Cigar of the Week: Juan Clemente Classic

The Cigar Boom of the mid-to-late 1990s expanded the popularity of cigars all across the United States. But some brands that held a high profile, especially among connoisseurs, didn’t fare so well in the onslaught of new brands, shapes and sizes that deluged the U.S. market. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t terrific cigars.

They were, and are. Take Juan Clemente for example.

Introduced by French spirits entrepreneur Jean Clement way back in 1982, the Juan Clemente line was carefully created with a balanced flavor and exquisite construction from a small factory in the Dominican Republic.

In his important 1990 book, "The Gourmet Guide to Cigars," Paul Garmirian wrote of Clement that "his dream was to produce the best cigars made from the most expensive Dominican leaf available." And Garmirian was impressed: "Juan Clemente achieved instant success in 1986 because of its mild flavor and fragrant bouquet. This cigar achieved a great deal of recognition among connoisseurs as a result of superb promotional efforts by its national distributor, Kay Stephan of Club Imports."

But it was, even then, a small brand, produced only in such numbers as Clement could be sure would be of a high quality that met his standards. And with the Cigar Boom, good tobacco became harder to find and his brand was overwhelmed by both circumstances and a lack of resources for advertising and promotion in a suddenly very crowded field.

Today, the Juan Clemente brand is still being made, but its star has faded and that’s a shame. Because the cigars are still wonderful.

If you can find it, it’s worth trying. The qualities which made it a hit in the 1980s are still there: excellent construction, a mild body and a clean, rich taste. The flavor has a slight sweetness to it and there’s a toasty aroma and gives the blend a dignified presence that makes it a pleasure.

The draw and burn are perfect and there’s even a hint of fruit on the finish, but its mild presence in the mouth makes almost any size in the line easy to smoke and easy to enjoy. In our tasting for CigarCyclopedia.com, it earned a grade of "A: Exceptional."

Originally programmed in 13 sizes, including a 13-inch monster called the Gargantua, the Juan Clemente line is now concentrated on five more popular shapes that come in all-cedar, slide-top boxes of 24 and are reasonably priced from $4.45 each for the 5-inch by 42-ring Corona up to $7.35 for the 7 1/2-inch by 52-ring Double Corona, not including local sales or tobacco taxes. The Grand Corona (6 x 42) also comes in an aluminum tube version, offered in boxes of 16.

If you’re looking for a cigar on the mild side that’s a little different, perhaps a little more exclusive than what others are smoking, look for Juan Clemente. Jean Clement will thank you.

(Rich Perelman is editor-in-chief of CigarCyclopedia.com, offering comprehensive daily coverage of cigars, accessories, issues, people and prices at www.CigarCyclopedia.com.

Cigar Cyclopedia

1/14/08

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