When you are the oldest cigar factory in Nicaragua anniversaries mean even more it feels like, and Joya de Nicaragua is no stranger to anniversary cigars. Not to mention this industry loves every chance it gets to celebrate an anniversary. This time Joya celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2023 with the release of the Cinco de Cinco into their ultra-premium Obras Maestras line which also includes Numero Uno, Cinco Dècadas, and Cuatro Cinco which all celebrate an anniversary as well. The blend itself uses “ultra-vintage” with a Mexican San Andrés wrapper and binders and fillers from Nicaragua and is soft box pressed.

“This cigar was made with the people, by the people and for the people,” says Juan Ignacio Martínez, Executive President of JDN. “Our past is all about tobacco. Our bright future is all about tobacco. We are here, stronger than ever thanks to our wonderful community of amigos.”

Under the Lid

The box comes in a fully painted emerald green box with accents of white and gold. The cigars are wrapped in a dark brown slightly oily leaf with a few visible veins, and a tight wrapper seam. The caps are well placed with no visible issues. There is a single band that is about double the size of a regular band with a very similar theme to the box. It has an emerald green background with the Joya symbol at the top and the cinco de cinco on the bottom in a gold and white accented theme. Obras Maestras is on the back of the band, and although you can’t see it until you take the band off the words “inspired by amigos, blended by maestros. crafted for those in the know” is written on the inside of the band.

• Wrapper: Mexico, San Andrés
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Vitola: 6 x 52 Toro soft box pressed
• Factory: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A.
• Release Date: September 2023
• Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
• MSRP: $20.00 ($200 for a box of 10)

The cold draw offers notes of raisin and a mild yeasty bread like note, kind of reminds me a bit of cinnamon raisin bread. The foot gives off aromas of fig and barnyard, while the wrapper gives off aromas of barnyard with a bit of a stronger manure aroma as well.

Performance Notes

First Third: The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco opens up with notes of Cocoa, toasted oak, mild black pepper, leather, wet earth. The Cocoa, toasted oak, and mild black pepper play more upfront in the profile while leather and wet earth are more in the background. As the first third progresses the cocoa takes on a nice creamy milk chocolate note and there is a mild sweetness alongside with a mild bell pepper note that I get every few puffs. Each puff is quite consistent with that creamy milk chocolate, toasted oak, and mild black pepper but the background notes of wet earth, or leather come into the profile only every few puffs adding some complexity and nuance between each puff. The palate stimulation is felt mainly at the tip of the tongue and down the middle of the tongue but not all the way to the back, and there is a mild stimulation on the roof of the mouth. The retrohale adds depth with notes of dark cocoa, and toasted oak. The finish is medium in length with oak, and mild pepper lingering on the palate.

Second Third: The second third continues with the consistency that the first third had with the core upfront flavor notes being cocoa, toasted oak, mild pepper. The background notes keep coming in and out of the profile with some puffs having more of a leather and wet earth to them, and then the next puff adding some sweetness and bell pepper. The sweetness is a generic sweetness maybe leaning towards some sort of stone fruit, and the bell pepper is more so on the green bell pepper side. As I hit the midway mark the toasted oak transitions into a charred oak and takes on a smoked meat like quality. As it comes to a close the charred oak and cocoa are the main upfront notes and the pepper goes from mild to medium. The nuances are a bit harder to pick up but I still get a bit of leather and earth but find it hard to pick up any sweetness anymore. Palate stimulation is still at the front of the tongue and middle of the tongue with a bit at the roof of the mouth. Retrohale adds dark cocoa, and toasted oak. The finish is medium with some oak and pepper.

Final Third: The final third comes in with the profile of charred oak, and pepper which are really overtaking the profile and finding it hard to find the cocoa note. The leather note is the only note really lingering in the background. The overall strength increases and the profile becomes a tad bit muddled. The third stays relatively consistent with the charred oak and pepper with lingering leather and there is luckily no major off putting flavor profiles reaching into the profile. The retrohale ramps up a bit with a bit stronger toasted oak and black pepper during this third. The palate stimulation is felt heavily into the tip of the tongue and a bit through the middle and back of the tongue now. The finish is lingering slightly more than medium with toasted oak, black pepper, and leather.

Core Flavors: Cocoa, toasted oak, black pepper, leather, earth, mild sweetness

Strength: Medium to Medium +

Body: Medium +

Complexity: Medium +

Smokin Experience: The Joya de Nicaragua Cinco de Cinco Toro started off with a wonderful complex blend of flavors that was not too heavy on the palate or overwhelming in any way. The consistency of the core flavors alongside the shifting notes in the background kept for an intriguing smoking experience through the first half of the cigar. Unfortunately the complexity and profile did drop off a bit near the tail end of the second third and during the final third, but luckily did not introduce anything off putting and was still overall enjoyable to finish. I would suggest this cigar to any experienced cigar smoker who really wants a bolder flavor profile, but not overwhelming on the strength, or a new smoker who wants to test the waters out with something a bit more bold. The construction of the cigar was great for the first two thirds but both samples I had a touch up and a relight in the final third. The draw was slightly open on both samples, but it is what I expect on a soft box pressed cigar such as this. Overall the Cinco de Cinco is a very enjoyable smoke that started out with the potential to be a very high scoring cigar, but with a few minor construction issues and the final third being a bit too muddled and average, it bumped it down a few points.

Purchase Recommendation: Grab a five pack

Smokin Facts:

• Joya de Nicaragua is the oldest cigar factory in Nicaragua
• Joya has released an anniversary cigar under the Obras Masestras line every five years since 2013 and we can expect the next one in 2028 for their 60th anniversary

Smokin Wrap:

Cigars Smoked: 2

Average Smoking Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

SCORE: 90

Mitchell Santaga – Product Reviews

Mitchell Santaga started his journey into tobacco in 2011 by trying different flavored and machine-made cigars while enjoying a handle of Jack Daniels whisky. Shortly after that he yearned for a more premium experience and dove headfirst into pipe tobacco that his local tobacconist blended, and soon after started indulging in premium cigars.