this smoke as well!

D

[Savvy]

Nice review Makes me want to go grab the one I bought just a couple weeks ago...but I think I'll let it sit in the humidor a little longer and wait until I can smoke inside somewhere.

Too damn cold in WI to smoke outdoors

[nosaj02]

Nice reviews. I read different opinions on JDN. Everything from great smoke to just short of a dog rocket. I think I will have to try one for myself. How was the nic strenght?

[Benzopyrene]

Nice Review! May have to try one of these.

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by nosaj02

Nice reviews. I read different opinions on JDN. Everything from great smoke to just short of a dog rocket.

I have a couple of different JDN's and found them both to be quite strong as most Nicaraguan cigars are and well contructed. Never had a dog rocket from JDN.

[Mr. Ed]

Originally Posted by nosaj02

Nice reviews. I read different opinions on JDN. Everything from great smoke to just short of a dog rocket. I think I will have to try one for myself. How was the nic strenght?

The other sizes are pretty strong, and can certainly give even the hardiest cigar smoker a bit of a buzz. However, this one didn't and I enjoyed it. Every JdN I've had has been good to great. The key seems to be letting them rest for a while to get the harshness out.

[smokemifyagotem]

Yes, Yes, Yes - you must let these sit for a few weeks minimum. Right out of the box the Antanos are very harsh and the flavors are muddled. Give them 2 weeks for them to be smokable. Give them 4-6 months and they are very good. Give them a year + and you have something spectacular.

[nosaj02]

Originally Posted by smokemifyagotem

Yes, Yes, Yes - you must let these sit for a few weeks minimum. Right out of the box the Antanos are very harsh and the flavors are muddled. Give them 2 weeks for them to be smokable. Give them 4-6 months and they are very good. Give them a year + and you have something spectacular.

I went to my B&M today with every intention on buying some but ended up buying some power rangers and a Fuente tin instead. Ill have to stop by tomorrow and pick some up and have a go at them.

[Boobar]

Nice review, I had a JDN 1970 Antano Robusto Grande the other day and I loved it. I have 3 more resting in the humi for a later day. If they are that good right out of the delivery truck then a few months of rest and they will be exquisit.

[reefman]

JDN Antanos are top notch! The Consul is my goto. 6 months in the humi does wonders.

[Cigar Czar]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

I have a couple of different JDN's and found them both to be quite strong as most Nicaraguan cigars are and well contructed. Never had a dog rocket from JDN.

I would 2nd that. I have the complete line since they came on the market. I smoked the Chruchil first, and said WOW, and bought all for aging them. They are Bad Ass "High Octane" with Full Flavor profile.

Will sample a Grand Consul, and then post review, The Machito is a Little Power House

Thanks for the reminder, to sample to see how they are doing

[careyink]

Nice smoke IMO. I like these better than the consuls which are very good... Aging really does help with JdNAs..... BTW Try these with a good cup of strong coffee in the morning

BTW JRs has better prices on these...

[smokemifyagotem]

Just fyi - I have always thought the churchills were the best tasting of the line and recently I have found they have tasted stangely A LOT like VSGs. Not just b/c of the power, but the actual flavor has had that "vsg-esque" burnt raisin flavor. Don't know if its just this recent crop or what, but they are very good. Even before I thought they tasted like vsg's they were excellent.