Romeo y Julieta Envy

The newest release of the iconic brand, Romeo y Julieta Envy is a limited-edition cigar blended by Rafael Nodal and made by the Plasencia family in Nicaragua. It’s a follow-up to last year’s heralded Romeo y Julieta Eternal.

A Nicaraguan Puro, Envy comes in one size and is packaged in glossy green 11-count boxes. The wrapper is a high-priming leaf grown in the Jalapa region that, according to Altadis, has more age than wrappers typically found on Romeo y Julieta cigars. A careful selection of tobaccos born of volcanic soils and chosen from Plasencia's private reserve completes the blend.

The overall experience delivers a robust profile with notes of earth, pepper and spice and is more like the Cuban version of Romeo than its current for sale counterparts here in the U.S.

The secondary band depicts the evil eye, a symbol or amulet used to ward off any envious impulses. “Love has its shadows,” says the loose printed sheet contained within each box. “It can inspire envy. Capturing what triggered that emotion, our signature mix of quality, skills, and passion, we’ve transformed that feeling into a unique smoking experience built around opulent aromas and luscious notes.”

Only 100,000 cigars are being produced, which amounts to nearly 10,000 boxes.