Juan Lopez Petit Corona

[SteveGriff]

Today's review is one of those Cigars no one really talks about. Well, let me re-phrase that; in general, no one talks about Petit Coronas - full stop. You get the odd person talking about how great a Bolivar Petit Corona or the Por Larranaga's is. Actually, that person might be me...

So, as you can kind of gather, Petit Coronas don't get much attention, and these are the kind of Cigars newbies would be buying as they can be brought for less than ten pounds, and won't break the bank. So it feels like my duty to review Petit Coronas and the like.

Lets get back to specifics. I'm going to be reviewing the Juan Lopez Petit Corona. Only one of three Cigars in the Juan Lopez marca that's in regular production, the Petit Corona is the smallest size of the three and comes in a dress box.

This Sunday afternoon I'm pairing the Cigar with Taylor's Lazy Sunday Coffee. Because I don't fancy drinking any alcohol, and it's a Sunday – so obviously it's the day you're meant to drink the stuff! I'm assuming that the Juan Lopez isn't going to be too light on body for the coffee to drown out the flavours of the Cigar.

Appearance

One thing for certain, the Juan Lopez Petit Corona is not going to win any Miss World awards. The box press along with the roughness of the wrapper gives the Cigar a somewhat rustic look. Not as farmyard funk as another brand, something like Jose L Piedra for example, but it sure ain't as nice looking as your Bolivar Petit Corona or Partagas Petit Coronas Especiales.

Remember though boys and girls, it's not how the Cigar looks, but it's how the stogie tastes. So lets not get too hung up on the construction.

Draw & Burn

Cutting the Cigar is pretty straightforward, and on the draw, it's pretty damn perfect. Kudos to Habanos SA, since the early 2000's, they've upped their game big time when it comes to consistency with the draw. If you have a plugged Cuban Cigar, then you're unlucky. I would double check to see if it's Friday the 13th.

On the nose, you can smell the classic barnyard profile that many Cigars have. Also, I can detect a little bit, just a smudge of cocoa.

Lighting up is pretty easy. Maybe twenty seconds or so of getting the foot of the Cigar to start burning and I'm away.

The First Third

First flavours I detect on my palette when I first sample the Cigar – spice! The spice isn't that strong however. It's not like the spice that tingles on the lips, but a flavourful spice that coats the tongue. Also, there's strong tobacco flavours. Yeah, I know what you're saying, you're smoking a Cigar dumb ass, what do you expect? Rhubarb and custard? But I think you know what I mean.

Smoking down the Cigar a little, notice in the picture above the ash is a very nice clear white hue. Very appealing. There's plenty of smoke. It sometimes felt that there was a second Cigar in the room burning away.

Towards the second third of the Juan Lopez, I'm starting to detect a small change in the flavour of the Cigar. There's a creaminess, just enough to offset the spice somewhat and to help tone down the tobacco flavours a little. My cup of coffee plays second fiddle to the Cigar. The flavour profile of the Juan Lopez so far reigns supreme.

The Second Third

Moving into the second third of the Cigar, the creaminess is still there and has now replaced the spiciness that was in the first third. The tobacco flavours are now melding more into a more creamy espresso, with woody undertones. There's some great balance here.

There's not much to talk about the second third. I would say that's a good thing. The burn is perfect; there's been no need to apply any kind of touch up or needing to relight. Very very good.

The Final Third

There has been no change moving forward into the final third. The interplay of tobacco, creamy espresso and wood is magnificent. The burn still continues to be good.... All good baby.

Now moving towards the end game for the Cigar, the strength of flavour has increased, mainly due to burning hotter as we are smoking closer to the flames, so to say.

After fifty minutes of smoking, I am done. A perfect afternoon.

Conclusion & Scoring

What I love about the Juan Lopez Petit Corona is how unassuming it is. It doesn't look fancy, it just smokes well, and that's what you would like when you want to smoke a good Cigar. Yes, this Cigar will never make it in some limited edition Humidor, but hey, those Cigars are too expensive to smoke. This is meant to be smoked.

The Juan Lopez Petit Corona can be difficult to source. I think the major online retailers in the UK supply them, but your local tobacconist will probably not. I would suggest buying one of these as a sampler whenever you're going to buy some Cigars online.

Appearance: 11/15

Draw & Burn: 20/20

Flavour & Complexity: 27/30

Overall: 33/35

Total: 91/100

[Vortigan]

JL is a marca I've never yet tried,this review certainly sells it to me! Great stuff,thanks.

[Tarks]

I love the JL 1's and 2's. Sleepers in my opinion. I have never had the PC though. They don't seem to be widely available in my neck of woods for some reason. Thanks for the review.

[Wil]

Thanks for the review - will have to try these. Oh, and Boli PCs get plenty of attention from folks around here!

[Guest Guest]

Thanks for the review - will have to try these. Oh, and Boli PCs get plenty of attention from folks around here!

That's good to hear regarding the Boli PC. Sometimes the smaller sticks just don't get enough airtime.

[Len]

Exciting review, I have a box of JLPC's on the way...can't wait to smoke them. I love the #2 and #1's as it is.

[mbrody]

Exciting review, I have a box of JLPC's on the way...can't wait to smoke them. I love the #2 and #1's as it is.

Thanks for the review! I am also a fan of the jl1/2, but find my box of jlpc to be off. Hope to sample some other so I don't pass full damnation on them!

[bassman]

While my favorite PCs are Bolivar & Montecristo #4, I really enjoy JL PCs too. Always have a box on hand. The only JL that I buy.

[Plato]

Nice review & great photos.

Sadly, I have never tried any Juan Lopez. That is something I hope to change very soon. I keep on hearing great things about them.

[Fitz]

Great little smokes these. Got a Jan 09 box in the humi that has smoked well for a while, I reckon another year and these will be superb.