Initial Thoughts
How does that old saying go? The only constant is change? Yeah something like that. That’s exactly what the fellas over at Joya de Nicaragua must be feeling. This year they released this cigar initially under the name Cuenca y Blanco after Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca & Jose Blanco. Then after being notified of a possibly offending someone and potential litigation over the name they decided to change the brand to CyB.
It’s the exact same cigar just different packaging and a different band. As you’ll see in the pictures I have the old packaging and band. I was able to pick up this cigar the day after the news came out of the name change. I saw these cigars go on sale like hot cakes online to get rid of all the old packaging to make way for the new stuff. Talk about a great way to push out some cigars!
Looks
After seeing numerous reviews of this stick online I was stoked to actually get my hands on it. The CyB by Joya de Nicaragua has a beautiful Ecuadorian Habano wrapper that glistens with oils seeping out of it. It’s a nice light colorado wrapper with a reddish tint to it. I picked up the Corona Real size which stands at 5 1/4″ x 46. This is one of the ideal sizes for me. I love the corona sized cigars.
The band on this old version of the CyB by Joya de Nicaragua is awesome. I’m a big fan of combining blues and reds together in a color scheme. I just like how it looks and I think they are incredibly complimentary of each other. The band has all sorts of intricacies attached to it. It’s encircled with a nice thick gold and then smaller rings of similar colors continue until you get to the sweet spot in the middle. A nice dark red oval with gold lettering. This is a very classic looking band with a bit of modern color thrown in to make it stand out. Well done Joya, well done!
Function
Believe it or not, but I actually let this CyB by Joya de Nicaragua sit for almost 3 months in my humidor. So I can’t exactly remember picking it out at my B&M except for the fact that it was the day after the name change because it was a Joya de Nicaragua / Drew Estate event.
I proceeded with my normal pre game ritual, using the pinch test up and down the barrel. Not a single soft spot to be found. Woooohooo. I must have been paying attention when I was picking it out amid my intense Klackers game with Jeff the Fro Tennell (our local Drew Estate rep).
I went ahead and removed the cap with my backed cap cutter. In fact I actually got this cutter the same night as the cigar. Because I won this cutter from playing Klackers. So yeah that fuzzy night is all starting to come back together piece by piece as I write this. The CyB by Joya de Nicaragua has a perfectly placed triple cap on the head. It has three very defined seams and are a perfect topping for this great looking cigar.
After removing the cap I went to test the dry draw and I was a little disappointed. It was fairly snug and kind of difficult to pull any air through the barrel. Hopefully this will open up once I put the flame to it.
Let’s kick the tires and light the fires what do you say? I haven’t said that in a while and I feel like I need to. Pretty redneck saying isn’t it? That’s why I love it.
Smoking
MMMmmm. It’s so nice when a cigar lights up evenly and just burns so smoothly. It makes the smoking experience so peaceful and relaxing, exactly how it’s supposed to be. From the first light this CyB by Joya de Nicaragua is smooth and oozing a nice thick white smoke.
Clearly the cold draw was not indicative of how this cigar was going to burn or draw. Once I put some heat to it, it opened right up. The second third opened up even more and burn was just incredible. Nearly perfect. I got the ash to hold on to just about 1 1/2 inches before I decided it was time to end up in the tray and not on my shirt.
The final third of this CyB by Joya de Nicaragua smoked just as perfectly as the 1st and 2nd. Not a single issue. I have to say this is one of my favorite cigars to come out from Joya de Nicaragua thus far.
Flavor
I’ve found that with most nicaraguan tobaccos I tend to pick up on a nice bit of spice and some very solid coffee notes. This CyB by Joya de Nicaragua is definitely in that same vein as well. On the pre light I pick up some very nice dry cocoa. It’s as if I just opened up the metal container containing some Hershey’s cocoa powder and I’m about to make an extra large glass of chocolate milk. Then after the initial rush I picked up on some notes of dry hay. Talk about two completely different thoughts that go through my head. At first I’m thinking about enjoying a huge glass of chocolate milk. The next thing I’m thinking about back to one terrible summer where I helped a farmer hay his field and I’m instantly transported to the thought of being covered with dry hay as I throw square bales up on the trailer in the muggy Arkansas summer. Ugh, that sucks. Ok, back to the cigar? Yes please I want to forget about hay for awhile.
As soon as I got the CyB by Joya de Nicaragua lit I picked up on a nice bit of spice initially on the lips. This seems fairly typical of a lot of Nicaraguan tobaccos as well (to me at least). The spice was fairly dominate during the first third. I found it every where. It wasn’t over powering in strength but it was dominating in flavor.
The second third brought about some change to this cigar. As the spice started to fade a bit, it brought in a nice nuttiness to it. The nuttiness flavor was dominate on the palate. But the retrohale brought in a nice dark roasted coffee flavor that I couldn’t really detect other than in my nose. Very interesting flavor combinations here.
The final third didn’t change too much for me. It continued with the woody notes and the nuttiness with a few glimpses of the spice. It was all blended very well together where nothing really came out and hint you in the face. They were all blended together quite well to form this nice medium bodied cigar known as the CyB by Joya de Nicaragua.
Would I Buy It Again?
For sure. It’s a great smoke and I would love to have it again to see if I can pick out some more complexities.
Is It an Every Day Smoke?
I think so, it’s a nice medium bodied at a good price. This vitola is the perfect size for me to smoke every day as well.
Would I Buy a Box?
I would have liked to buy the old box with the original bands and labels and a new box and have them side by side. Unfortunately that time has probably passed me bye.
Conclusion
I’m a big fan of the CyB by Joya de Nicaragua. It was a great smoke, full of flavor, great burn, overall great smoking experience. I only gave it a 9/10 because I wasn’t completely floored by the flavor. It was very good, but I felt like I needed a bit more of something, but I would no problem smoking these every day that’s for sure.
