Wow.  That could be the summary for this entire review.  The "Wow" extends from the ring gauge of the Joya de Nicaragua "Antano 1970" Gran Consul, all the way to the taste.  Our reviewers had plenty of trouble getting over the sheer girth of this cigar, but when it came right down to it, they were up to the task.

You can't doubt Joya de Nicaragua for coming out with the "Antano 1970" series, everybody has their special cigar line.  JdN just may have done it a bit different when they introduced this cigar at the 2002 RTDA show...they may have introduced a cigar that is worthy of the designation.

The shape of the Gran Consul was described in numerous ways by our reviewers...the best summary of these descriptives is "interesting".

"The Joya de Nicaragua Gran Consul is a cigar with an interesting shape.  The size appears to be approximately 5” X 60 with a tapered, torpedo like cap.  This cigar kind of looks like an oversized mini-belicoso.  I liked the look of the Gran Consul.  The cigar is evenly shaped with a medium brown wrapper that has an oily sheen.  The wrapper is slightly veiny."

Quality was good as well, with a very clean burn, firm draw, and almost perfect construction.

"The tapered end lets the smoker have whatever ring gauge he wants in his mouth"

Robust and earthy, the common descriptives we kept hearing.  A cigar that may intimidate some proved to be quite the bosom buddy to most reviewers.

"Wow is this cigar beautiful.  A very full-bodied smoke that packs a lot of flavor into an area that it should darn well be able to."

"BAM!  This cigar smelled and tasted spicy from the first draw.  A quarter of the way into the cigar, BAM!, there was a strong earthy flavor.  Then at about the halfway mark, just when you think this is just another full bodied cigar…  BAM!  Here comes the power.  Buzz factor 7.  The taste is bold and young.  The #0302 gets a B+ in the taste dept.

Maybe this is an Emeril cigar.   BAM!  The character of this cigar hit me in waves.  BAM!  The spicy flavor and aroma.  BAM!  The earthiness.  BAM!  The power.  My tongue was numb from the spiciness, although the spicy finish was a plus.  I was surprised when I started to get a little buzz at the cigar’s midpoint that turned into a medium sized buzz by the end.  The power added a dimension that many of the full bodied cigars of today lack."

So now your thinking, "with all these great comments about the cigar, why only an B+?"  Fair question, some of the answers we got back the reviewers included a slightly hot smoke, a youthful taste, and a bit of over-aggressiveness.  Minor flaws, but flaws of youth none the less.  If we were to review these cigars after another year in the humidor, we may be smoking an "A".

Needless to say, highly recommended, and at their price, a regular steal.