In the last few years Habanos SA have become increasingly adept at finding reasons for Cuban cigars to be some kind of special release, and one of their favourites is an anniversary edition. With so many brands under their control it is not difficult to find at least one each year which has reached some kind of milestone, but in 2020 they were lucky enough to have 2 birthdays to celebrate: the 150th anniversary of Juan Lopez cigars, and the 30th anniversary of the La Casa del Habano franchise. These 2 celebrations have been rolled into one, and have given us the Juan Lopez Selección Especial LCDH Edition.
Juan Lopez does not have many regular production cigars these days, but is a popular choice for distributors when seeking Regional Editions. The 52 ring gauge by 6 ¾ inch Fortunas vitola chosen for the Selección Especial has actually been used before – in 2009, the UK saw a very limited run of Selección Suprema cigars in the same size. It’s a generous size, and will smoke for around 90 minutes.
Construction: 10/10
- The wrapper was smooth and silky, the body seemed expertly and equally filled all the way long – this cigar was a delight to the eye.
Draw: 8/10
- The first third was a little reluctant to give up a full volume of smoke, but once the stick began to warm up this issue corrected itself.
Combustion: 9/10
- The burn line wobbled a little on a couple of occasions, but always corrected itself after a few more puffs.
Ash: 4/5
- The grey of this ash was a little dark to be awarded full marks, but it was solid and compact the whole time.
Smoke: 4/5
- After a little struggle at the beginning the cigar began to produce wonderful clouds of silvery-grey smoke.
Flavour: 22/25
- Juan Lopez are a brand I have some experience with, and have reviewed here before, so I knew what to expect from their blend – or so I thought. I was caught by surprise by the flavours at the start of this cigar, but that made it no less enjoyable.
Overall: 31/35
- La Casa del Habano Editions are intended to be a little bit special, like the Casas themselves. This cigar lived up to that billing – it may not have been a typical Juan Lopez, but it was certainly enjoyable. I’ve always had a soft spot for cigars with that extra burgundy band, and this reminded me why.
Final Score: 88/100
- Officially, Juan Lopez make cigars which are medium-to-full bodied, and this has always been how I found them. The Juan Lopez Selección Especial, however, was surprisingly light at the outset, and gave floral, sweet notes through the initial third, blended with a hint of cedar. As the smoke progressed into the middle third, and the output became more generous, the floral notes intensified. The sweetness of the beginning was replaced by a raw cocoa tang, and the cedar completely disappeared. The body of the cigar began to build so that, when I reached the final third of the cigar, it was more or less at the level I had expected. Cocoa notes were even stronger now, and preceded by a blast of peppery warmth to the tip of the tongue each time.