Cigar Review: Regius Exclusivo U.S.A. Red Label

• Vitola: Robusto
• 4.5” x 52 ring gauge 
• MSRP $8.95
• Purchased at Burns Tobacconist

Background

Regius Cigars started as an exclusively European distributed brand based in London, England. Their original lines (Black Label, White Label, etc) are decidedly mild and medium bodied smokes made for the European palate, which is used to Cuban cigars. I’ve had some of those blends and found them to be refined and well-built, but a bit underwhelming for my American palate. A couple years back they decided to make a version of their cigars that would be for the American palate, though…something with the high quality control standards and refinement that they were already known for, but with enough body and edge that it would get wider acceptance in the American market.

I recently had an opportunity to try the “Blue Label” version of the Regius Exclusivo U.S.A. when the owner of the brand came into Burns with one of our local reps, but that line is actually sold out, so the one he gave me is the only one I’ve been able to get my hands on. We did bring in the Red and White Label versions of the Exclusivo U.S.A., though, and I tried them both out to see how they stack up. The Red Label hit me right, so I decided to give it a try.

The Regius Exclusivo U.S.A. Red Label is a Nicaraguan puro, specifically using a wrapper from Jalapa and some filler leaf from Ometepe. While originally released in 4 sizes in 2014, the size I’m having is from a later line expansion and is (I think) the lowest priced vitola. It retails for a $8.95 MSRP. This review is based on the second one I smoked and I purchased it at Burns Tobacconist. I took some background info from Cigar-Coop’s story on the original Exclusivo USA release.

Prelight

All the Regius released follow a pretty standard look and feel with the Regius logo on the main band. Overall, it creates a refined, rich look and that is definitely in play here with the Regius logo rendered in silver on a red background. The secondary band mimics the Cuban Exclusivo branding, stating simply “Exclusivo U.S.A.” The cigar itself appears to have very good quality construction with flat seams, a nice triple cap and an abbreviated pigtail on the cap. The color was a fairly even toasted caramel with a nice oily sheen to it.

I picked up sweeter hay aromas on the wrapper, with a mix of cedar, earth and a little black pepper on the foot. The prelight draw was good. The flavor of the cold draw was a bit muted, but there were notes of cedar, hay and earth in there.

Flavor

I got the Regius Exclusivo USA Red Label fired up and it quickly burst to life with a heavy cedar note up front, along with lesser notes of earth, peanuts, sweet flowers and black pepper. The retrohale was nutty with a red pepper fire behind it. As the first third continued, that flavor profile continued, with the wood playing the dominate role in a medium-plus bodied, creamy smoke.

The second third saw the increase in sweeter flavors, although not so much the floral note that was there at the beginning. The floral stayed, but the increased sweetness came in the form of more of a molasses and dried fruit note. Cedar flavors remained as well.

In the final third, the Regius Exclusivo USA Red Label continued that mix of wood and sweeter flavors, exhibiting an excellent balance. Earthy Nicaraguan notes rode quietly underneath.

Construction

The draw was perfect on this cigar, the ash was solid and the burn line stayed very straight, just needing a couple minor touch-ups. The cigar even stayed lit for 4 or 5 minutes at one point when I had to walk away, which surprised me.

Value

The price tag is at the high end of the “moderate” price range and the cigar itself is a great smoking experience, so I’d call it a good value.

Conclusions

The Regius Exclusivo USA Red Label is a very good cigar that does a very good job of proving excellent balance and complexity with just Nicaraguan tobacco. It doesn’t vary from a medium to medium-plus body, but consistently chugged out thick, oily smoke that was very flavorful and aromatic. I would definitely recommend this to fans of Nicaraguan smokes, especially if you aren’t looking for a powerhouse cigar that is sure to give you a buzz. This is simply a very tasty, elegant cigar.

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10