Tag Archives: aj fernandez

by CigarCraig | July 16, 2015 · 11:50 am

Packing for IPCPR, Some Emilio Cigars, a Regius, a Aging Room and a New World Connecticut

I’m frantically packing and readying for the trip to New Orleans tomorrow, but I figured while my new shed is being built in the back yard I’d recap some great cigars I smoked this week. Who knows what I’ll smoke over the next four or five days, and I haven’t loaded the travel humidor up yet. I will probably take an assortment of favorites as I won’t be taking notes on many cigar I smoke while I’m there. Anyway, Sunday I drove down to the Wooden Indian in Havertown, PA to meet Alex, our local House of Emilio rep and the son of the owner there. The Wooden Indian apparently cornered the market on Emilio‘s Grimalkin line, which was replaced by La Musa a few years ago, supposedly just re-named. I picked up a few torpedos and smoked one there. This cigar has aged well, it was made at the My Father factory, a well-known secret that I imagine it’s OK to spill since the Grimalkin brand is no more. Smooth, tasty and well-balanced sum up this smoke. When I got home I smoked another cigar from the Emilio line up, the Mia Dora. This is a stronger smoke, rich flavors of tobacco and well made. I’ll certainly see Alex and the House of Emilio brands at the show.

Since I’m on vacation, I had a three-day work week, which means cramming 5 days of work in, and Monday was a bit stressful. A month or so ago Cigar-Coop send me some cigar in an unnecessary reciprocation for me sharing some Inca Secret Blends with him. One of the cigars he sent was a Fat Perfecto from Regius‘ Exclusivo U.S.A. line. This cigar is a 60 ring by 5½” cigar in basically the same shape as the Feral Flying Pig, closed on both ends with a coiled “bun” type of pigtail cap. I really enjoyed the refined flavors in this cigar. It wasn’t strong, but loaded with flavor and burned well. It had a great balance, and even I could appreciate the nuances and delicate flavors. The is a classy stick, many thanks to Will for sharing this one with me.

Not wanting to stress out my palate for the upcoming trip, I decided to go Connecticut shade for a few days. I smoked an Aging Room Havao Tuesday, which I had picked up when I saw Rafael Nodal at Cigar Mojo last month. This cigar is a fine example of a Connecticut (Ecuador, they almost all are now), cigar with a lot of flavor. I’ve really enjoyed this cigar before, I guess that’s why I bought a handful at the event. They aren’t priced badly either. This is another terrific shade wrapped cigar, as well as the next one!

Last night I took my wife out for her birthday, and when we got home I took a walk with an AJ Fernandez New World Connecticut. Once again, we have an Ecuador Connecticut cigar that isn’t bland, mild and boring! This one was actually a bit stronger than the afor-mentioned Havao. Loads of smoke, plenty of flavor, and quite easy on the eyes! This cigar, as well as the original New World, can easily become staples in the humidor, and aren’t badly priced either. I am really looking forward to dropping by their booth this year, even though AJ doesn’t speak much English, he’s always gracious and he makes some damned fine cigars! Many thanks again to Gabriel for sharing these, and I look forward to seeing him again at the show too!

I can only hope the cigars I smoke at the show are as enjoyable as these last several were. It’s really getting harder and harder to find crappy cigars now days. Even cigars I don’t particularly care for are quite good, it’s been a while since I’ve had a poorly made cigar, and they all seem to have some redeeming qualities. Pray the FDA doesn’t come a long and goof everything up!

Until the next time, which really will be from the IPCPR show,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Aging Room, aj fernandez, cigar, cigars, connecticut, Emilio, Grimalkin, Havao, Mia Dora, Regius

by CigarCraig | May 17, 2015 · 12:12 pm

La Aurora Preferido and Puro Vintage and an A.J. Fernandez New World

Of course, I smoked a bunch of great cigars this week. One that was interesting was an old production La Sirena Trident that I smoked in response to Lonnie, who won the last La Sirena contest I held. He got a sourdough bread note and wanted to know if I got anything like that. It turns out he was right, there is a pleasant sour flavor that I couldn’t put a name too that I really enjoyed. It’s always interesting when someone names a flavor and you taste it too. Whether it’s the power of suggestion or simply putting a name to a flavor, I thought it was pretty cool. I still need to sit down and compare the new Trident to the old, but when do I have time to smoke two Churchill size cigars back to back (or at the same time!). I also smoked the Rocky Patel Prohibition Mexican again this week and enjoyed the flavor, although there was a bit of a void in the filler that made it burn a little funky. I will have to get a few more and try to settle my internal debate on which version I like better, the Mexican or the Broadleaf. Maybe I don’t need to decide…

A.J. Fernandez came out with the New World last year and it has been very well received. It’s priced well and it’s a great tasting cigar, so there’s really no surprise. Apparently Abdel and his father, Ismael Fernandez collaborated on this blend, which is a Nicaraguan puro, with tobacco from Jalapa, Condega, Esteli and Ometepe. The New World Brute is a store exclusive for Serious Cigars in Houston, Texas, and is a 6″ x 66, which sounds pretty bug, but the box press makes it feel smaller ( more like a 60, still pretty big). Everything”s bigger in Texas, right? This cigar was only about a week in the humidor, but I had been eyeing an Almirante for a few weeks so I felt compelled to smoke this, and I’ve seen a couple other sites featuring this cigar in the last week or so, so I figured I’d jump on the bandwagon. First off, it’s every bit as tasty as it’s smaller siblings. I got a hint of some ammonia near the end, which I’m sure some more humidor time will fix. It’s a great cigar with rich coffee and chocolate flavors that I really enjoy, with a hint of a peppery spice. I’d definitely keep these in my humidor, but they take up so much darned space!

A few weeks ago at another vendor’s event at my local Cigar Cigars store, I noticed a basket on the counter as I was checking out that had La Aurora Corojos in the Preferido No.2 size for $5. I grabbed two, and am a little disappointed that I didn’t empty the basket. First off, it’s a fun size to smoke. Its a classic perfecto shape, tapered on both ends and fat in the middle. These are stated as 5″ x 54, have a barrel aged Dominican Corojo wrapper. Remember when you couldn’t grow wrapper in the DR? Anyway, this cigar burned perfectly, and had whatever that flavor that is classic La Aurora that I can’t put a name to, isn’t really my favorite, but I know and appreciate it when I smoke a cigar from this great factory. Like I said, I’m kicking myself for not picking up more when I had the chance, because this was a terrific $5 cigar, and probably pretty darned great at $9 or $10 too. Being the cheap bastid that I am, I have picked up some great cigars on Cigar Cigars’s closeout area over the last year or two, always pays to check that section out in your local shop if they have one.

Yesterday I smoked a new cigar in La Aurora‘s Puro Vintage series, the 111th anniversary Puro Vintage 2006. My only experience with the Puro Vintage line is the 2003, which is the cigar I smoke on the occasion of the birth of my granddaughters. I have two left in the humidor, but I don’t anticipate any more granddaughters in the foreseeable future. This tradition started when my first granddaughter was born, and La Aurora president Guillermo Leon happened to be visiting the Wooden Indian in the same town my daughter lives. Chris Lenzo, our local Miami Cigar and Co. rep generously gifted me a 2003 to mark the occasion.I since picked up a few more and smoked one when granddaughter two was born. Important to note that my daughter is named Aurora, which is one of the reasons the brand has a special place in my heart. The 2006 is a Salamone shape, tapered at each end, and is limited to 1500 boxes of 18 cigars. The wrapper is Ecuador HVA (Habano Vuelta Ariba), Brazilian binder and fillers from Dominican Republic, Brazil and Nicaragua. I smoked the first half of this example walking with my wife and dog on a nearby trail the the rest while relaxing on my back porch. When ever I think of the Puro Vintage line, I think of Barry Stein saying he tastes sunflower seeds (the 2003, in specific), and I understand the sensation, and I get that with this 2006. It’s a very flavorful and exceptional cigar, definitely good for two or more great hours of enjoyment. It’s got a hint of sweetness and had nice, bright flavors that are enjoyable and intriguing. This is a great special occasion cigar, and yesterday’s special occasion was that I got to smoke this cigar! Thanks to Jason Wood and Gabriel Piñeres for allowing me the pleasure.

That’s about it for today. Not sure what the next couple weeks will bring as I have root canals scheduled for the next two Wednesdays. I can’t imagine that will bring too many restrictions, but I might not be in top form. I’ve never had a root canal, so I have no idea what to expect. I’ll do my best to continue doing whatever it is I do here!

That’s it for now! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as aj fernandez, cigar, cigars, Corojo, La Aurora, Miami Cigar and Co, New World, Preferido, Puro Vintage

by CigarCraig | November 2, 2014 · 9:34 am

A Cigar-Mojo/Rocky Patel Event, a Perdomo and a New A.J. Fernandez Cigar

Thursday evening was the first anniversary party at Cigar Mojo in King of Prussia, PA and they combined it with a Rocky Patel event with a Halloween costume contest. Mark Weisenburger (pictured, from his Facebook page) was present pimping the Rocky Patel line so I picked up a couple of the Vintage 2003 Cameroon robustos and lit one up. They were also featuring Alan Price’s cigar that he blended at Rocky Patel’s factory. Alan works part time at Mojo and is our area Cigar Rights of America Ambassador. I picked up a couple of these as well, it’ll be interesting to see how he did blending this cigar. Interestingly, it’s about the same size as the last cigar I blended at Drew Estate last year, a chunky toro in the 6″ x 54 range. Anyway, there was a big crowd for a Thursday evening, and regulars Bruce and Arline won the costume contest. I’m sure the party went into the night, but I excused myself when I was done with my cigar to go home and watch the Flyers losing effort. Congrats to Wade and Trae at Mojo for an excellent first year. They are doing a great job in selection and service. It’s a great place to hang out.

Friday was Halloween, and we don’t have any kids come to our house trick or treating. It’s a matter of where we currently live, not any commentary on who we are or anything. There is a neighborhood around the corner where I always take Macha for a walk and there are a handful of kids who mostly have met Macha and love seeing her. I grabbed a Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro Corona Grande for the evening walk, and Macha had fun seeing the kids (she loves kids, they taste good!). The Corona Grande is a 6½” x 48 that was the creation of Nick Perdomo III. For me it’s the best size of the bunch, for both the representation of the blend and the comfort of smoking it. It’s a smooth, rich maduro with a hint of espresso bitterness, which I like. I know, I should have smoked a Tatuaje Monster, or a Gurkha Ghost, or even an Asylum Ogre or something cliche, but I was in the mood for the Perdomo, so that’s what I smoked!

Saturday we spent the morning gutting the family room in the new house. We had taken out the carpet and padding to have the asbestos tile removed, so what better time to take the paneling off! Of course, it was just paneling over a thin vapor barrier and cinder block and brick, so we have some insulating and dry-walling to do. Best to get it done before having carpet installed! It’ll be a great space once it’s done, and directly adjacent to the screened in cigar porch! After getting that done I took a quick spin over to Goose’s Tobacco in Limerick, PA to pick up and pay for the box of Asylum Straight Jacket Robustos I won in the Operation: Cigars for Warriors silent auction at the Smokin Goose festival last month. Always happy to support OP:CFW, thank you to Goose’s and Asylum Cigars for their contribution to that fine organization. When I got home I took a walk with A.J. Fernandez’s newest offering, the New World in a box pressed belicoso size called the Almirante. The New World is the first cigar that A.J. made together with his father, Ismeal, and is a Nicaragua Puro, with tobaccos from all over the country, including Ometepe. This medium bodied cigar burned perfectly and had really nice sweet spicy flavor. Considering I paid somewhere under $6 each for these at JM Cigars in Exton, PA, this is an absolute must try.

That’s all for now. We’ve got to visit Home Depot or Lowe’s and look into some room finishing options and come up with a plan. Then I’ll be digging into the humidor once again looking for something fun to smoke. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as aj fernandez, cigar, Cigar Mojo, cigar store, cigars, Goose's, Perdomo, rocky patel

by CigarCraig | March 26, 2014 · 8:01 pm

An Undercrown, A Six-Zero, a Nomad and a San Lotano Cigar

At some point last week, probably Friday, I grabbed an Undercrown Gordito from the Drew Estate Humidor and took it out for a walk. I enjoy the undercrown line, especially the Corona Viva, but there are some sizes I like better than others. This 6” x 60 turns out to be one of my favorites oddly enough (not including the Viva, which is a slightly different blend). Of course, I love the San Andrés wrapper, and I feel like the larger girth smooths out the blend for me. This was an eminently enjoyable cigar that was hard to put down. It was rich with a little bite to let you know you’re smoking something great. I continue to be a fan of this cigar.

Sunday evening I wanted something enjoyable but unchallenging, if that makes sense. Sometimes you just want to grab a cigar and enjoy it without thinking about it. A month or so ago a picked up a fiver of Six-Zero Robolo’s from BestCigarPrices.com. This is a 4½x60 San Andrés wrapped cigar made for BCP by Boutique Blends. While I haven’t sampled a lot of the Boutique Blends products, this is my favorite. I really enjoy the medium strength and full flavor of this fat rubusto (or short Gordo?). These are a no-brainer at around $3 each for flavor, construction and burn. As I said, I purchased these, they weren’t provided for review. I dig these cigars, I’d buy a bundle in a heartbeat.

Monday I selected possibly the most appropriately named cigar for my evening walk, the Nomad Vagabond. I purchased this nice little Dominican perfecto last year at the end of my vacation week after I came home from Nicaragua. Fred Rewey (@Godfadr) of Nomad Cigars was at a local shop (The Wooden Indian) along with the Ezra Zion guys and Nate McIntyre of Team Emilio. It was technically an Ezra Zion event, but I had to buy a handful of Fred’s cigars as well. This is a really nice, smooth Dominican cigar with hints of sweetness and a really nice draw, at least after I cut it a second time. Funny thing, I gave it a little snip with my Xikar scissors and it was fine, but about an inch into the cigar it kinda clogged. Very strange, but once I cut another eighth of an inch off it drew fine! This is a neat shape, very fun and enjoyable to smoke. I think this is the best in the Dominican line I’ve smoked.

Tuesday I wanted a sure thing, and I happened to come across a lonely San Lotano Maduro Robusto. I think I bought this a couple years ago at an AJ Fernandez event at another shop in Lancaster, PA. I really like this blend, and the box pressed robusto really worked well. It possessed my favorite aesthetic feature in a cigar, a nice, flat coal. I know what you’re thinking, again with the San Andrés wrapper, but what can I say, I’ve been in the mood for that flavor this week. This Robusto is 5½ x 54 and is sweet and creamy with a hint of spice. I have trouble finding anything wrong with most of AJ Fernandez’ work. I had actually thought earlier in the day that I wish I had a Man ‘O War Dark Aged Maduro, so when I saw this San Lotano I knew it was the one.

That’s about all I have this time around! I’m REALLY looking forward to consistently warm weather! I certainly won’t be complaining that it’s too hot this summer after the winter we’ve had! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as aj fernandez, cigar, cigars, drew estate, Nomad, san lotano, Six Zero, undercrown

by CigarCraig | December 26, 2012 · 9:26 am

Winner of Day 13 of CigarCraig’s 12 Spectacular Days of Cigar Giveaways!

We’ve finally reached the end of this amazing journey. It was a wild ride, and I’d go so far as to say that this was one of the best cigar related contests out there. Over the course of two weeks we gave away 265 cigars and a bunch of t-shirts, hats, cutters, ashtrays and even a lighter. I could never have pulled off such an enormous project on my own, so I have to thank some people before I announce the final winner for 2012. First my wife, Jennifer, who puts up with my insanity, moderates the new comments while I’m at work and is my greatest supporter. Thank you for making this year great. Of course the sponsors need thanking for offering all the great stuff we had to give away. They are:

StogieBoys.com

Foundry Cigars/General Cigar Co.

Tobaccos Mata Fina USA

United Cigar Retailers

Villiger Cigars North America

CAO Cigars/General Cigar Co.

Oliva Cigars

Drew Estate

All of these folks provided an unprecedented amount of wonderful stuff. Thank you to all of them for their participation! The next group that I want to thank are you, my readers! Without you I’d just be doing all of this for my own amusement, and I get tired of my same old jokes! Thanks to all who entered the contests. I hope some of you stick around as I wander through my cigar journey.

DE_Undercrown So, once again I’ve been torturing you with minutia, when all you really want to know is if you won the box of Drew Estate Undercrown and all of the associated goodies that come with it! We had 98 entries and Random.org selected 87. By my count that is cigarsonist. Please send me your contact information so I can ship all this stuff off to you!

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, etc. I’ll be back on Sunday, maybe I’ll put together a list of my favorites of the past year, or something like that. Hard to say what I may pull out of my sleeve!

Until then,

CigarCraig