In the famous play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the titular characters feel intense passion and lust for one another. It grew so intense, that they lost themselves in the throes of their devotion to each other. They would do anything to be together. Although not as intense, when we find a top-quality cigar we really love, it is easy to lose ourselves in the experience.

Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust cigars seek to capture that moment when longing grows so intense you lose yourself in the throes of passion. These gems are blended by the talented Grupo de Maestros of Altadis U.S.A., who are also responsible for the blending of several top-rated brands like H. Upmann and Montecristo.

Made at Flor de Copan in Honduras, the Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust features a core of Honduran long filler and binder leaf surrounded by an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. I have enjoyed several of Altadis’ Honduran-made blends like the H. Upmann 1844 Classic, so I expect the Devocion Lust to live up to its hype.

I grabbed a 5.5×48 Robusto vitola to try out this new Romeo y Julieta blend, so let’s put the Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Robusto to the test and see how it performs!

Country of Origin: Honduras

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Honduras

Strength: Medium

Smoke Time: 90-100 minutes

Sizes Available:

• Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Belicoso (6.12×54)
• Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Robusto (5.5×48)
• Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Toro (6×52)

I slide the cigar out of the cellophane and look at the wrapper. It has a nice, even golden-tan shade and has a smooth texture to the touch. The cap is well applied, there are no elevated seams, and while there is a small vein running up the underside of the cigar, it otherwise looks flawless.

From the wrapper, I can detect leather, cedar, and earth, and the foot adds a bit of richness and sweetness to the aromas. After delivering a couple of V-cuts to the cap, cold draws have a creaminess with touches of spice and leather. The draw is a little tight for my liking but still excellent, a sign that this 5.5-inch cigar might have a slow burn.

As I toast the foot, an aroma of rich, sweet earth began to flood the room. The first couple of puffs starts out with black pepper that makes way for creamy earth, leather, and roasted nuts on the finish. Following the first six draws, the flavors settle into that creamy, earth, leathery profile with each puff having a sweet finish.

Performing a retrohale reveals a smooth bouquet of baking spices, leather, and nuts with a slight peppery tingle through the nose. The smoke is silky yet pronounced on the palate, with both the flavors and body hovering just below medium-bodied.

The ash has a greyish-white color and is also holding on firmly, knocked off intentionally after an inch to avoid ash in my lap, and the burn rate as well as the line are flawless.

Crossing over into the second third, the flavors and body build into the medium range. Spice grows more prominent alongside leather, earth, and roasted nuts. The creaminess is more of a background flavor at this point, but like a bass guitar, melds the flavors together and drives the harmony.

The burn line begins to waver a little bit at this point but shows no signs of running so far awry that it needs a touch-up. The ash continues to have its brilliant white color, and closing in on the halfway mark the second clump of ash falls off as I place the cigar in the ashtray.

As the second third ends, spice, and nuttiness continue to lead the way, backed by notes of leather, cocoa, cedar, and creamy sweetness. The flavors are impeccably well-balanced and make for an exceptionally good midday smoke.

As the burn moves into the final third, an hour has already passed. The slow burn draws out the smoking experience, allowing me to completely savor and relish the experience. The flavors also grow a bit darker, with baking spice, cocoa, roasted nuts, and black pepper dancing on a stage of creamy earth. Retrohales reveal a deeper peppery core backed by leather, roasted nuts, and chocolate.

Although not perfect, the burn line remained even enough that it did not require any touch-ups through to the final third. It’s slow, even burn coupled with its simultaneously smooth and rich flavors made for an exceptionally pleasing afternoon.

Coming into the last inch or so, I am captivated by how smooth the smoke continues to be. Cigars can tend to get bitter around this stage, but the Devocion Lust Robusto does not want the experience to end. After nearly 100 minutes, the burn reaches the nub and I lay it to rest in my ashtray.

While I stick with ice water when conducting a cigar review, I can imagine the Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Robusto having many pairing options. It has the flavor profile I would expect from a Connecticut-style blend with a bolder medium-bodied approach, which makes it perfect for a nutty white wine or a richer lager beer. It would also pair well with a cup of creamed coffee in the mornings.

However, I had an excellent experience with my ice water since it brought attention to more of the underlying flavors in the smoke.

All in all, the Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Robusto was an excellent smoke. Its rich and savory core flavors of cream, earth, baking spices, roasted nuts, and cocoa are always welcome to my palate, and the slow, even burn made for a worry-free experience that lasted for a lengthy hour and forty minutes.

For a box of 20 sitting at just over $175 or under $9 per cigar, I would say it is well worth the money for an extended getaway with a popular flavor profile. I have become accustomed to more full-bodied cigars in my cigar journey, and the Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust brought me down memory lane to the flavors that got me into cigars while keeping my palate engaged.

Whether you are just starting your cigar journey or a seasoned aficionado, I highly recommend you add this cigar to your humidor. If you do not want a box, the Romeo y Julieta Devocion Lust Robusto is also available in affordable packs of 5 so you can give them a try without the commitment to a box. But take it from me, once you try them for yourself, you will be lusting after them and devoted to getting a box!