Bodega Premium Blends were launched in 2013 and are now distributed by the illustrious House of Emilio. The theme chosen to promote the brand is a common one in the cigar world: friendship, fellowship, and brotherhood of the leaf.

The company has a strong presence in social media — Facebook, Twitter, and a well-kempt website. The Aperitivo and Digestivo blends are cigars designed in tandem to mimic the roles that cocktails or liqueurs usually play in the culinary sphere. The Aperitivo is a lighter cigar with a Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper, while the Digestivo features a hearty San Andres Maduro. These bodacious Bodegas are packaged in boxes containing both blends — 10 of each — and they are produced in three sizes:

• Toro – 6 x 52
• Double Robusto – 5 x 54
• Corona Gorda – 5 1/2 x 46

Both of these Bodegas are attractive and solid, with nicely finished, rounded heads. Both burn slowly, evenly, and leave a firm ash. The only difference in appearance, aside from the band, is that the Aperitivo has a dark colorado maduro wrapper with a little gloss to it, while the Digestivo looks like a more classic maduro.

Overall construction: Independently and collectively excellent.

As the preprandial cigar, the Aperitivo is a suitably lighter smoke than the Digestivo. It opens with some cedar and a shake of powdered sugar sweetness. The smoke texture is smooth, but not light. Despite the mellow timbre of the smoke there’s still some chew here.

As it burns the aroma becomes noticeably floral — violets maybe — with just a touch of spice on the nose. In the next section the cigar picks up some earthy notes but remains light on the palate. The scale tips toward cedar and away from the floral flavors until the last third, where light roasted coffee flavors take over. Some sweetness lingers even into the last part of the cigar, which is a nice change of pace for me. The aftertaste is quite mild even to the end, which is very much appreciated by the chef preparing your meal. (Assuming your chef is not working up a sweat in the local taqueria.)

After the champagne has been drained and the capon consumed, the Digestivo arrives to put everything in place. It is naturally a heavier cigar, though the weight is concentrated in its flavor rather than its smoke texture or nicotine payload. The opening flavors are tangy, but still sweet — though not sweet in the light and floral manner of the Aperitivo. Licorice and cherry notes emerge at times through a spicy aroma. The flavor on the palate is crisp, almost minty, but with a Nicaraguan bite. Chocolate predominates in the last third, as the San Andres Maduro wrapper insists on having its say.

Conclusion

Both of these Bodega Reunion cigars are excellent smokes, but I particularly enjoyed the complexity of the Aperitivo. With its mild aftertaste it fulfills its role as an aperitif, but it could also serve as an opulent morning cigar.

The Digestivo is much richer, and more appropriate as an after-dinner smoke, but it also exhibits more complexity than the average maduro. Not to mention they both showed flawless construction qualities.

But this complexity and quality comes with a price: $10 USD a pop. I liked the Digestivo just fine, but for a special occasion when a cigar before dinner is on the menu, I’ll be looking for the Reunion Aperitivo.

For another opinion, be sure to check out Jeff’s review  of these blends at Casas Fumando.