Sometimes I smoke a cigar and then have to sit down and write about it afterwards — this is one of those times.

I’d been wanting to try the Romeo y Julieta Amantes for a long time.

I first came across it through social media, seeing posts and videos from people I follow who had attended the 2025 Habanos Festival in Havana.

Nineteen months later, I finally got my chance.

Earlier this week, I was at the Soho Whisky Club with my cigar buddies Simon, Amy and Sailesh when Simon pulled out some Amantes he’d picked up in Spain. So we opened them up and smoked them together.

Simon is a fellow cigar smoker I first met a couple of years ago at Sautter’s Trinidad Tasting Time event in Knightsbridge, so it was a nice full-circle moment to finally sit together and smoke a cigar that hasn’t yet been released in the UK by our Cuban importer and distributor, the brilliant Hunters & Frankau.

Before I get into the cigar itself, there’s a bit of a story behind it.

A cigar I’d been watching from a distance

I first wrote about the Romeo y Julieta Amantes in 2025, when Habanos announced it as one of the major releases at the XXV Festival del Habano in Havana.

The Festival was celebrating the 150th anniversary of Romeo y Julieta, with the Amantes making its world premiere during the Welcome Evening on 24 February, attended by around 1,200 guests.

The cigar measures 153mm by 53 ring gauge, with the factory name Sobresalientes. Habanos described it as an exclusive production in limited quantities.

Vitola (Format): Sobresalientes

Ring Gauge: 53

Length: 6 inches (153 mm)

Strength: Medium

Origin: Cuba (Vuelta Abajo long-filler tobacco)

It was presented in boxes of 20, alongside a special five-cigar presentation. The packaging describes the Amantes as having a thick ring gauge and unique dimensions within the Romeo y Julieta portfolio, with the cigars “Totalmente a Mano con Tripa Larga” — totally handmade with long filler — using selected filler, binder and wrapper leaves from Vuelta Abajo in Pinar del Río, Cuba.

I wasn’t at the Festival myself. I was watching updates from people who were there via social media, and the way the Amantes was presented immediately caught my attention. It felt a little different from the traditional cigar media I was used to seeing.

Around the same time, I’d also been noticing how EGM Cigars seemed to be gaining traction, particularly among a younger generation of cigar enthusiasts.

I wondered whether Habanos S.A. was beginning to respond to that changing audience. Just an observation from my sofa at the time 🍿 — but one that stuck with me.

I remember thinking: I’d definitely like to try one of those. I just had no idea when I’d get the chance.

My experience

Before even cutting the cap and lighting one, I spent a little time admiring the box. How geeky am I? 😂

There’s something about Cuban cigar presentation that still gets me.

The branding, the bands, the presentation. I love all of it.

We paired the cigars with whisky — I think it was the newly Soho Whisky Club-sponsored Glendronach, which was great value in there — plus a separate Coca-Cola (classy, eh!). I deliberately didn’t drink mine during the first third, though, as I wanted to concentrate on the cigar and my tasting notes.

The Amantes is a big cigar, and when I picked it up, it felt slightly drier than I would normally prefer. I tend to like my cigars with a little more moisture to them, which can make a difference to the feel of the wrapper, the draw and, ultimately, how the cigar performs through the smoke.

For me, the draw was slightly tight to begin with, and the first third felt fairly restrained.

I did use a Perfect Draw tool to help with the draw, but once I’d opened it up, the cigar really came to life, bringing some lovely sweet, floral notes.

It becomes more leathery through the second third — with those flavours particularly enhanced after a sip of whisky.

The final third brought back a touch of sweetness.

Construction was good overall, with a nice, steady build-up of ash.

Towards the very end, after I removed the cigar band, the wrapper started to come undone slightly and the cigar seemed to loosen around the body.

Nothing that ruined the experience, but definitely something I noticed.

And, if I’m being completely honest, it didn’t quite strike me as a typical Romeo y Julieta. But that didn’t take away from the experience. It felt like a real treat to smoke.

My rating: 8.6 out of 10

It hasn’t replaced my favourite Romeo y Julieta. That title still belongs to the Wide Churchill for me. But I really enjoyed the Amantes.

As for when we might see it in the UK, I have no idea what Hunters & Frankau’s current catalogue of upcoming releases looks like. I’ve recently heard that the Punch Princesas is getting a UK release, which I tried when I went to a launch of it in Cyprus, so perhaps the Amantes won’t be too far behind.

With Amantes meaning “lovers” in Spanish, a Valentine’s Day release — perhaps 14 February 2027, 2028 or even 2029 — would certainly make sense. I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

You can find more information about Soho Whisky Club at https://www.sohowhisky.club/