Initial Thoughts
Hopefully, by now, you have heard of Bodega Premium Blends cigars, or the Reunion line, or at least, Emilio Cigars/House of Emilio. If not, I hope this review will turn your eyes towards their direction. You see, House of Emilio is responsible for distributing some of the top boutique brands on the market today. BPB happens to be the newest brand in their line-up.
As mentioned, BPB is run by Cigar_G, Gino Domanico, who is one of the most followed people of the cigar world on Twitter (no, I did not research that). He and three of his friends have come together to create Bodega and the Reunion line. The Reunion line is made up of two very different cigars, the Aperitivo and the Digestivo. Each serves a distinct function and is intended to be smoked at certain times and with a beverage of your choice. The Reunion line concept overall is for cigar smoking to bring people together, particularly friends or relatives.
The Aperitivo is meant to be like an appetizer (or aperitif) to stimulate or arouse the appetite. I know many people consider a cigar as something you have after dinner (in comes the Digestivo), but the idea of the Aperitivo is to get ready for dinner by smoking this cigar. Definitely an idea that I think most avid cigar smokers can get on board with without a lot of convincing.
The Aperitivo comes in the same box as the Digestivo, with 10 of each per box. There are three vitolas available: Toro, Double Robusto, and Corona Gorda. You can find more information on the brand and get a variety of other entertaining tidbits on their website http://bpbcigars.com/ .
The sample smoked for this review came from BPB Cigars. As usual, their generosity will not be a factor in how it is rated.
Looks
The Bodega Reunion Aperitivo is a very “appetizing” looking cigar. It has a natural Colorado wrapper with minimal veins and mostly smooth seams. The triple cap is flush. Inspecting the foot, it appears to be well packed.
The bands compliment the cigar very well. The main band is the largest, with red, white, purple, and silver. It has “Reunion” printed on it. The second band has Bodega in small print and Aperitivo on it. Both are snug but slide off rather easily when the burn line gets close.
Function
The Bodega Reunion Aperitivo has a rather refined look to it, but felt a tad rough. It is also a little silky too, so it balances out. There was very little give on the squeeze test and no soft spots or lumps. There was a small tear on the foot, but nothing substantial.
Is it wrong to want to smell a cigar? I hope not because I was definitely eager to do so. The foot had a sweet molasses aroma. The barrel had a faint molasses and earth combination.
I go with my trusty CRA cutter to clip the cap. When I give it a test draw, I notice it is a little tight. Even so, I am still able to get the molasses and earth I picked up on the barrel.
Smoking
I am now eager to light up this little appetizer! Since I was at a shop, I was able to use a cedar spill to do so. The Aperitivo lights up nicely and evenly. The burn stays even throughout the smoke.
Unlike the pre-light, the draw is excellent from the beginning. I am able to get lots of smoke from each puff.
The only construction issue I experienced was the ash. It was mostly gray throughout and looked to be pretty solid. However, at about the ½” mark, it fell in my lap with no warning. From there, it was pretty ugly and not very solid. Not a big deal but worth mentioning.
Flavor
Now for the main event, the flavor! Since this was supposed to be an appetizer, I was not expecting to be overwhelmed with flavor, but not underwhelmed either. Let’s see how the Bodega Reunion Apertivo tastes.
From the beginning, I am greeted by the sweetness that I got from the aroma. It is pretty close to molasses, so that’s how I will describe it. That note mixes well with earth, wood, and a mild white pepper. As this section develops, some savory and floral notes jump in the mix as well.
In the second-third, the floral notes start to take over. With it comes tangy, savory, sweet, woody, and mildly peppery notes as well. As it progresses, the wood becomes more prominent. The retrohale has a very smooth floral note to it.
As I enter the final third, all of the same notes are present, but are present at different levels than before. The sweetness starts to fade out and the floral note takes its place, almost coming across as minty on the finish. At the very end, the cigar becomes almost all wood with a little bit of nuttiness. The wood almost becomes overwhelming at this point.
The Bodega Reunion Aperitivo Corona Gorda is mild-medium (closer to med) in strength and medium-full in flavor. All the flavors were well balanced until the end, when wood took over and made it slightly less enjoyable. Smoke time was 1 hour 10 minutes.
Would I Buy It Again?
Yes. I will say it is a little on the expensive side though.
Is It An Everyday Smoke?
Since I can’t always have 2 cigars a day, I would say no. I will add it to the rotation though.
Would I Buy a Box?
Since half of the box comes with the Digestivo, I will have to smoke that first before I decide. I would get a 5 pk.
Conclusion
Bodega Premium Blends is a company made up of people who cherish the camaraderie of smoking cigars with friends. I feel that this comes out in the Reunion Aperitivo Corona Gorda. It definitely seems like the type of cigar you would start the night out with friends with. Taking what the Aperitivo aims to be in mind, I say it is right on the mark!
Taking the Aperitivo as just a cigar to smoke when time allows, I will say that it is very good, but not quite as good as the price suggests. I would say it is a solid $7-$8 cigar, but no more. As far as this rating goes, it loses a point for that and a point for how it ended. Otherwise, it is a solid cigar that is definitely worth trying out. Hopefully, you can find them on shelves at your nearest retailer. If not, I know they are available online.
So, gather up your friends and have a little Reunion!
