I picked this cigar up while nosing through the humi at my favorite New Orleans B&M, I knew nothing about it at the time except that it had been made by A.J. Fernandez. A.J. Fernandez usually means that I will like the cigar, but I have had some that I did not care for. The proprietor of the establishment couldn't tell me much about the cigar, but I liked the looks of it, so I decided to grab some. Smoking a cigar that you know nothing about can be a real leap of faith, and I have many more of these leaps lead to disaster than I have had lead to nirvana.
The cigar itself is a bit too thick for me, it is well established that I much prefer the thinner ring gauge cigars, but sadly there just aren't that many new cigars that offer a thin ring vitola and if they do B&M's don't seem to carry them. Note to B&M's; you are letting smokers like me down! The wrapper is beautiful, smooth and supple with a light brown coloration like a lightly creamed coffee. There are very few veins and it is very inviting visually. The band work is simple, yet interesting. An examination does not lead me to believe that there will be any issues with the smoke as it seems solidly constructed. The pre light aroma is a heady mix of spice and fruit. The pre light draw shows pepper and wood.
The cigar opens with a profile that shows scads of depth and complexity. The main flavors are cinnamon, citrus and light tobacco. The mix of these flavors is sublime in the opening moments of the smoke. At the back of the palate there are savory and satisfying flavors of light wood and black pepper. The mix and balance of this total profile is extremely rewarding early on. The draw is a little bit tight, but I can perceptibly feel it loosen up as it goes on. The burn is right on the money and the ash is very solid.
The first half of the cigar loses some of the opening depth, but is still a very solid presentation of flavor. The core profile settles into a more relaxed presentation of cinnamon and light coffee, there are hints of light tobacco flavor here as well, but I would have liked more to add further depth. At the back of the palate a more intense flavor of wood has come on strong, but it overpowers some of the nuance from earlier in the smoke. The draw continues to improve as the smoke progresses. The burn is still very solid.
The final half of the cigar really touches all the bases for me. There is a significant increase in strength in the back portion of the cigar, something that I don't experience much any more, and it is very refreshing and exciting to have in this cigar. The profile shows excellent flavors of cinnamon, leather, coffee and tobacco and the mix is deep and complex. I really like when a cigar saves a surprise or two for the closing gambit, and in this case that leather flavor is a real kicker. The back of the palate shows excellent and balanced flavors of wood and some light earth in the closing moments. The draw is now firing on all cylinders and the experience is made more enjoyable because of it. The burn is solid through to the end.
The finish is long and smooth and shows some wood and leather notes well into the night.
Appearance- 92 a very attractive smoke
Taste- 94 an excellent profile that loses out on being classic due to some slippage in the first half
Construction- 91 some points reduced due to early tightness in the draw
Strength- 93 this was magnificent, transitioning from medium to full as the smoke went on
Overall- 92.5 a fabulous smoking experience that I would commend to any full flavor enthusiast
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