AJ Fernandez

New World Almirante

With a Sazerac

Over the last several cigars, I’ve found myself a fan of AJ’s work. This was my first figurado of his, but I had no qualms about trying it and expecting excellence. To start, the wrapper looked nice. It was a rich, dark brown, maduro wrapper. Like other AJs, this one was box pressed, and I usually enjoy a good box pressed cigar. I also appreciate a foot band, and this stick had a decent one. It smelled of barnyard and coffee once it was out of the cellophane. For most of the figurados I smoke, I typically V cut, and this was no different. Cap held up nicely. Upon light up I got notes of toasted wood (oak), cedar, dark coffee, and dark chocolate, with black pepper and cocoa on the retrohale. The draw was okay, but I found it to be a little too loose. The ash was initially bright and non-flaky. Getting into the first third and the burn started to get wavy. All the same, the flavor notes were a good amount of dark chocolate and charred wood. A new note popped up of wheat bread, but the darker, more robust flavors were still most prominent. Then the ash started to flake and before long the burn canoed. Around the end of the first third, the flavors mellowed and blended better. In the second third I noticed middle strength, but bold flavors. It was also at this point that I realized that the finish wasn’t long, or at least not as long as I wanted. That, and it was smoking fast, probably because of loose draw. At that point, the dominant flavors were earth and leather, and it didn’t change very much. Once the burn reached the wrapper, it came off easy. Toward the end of the third the spice kicked up and the strength did too. The retrohale notes stayed the same. For all of the burn issues that occurred, I will say they each corrected on their own. The final third had the same flavor notes plus floral and citrus. That was interesting. They weren’t obvious, but they were noticeable. The tobacco dominant notes came through with an inch left on the stick, but it was not bitter. Overall, this was a good cigar, but oddly enough it’s my least favorite of AJ’s.

Just like all the other AJF cigars I’ve tried, this one is fantastic! The perfect smoke for a ea afternoon 💨👌