Joya de Nicaragua Black Swan Corona

Purchased: 5-pack Corona (6 X 46)
Store: CigarPage.com
Price: $26.25
Buy Again:
Box Worthy:
Experience Rating: 95

I’ve always found CigarPage’s idea of the Black Swan very cool, collaborating with different manufacturers, giving them some rare tobacco to work with, then producing a unique blend, their version of the Black Swan. Thus far, CP has worked with Oliva, Rocky Patel, EP Carrillo, and with this latest version, Joya de Nicaragua, which is what I’ll be discussing here.

Up to this point for me, the Oliva Black Swan was my favorite of the line. The RP and EPC versions were good, but not quite at the level of the Oliva. But to be fair to the other two, it was clear that they were rolled to be more age-worthy, especially the EPC (I still have one stewing that I’ll smoke in a few months). On the other hand, the Oliva Black Swan was approachable immediately, but it aged out after just a few months.

So now we come to the JDN Black Swan. I’ve had a couple of these so far, and I can unequivocably say that I like – a lot!

Let these rest at least a month before having one! It’ll be a night and day experience!

Pre-light, the construction is solid with no soft spots or depressions. The wrapper, while smooth, is a little rustic with small veins visible. And that wrapper has a thin sheen of oil that exudes some amazing aromas of dried apricot, golden raisins, dark honey and fresh-cut grass.

I give the cigar a punch and I immediately get a grassy, vegetal flavor, accompanied by dried apricot on the cold draw. Wow!

Light-up has been exciting for me with both the cigars I’ve had thus far. I get this funky shiitake mushroom-like flavor right off the bat. The smoke is slightly vegetal after that, then is followed up by the classic Nicaraguan black pepper with a little cayenne.

As the cigar progresses into the first third, there’s more of the vegetal, wet grass and earthy element. It’s very subtle. The smoke has become creamy and smooth and is a solid medium in body and strength. The spice has calmed down from the initial hit, but it’s ever-present, making my mouth tingle; quite pleasingly I might add. But the amazing thing I can taste is something akin to a yeasty, fruity danish. It’s not that it’s sweet, but it reminds me of biting into one of those Entemann’s danishes that you can get at grocery stores in the US. Nicotine is very low at this point (spoiler alert: It never gets out of hand).

As I get into the second third, the cigar is finding its legs. It’s incredibly balanced, with a creamy, smooth texture that coats all the nooks and crannies in my mouth. That funky, fungus-like flavor picks up a little, and light espresso and Hershey’s cocoa powder enter the fray. The spiciness has moved to the finish. I’m loving it. The fruity danish flavor is gone, but that has been replaced by a slight sourdough twang – very Cubaneque.

The halfway point is where the cigar really hits its stride. All the flavors I mentioned above have come to play and the cigar starts to transition, revolving around a base of earthiness and red pepper spice. But I need to say that the spice is not at all prominent – it’s just there. A nuttiness and some marzipan have also entered the picture. Very nice.

As for the transitions, despite them, it’s not a complex cigar in that each puff doesn’t have a plethora of assorted flavors. But it’s very enjoyable, nonetheless. That the cigar is doing that at all is amazing to me.

The final third sees more of the same from the halfway point, with the spiciness picking up ever so slightly. The transitions have slowed but that funky, mushroom-like flavor has transformed into funky, cheesy taste that’s akin to a well-aged Camembert cheese. Strength is just on the verge of medium+. This is a damn delicious cigar! Okay, I’m going to shut up and savor the rest it!

Total smoke time for me is around 1:15.

So, what’s my verdict compared to the Oliva Black Swan? Though I love the Oliva, I think this cigar provides a better balance of approachability and ageability. I truly believe this will get much better with time. So, I think this one edges out the Oliva by a hair even though I’d probably give both the same experience rating. They’re both very pleasing to me, but the JDN just hits right with me!

Update 10/22/2025: After I wrote the original review, I bought a bunch from CigarPage and let them sit for a month. With just a few weeks of age, the cigar has been even better than when I first reviewed it. Yup, this confirms my first thoughts that this was made for long-term aging. I’ve got a few that I’ve put in my long-term storage box that I hide from plain sight. I’m looking forward to seeing how well it ages in the coming months to year.