AJ Fernandez New World Connecticut Belicoso

A pleasant, mild, 6 x54, Belicoso.

Appearance and Construction: Nicely made belicoso with smooth US Connecticut wrapper and Mexican San Andreas Binder. Wrapper tore on removing the binder but burn was not affected.

First Puff: A little spice but that soon faded

Draw and Burn: Easy draw and consistent, albeit fast, burn.

Flavour and Complexity: A typical, mild, Connecticut flavour, not much complexity.

Body: Mild to almost medium at times.

Strength: A little strength towards the second half added a little interest to the otherwise mild fare.

Finish and Aftertaste: Nice salty aftertaste. Finish was medium. Nothing lingering.

Aroma: Occasional whiffs of the sweet, light, Pinar del Rio aroma.

Ash: Loose but held on for 15 minute intervals

Balance and Consistency: A nice balance of mild flavour, mild plus body and a bit of strength at the end.

Time smoke: 60 minutes 

Overall: Fast smoking, pleasantly mild but not lacking flavour. Compared to the San Lotano Connecticut, a little milder and not as satisfying. Let's see what future cigars from this box bring. 

Blonde, mild, quite tasty. A pleasant 60 minutes.

October 11th, 2022: I have now had three or four of these cigars. They are all consistently good: excellent burn and draw. They start out mild to medium but with quite a complex flavour and delicious aroma. They build to a crescendo of flavour and while still medium bodied, there is quite a kick of strength at the end. 70 minutes. Very satisfying. 

November 28th, 2022: Mild to medium bodied but very tasty with a salty flavour. No discernible strength. Easy draw and perfect burn. 70 minutes and very satisfying.

January 26th, 2023: Much the same as above.

February 18th, 2023: This one seemed more mild than the others; otherwise similar easy draw and 70 minute burn. The lack of body made it pleasant, but not very satisfying.

December 7th, 2023: Pleasant, mild to medium, easy draw, good burn. No crescendo of flavour as with Oct 2022, nor did strength increase. Quite satisfying though. 

AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Gordo

This is a 6 x 60 box pressed, Cameroon wrapped, Nicaraguan cigar, very similar in profile to the double robusto, but not as full bodied

Appearance and Construction: Light in the hand, box pressed, Cameroon wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler. I noted a spike on the first ashing which might have resulted in a tighter draw.

First Puff: Mild

Draw and Burn: Burn was fine throughout, draw was a little resistant, despite the light packing of the cigar. 

Flavour and Complexity: Cameroon flavour was quite distinct. Otherwise, a medium roast, cocoa flavour. Not as complex as the robusto.

Body: Medium 

Strength: A little strength towards the final third.

Finish and Aftertaste: Good long finish and pleasant cocoa aftertaste.

Aroma: A light but fleeting aroma, pleasant but not intense

Ash: unremarkable, held on twenty minutes.

Balance and Consistency: Balanced and consistent, perhaps lacking a bit of body.

Time smoke: 90 minutes

Overall: Quite satisfying.

Same 90 minute smoking time, but less complex than the robusto

October 16th, 2022: Much the same as the previous cigar with the same proviso: not as complex as the robusto. Around 90 minutes. Quite satisfying. 

April 1st, 2023: A much milder version of the double robusto, both in flavour and body. Easy draw and burn. Pleasant at 90 minutes.

AJ Fernandez New World Almirante Belicoso

This is a 5.5 inch x 55 Belicoso. It resembles the Navegante Robusto but for the tapered head.

Appearance and Construction: Similar to the Robusto but for the tapered head. This cigar felt quite heavy in the hand. It was well packed and had a slight resistance.

First Puff: First puff was quite rough: not much complexity, not much spice. It was not encouraging, but first puffs can be deceiving.

Draw and Burn: Draw was a little resistant, but not too resistant. Burn was perfect. 

Flavour and Complexity: After the first half centimetre flavour mellowed out to a very smooth maduro flavour, dark roast, woody, earthy and with adequate complexity. There was a little pepper, but it did not dominate.

Body: Body hovered around the medium to medium plus level.

Strength: Strength did not pose a problem.

Finish and Aftertaste: Good, long, delicious aftertaste.

Aroma: The aroma was one of the finest points: incredibly rich and intense. Five stars for the aroma.

Ash: Held on admirably.

Balance and Consistency: Excellent balance of body, flavour, strength, finish and aroma

Time smoke: 90 minutes, which goes to show, size doesn't always correlate to smoking time. 

Overall: Very satisfying. Aroma was outstanding. 

September 5th, 2022: A bit mild at the outset, with woody flavour dominating, but the cigar picked up body, flavour and aroma towards the second third and was quite satisfying, finishing with excellent complexity. It lasted a good 90 minutes plus. Quite satisfying. 

September 23rd, 2022: I sat in the cool mountain air with an old friend in Liezey, Aslace and smoked one of these cigars. It was delicious and unputdownable; full rich, aroma, excellent after taste, slow burn. 90 minutes. Very satisfying.

October 22nd, 2022: Another fine example of this reliable blend. Very smooth, mellow, yet complex medium bodied maduro. 80 minutes. Very satisfying. 

May 8th, 2024: I've had many of these and nearly finished the box, but somehow neglected to write them up. This one was as good as the rest: sweet, dark roast maduro, smooth, medium to full body, fine aroma, excellent draw and burn. 90 minutes. Very satisfying.

AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Double Robusto

August 16th, 2022: I was expecting something milder, given my experience with the Oliva Serie G Churchill. The Oliva is quite a mild to medium cigar. The first AJ New World Cameroon that I tried from the box was anything but mild. It was medium bodied, as with other members of the New World brand, but it had quite a bit of strength - all in a balanced and satisfying way. 

Appearance and Construction: This is a 5.5 inch 55 gauge Nicaraguan binder and filler with a Cameroon Wrapper. It is box pressed and has quite a spicy pre-light aroma.

First Puff: Quite full flavoured, spicy and reminiscent of the New World.

Draw and Burn: Perfect draw and burn. 

Flavour and Complexity: Excellent, rich, quite complex, flavour reminiscent of the New World Navegante Robusto but with a slight Cameroon trace.

Body: Medium body throughout. Perhaps medium plus. 

Strength: Strength built quite substantially. It was quite a surprise, but it was balanced and added to the complexity of the cigar. 

Finish and Aftertaste: Good, spicy aftertaste

Aroma: Rich aroma

Ash: Ash held on quite well for 25-30 minutes initially, then 20 minute intervals. 

Balance and Consistency: Excellent balance of flavour, body and strength. 

Time smoke: 90 minutes

Overall: Very impressive. The cigar was almost indistinguishable from the vanilla New World. I had to pay attention to the fact that there was a Cameroon wrapper. A major difference was the building strength. Yes, I had a few crazy nicotine dreams. I often find the first cigar out of the box is strong. It will be interesting to see whether the next few samples are as strong. I hope so. Very satisfying. 

Excellent, 90 minute, medium plus body, full of flavour and a nice kick of strength.

August 22nd, 2022: Although less than a week had passed since my first dip into this box, I couldn't resist. Did I want to confirm my impressions from the week before or did I merely want a delicious cigar; or both. Anyway, it was delicious: a wonderful balance of good medium-roast flavour with a hint of Cameroon, medium to medium plus body, but no great spice content, excellent aroma albeit more subdued than the New World simpliciter; excellent aftertaste and perfect burn and draw. What more could one want? Very satisfying. 90 minutes - unusual for a robusto. 

At the half hour mark. This was a slow burning cigar. Aftertaste was so satisfying that one could leave the cigar for a few minutes, and it didn't go out.

August 29th, 2022: These are difficult to resist. Fortunately I have ordered a box of the Gordo size. This cigar was much the same as the previous with a remarkable burst of intense aroma around the final third which was so intense I had to move the cigar away. That didn't last long and the cigar ended with a loss of complexity by around the last inch. I left it there at 90 minutes. Very satisfying.

September 22nd: Another excellent example of the blend; slow burning, a good tinge of distinctive Cameroon flavour. It started medium and ended medium-plus. I left it at 90 minutes with quite a large nub. Very satisfying. 

November 11th, 2022: Similar to the previous: 90 minutes. Very satisfying full bodied, well balanced, easy draw, good aroma.

November 30th, 2022: Another very smooth, mellow, medium bodied with a a nice spicy start and easy draw. 90 minutes and good to the nub.

January 10th and February 2nd: Wonderfully smooth and mellow during the first half, with excellent aroma, but quite a bit of strength developing in the second half. The one I had last night (Feb 2nd) had quite a punch in the final third. Very satisfying around 80 - 90 minutes.

February 27th, 2023: No strength in this cigar: medium plus all the way. Excellent burn and draw; smooth, complex with fine aroma. 90 minutes. Very satisfying. 

March 27th, 2023: No great strength but wonderful complexity and flavour. Very satisfying. 90 minutes.

One of the tastiest AJ Fernandez offerings

September 28th, 2023. The last couple of these have been a bit lacking in flavour and body. Pleasant, at best and more like the Gordo, which was not as satisfying as the Double Robusto.

December 25th: Quite satisfying: complex throughout with perhaps a little diminution of body after the first inch, but the cigar soon recovered. Burn was a bit wonky and ash was spikey. 60 minutes. 

Punch Short de Punch

July 24th, 2022

This is an almost 5 x 50 robusto (4.75"). It is full bodied, smooth with developing strength.

Appearance and Construction: A mottled, medium dark wrapper which is thin enough to see the binder below, giving a slightly rough appearance.

First Puff: reveals a smooth, full bodied Cuban flavour.

Draw and Burn: Excellent throughout

Flavour and Complexity: Very rich and complex, yet not a hint of bitterness at any point. It was remarkable how the cigar hit the full flavour mark without veering into bitterness, as is the case with many Nicaraguans: the Oliva Serie V and the Tatuaje Fausto are two that come to mind.

Body: Full throughout 

Strength: Tolerable, not overwhelming, but building towards the end.

Finish and Aftertaste: long and smooth, no unpleasant residue

Aroma: rich

Ash: light and fell off easily

Balance and Consistency: One of the most balanced and consistently delicious full bodied Cubans I've tasted for a while; similar to the R&J Wide Churchill. 

Time smoke: 80 minutes

Overall: An excellent cigar full bodied robusto, clearly showing a quality that exceeds many of the similar Nicaraguan rivals in my collection. Very satisfying. 

Full body, smooth, balanced, consistent, no bitterness: very satisfying 80 minute robusto

January 26th, 2023: Draw was slightly difficult in the first half. By the second half of the cigar draw opened up. Body was medium to medium plus. First half of the cigar was pleasant but the second half was quite tasty. Aroma was modest. Quite satisfying. 75 minutes.  

July 11th, 2023: Heavy in the hand and a slightly sweet pre-light. Draw was a little tight in the first half, as with the previous cigar, however it opened up in the second half to provide plentiful plumes. Flavour was quite refined and balanced, albeit subtle and restrained: herbs and spices, mint, nutmeg, all subdued but pleasingly complex. This was a cigar that merited a slow and considered pace. Aroma came and went but was delicious, rich and complex when it was there, as it was in the second half. Body medium. Spice became peppery towards the end. 60 minutes and quite satisfying.

March 14th, 2024: A pleasant morsel with medium to full body and excellent aroma. Draw was a bit tight and flavour in the second half lost complexity, reminding me a bit of the dried fruit flavour of the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Churchill. Quite satisfying at 60 minutes.

June 13th: Another pleasant, medium body cigar with a fine, yeasty, aroma but complex and with good aroma. Quite a good example of the blend. 60 minutes. Satisfying. 

H. Upmann Connossieur no. 2

July 16, 2022: This is a 5.25 x 51 robusto. It resembles the Vegueros Centrofino in almost all respects (flavour, aromoa, body), except the purported ring gauge, which is 50 in the case of the Centrofino and supposedly 51 in the case of the Upmann. I doubt that a ring gauge of one, 1/64", can be measured with any accuracy, so I'm content to assume that these cigars come from the same source.

Another curiosity is the spelling of the 'Connossieur', which is a misspelling of the French 'connoisseur'. Yet, the name of the cigar is clearly seen on the band. 

Appearance and Construction: A very smooth, light brown wrapper. The cigar was not particularly heavy in the hand. But draw was resistant in the first two thirds. A one centimetre piece of leaf vein popped out towards the end of the cigar. 

First Puff: Difficult to obtain a first puff, but it was smooth and mild.

Draw and Burn: The cigar was slightly plugged. It wasn't too tightly wrapped as it was not heavy in the hand. Burn was fine. In the final third the cigar opened up and revealed its potential.

Flavour and Complexity: Once I managed to draw a sufficient plume the flavour was rich, and complex, resembling the Pinar del Rio flavour of the Centrofino. Occasionally, there were moments of a deeper richness.

Body: Body never passed medium. It was quite a light smoke.

Strength: None to speak of

Finish and Aftertaste: Long finish and very clean aftertaste.

Aroma: Delicious, rich, Cuban aroma

Ash: held on for 20 minutes or so.

Balance and Consistency: A very balanced, smooth, mellow, medium bodied Cuban.

Time smoke: around 65 minutes

Overall: Flavour and aroma were excellent; however the draw was a detraction until the final third. In terms of comparison with Centrofino, the cigar was almost identical. It will be interesting to try a few more Connosieurs and see whether the resemblance continues. If it does, the Centrofino is the preferred option as it's around 30% less expensive. 

Flavour, body, aroma and construction resemble the Vegeuros Centrofino.

July 22nd, 2022: I was keen to try another from the box to see whether there was a vast difference between it and the Centrofino, as I mentioned above. There wasn't. It was again very similar to that budget Cuban robusto; which is not to say that it's a cheap smoke. The aroma and flavour are excellent, but also similar to a good Nicaraguan Connecticut wrapper cigar. This cigar wasn't plugged and draw was easy. It lasted around 70 minutes. Quite satisfying. 

December 23rd: This cigar started with a difficult draw and mild, modest flavour at best. But the second half opened up, draw became easy and body moved to medium. Flavour improved in complexity immeasurably. I smoked it as far as I could get. 85 minutes. Very satisfying.

January 24th, 2023: Pleasant at best. The cigar was way too tightly packed. It wasn't plugged, but draw was uncomfortably tight. Unlike the previous cigar, it didn't quite open up until around the last inch and a half. Flavour was minimal, even in the final inch. A friend shared one and had the same opinion. 70 minutes. Pleasant at best. 

March 21st, 2024: I smoked this one in my cigar room and with the smoke lingering, it was more rich and complex. Flavour was quite pleasant, albeit mild throughout. Quite pleasant at 70 minutes.

Leaf by Oscar Toro

These cigars range from mild to medium bodied. They are very well made. Draw is always perfect. The mild cigars are not quite satisfying. I prefer the one with more body and a little strength. 

July 9th, 2022, Naxos: This is a 6x52 maduro toro. It comes wrapped in a tobacco leaf which is a bit of a gimmick. Nonetheless, the cigar was excellent.

Appearance and Construction: Dark brown, veiny cigar with smooth construction. 6 x 52, according to Neptune, made in Honduras with Nicaraguan wrapper and Honduran binder and filler.

First Puff: Very smooth, mellow.

Draw and Burn: Excellent draw with perfect burn.

Flavour and Complexity: Deliciously smooth, complex, rich and balanced maduro flavour.

Body: medium

Strength: medium, no head spinning.

Finish and Aftertaste: good long finish with smooth, clean after taste

Aroma: Deep rich aroma, present throughout.

Ash: 20 minute chunks about an inch per ashing.

Balance and Consistency: superb. Excellent balance and consistency. 

Time smoke: around 85-90 minutes

Overall: Very satisfying. Reminds me of the better versions of the Liga no. 9, although not as dark as that cigar. 

Slightly wavy burn but draw was excellent

Good to the nub

November 23rd, 2022: I had one a few weeks ago which started out rich but fizzled a bit in the final third. The one I had last night was much more pleasant: medium to full bodied, rich chocolatey flavour and a pleasant aftertaste. Aroma was a bit thin. Burn barely lasted an hour. Pleasant. 

December 20th, 2022: This was a very good example of the blend: very smooth, refined, maduro flavour with a very easy draw. Aroma was rich but fleeting. Flavour was as with the others: dark roast and chocolate. Ash was flaky. Body only reached medium and occasional pockets of strength made the cigar more interesting. This cigar lasted around 90 minutes with one relight towards the end. Quite satisfying.

January 2023: I had a couple of these with a friend in early January and one again at the end of the month. The first two, with friend, were both quite satisfying, but the body of the third cigar was somewhat lacking. It was the mildest maduro I can recall.

September 13th, 2023: Meh, quite pleasant; similar to the Melanio: very smooth and refined maduro cigar but lacking body and complexity. Pleasant.