Juan López Selección No.2

📌 Brand: Juan López
📌 Line: No. 2
📌 Size: Robusto (4 7/8" × 50) - Robustos
📌 Weight: 11.9 g
📌 Age: 6 years
📌 Origin: Cuba

Tasting Notes

• Harsh Spice – Aggressive, unrefined start

• Earth – Rough, unbalanced depth

• Dry Wood – Present but faint

• Bitter Herb – Appears after the first third

First Impressions

The Juan López No. 2 shows a medium-brown Cuban wrapper with light veins and a mild sheen. Pre-light aroma carries hay and faint cedar. Cold draw is slightly tight but workable, though the roll feels inconsistent.

Smoking Experience

• First Third – Harsh, punchy spice dominates immediately. Woody sweetness never materializes. Burn begins to waver early.

• Second Third – Construction worsens: uneven burn, airflow restriction, and collapsing ash. Flavours remain dry, hot, and unrefined.

• Final Third – Bitter, earthy, and sharp. Touch-ups struggle to stabilize the burn. Harshness never fades.

Pairings

• Alcohol – Leopold Bros. Three Chamber Rye Whiskey - Floral rye spice, honeyed sweetness, and oily texture help counterbalance the cigar’s harsh, uneven delivery.

• Tea – Nepal Ilam Black Tea - Bright, fruity, slightly malty — adds needed sweetness and smoothness against the cigar’s rough profile.

Music Pairing

“Don’t Owe You a Thang” – Gary Clark Jr.
Raw energy matching the cigar’s rough-and-tumble construction issues.

Final Thoughts

The Juan López No. 2 is usually known for charm and depth, but this sample struggled start to finish. Harsh spice, burn instability, and structural inconsistencies dominated the session, muting any potential elegance.

Final Score: 4/10
Why not a 10?
Harsh profile, burn issues, and structural problems throughout prevented any enjoyable evolution.

Only cigars that deliver flawless draw, balance, flavour evolution, construction and satisfaction get a 10.