I'm sort of battling myself with this AJ Fernandez Amar Torito. Typically, I have a strong dislike for highly earthy (dirt/soil) type cigars. But even though this cigar had that, there was a richness in other flavors (spice, sweetness, barnyard) that kept me engaged in every draw. Given this, I want to smoke more in the hopes of finding consistency.
The Alec Bradley Kintsugi Wabi Sabi had a nice start, with a good combination of flavors. It took a step down in the second third as the creaminess departed and the earth increased. The final third took another step down as the wood bitterness increased and then morphed into vegetal bitterness. Overall, a fairly average experience with a not so great finish. Not a cigar I'd see myself returning to.
In the end, this Trinidad x Tommy Bahama Island Collection Breeze is a cigar that succeeds by knowing its lane. It doesn’t aim for boldness or strength, but instead offers a relaxed, consistent profile that feels well-suited to casual settings or moments when a more demanding cigar would feel out of place. While it doesn’t quite sustain the interest needed to push beyond a Good rating overall, it remains an enjoyable, easygoing smoke that delivers exactly what it sets out to be.
The AJ Fernandez New World Decenio Robusto is a nice blend that captures that Mexican and Central American flavor profile. There is a nice cocoa and rich earth profile with some leather, tobacco, herbal and spice notes. There is balance with a nice level of complexity. The construction is perfect from start to finish, and it is an approachable cigar for many smokers. I would be curious to see the tobacco breakdown with this blend. I feel like the filler blend is much more Nicaraguan focused, but the Honduran tobacco has its place.
The Artesano del Tobacco Viva La Vida Connecticut Robusto had a nice flavor profile through the first two thirds. The flavor components worked well together and there was enough transitioning to keep things interesting. The final third took a step down as the profile wasn't quite as dynamic, but still pleasant. This is a bit stronger Connecticut Shade offering than traditional offerings and it worked well. The price is a bit higher than my liking, but I would definitely come back to it and am interested in trying the other vitolas.
The Diesel Vintage Series Robusto Gordo started with a nice profile as the mellow cocoa note provided a welcome support note. Once that dropped out in the second third, the profile took a step down and remained that way the rest of the way. This blend is pretty on par with the Natural version of the line and these two cigars are probably my favorites from Diesel. But even with that being said, they aren't good enough to really make me want to come back to them. The price is great, so they are easy to try though to see what you think.
This Montecristo M Toro is a pricey cigar, which is not fun, but it’s a high-quality Montecristo. It’s the best Montecristo I have smoked in some time. Right now I would buy this over a Cuban Montecristo, and those are probably similar in price. In some ways, it captures some of the qualities that a Cuban Montecristo delivers when it is on point. Not entirely, but that coffee, tobacco and cream quality for sure. It also delivered quality Connecticut profiles. Cedar, cream and pepper spices.
The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro was a solid cigar. I really liked the Nicaraguan flavor profile delivered, and it was filling on many levels. Construction was perfect with the cigar as well. I thought the size was a little large, I would have preferred a 54 or 52, but it still smoked great for being as large as it was. It kept my interest from beginning to end. I enjoyed the cinnamon, cocoa and pepper quality profile delivered.
I was genuinely surprised with how much I enjoyed this AJ Fernandez New World Navegante. It’s been years since I’ve had the blend but I thought I remember it being a “pepper-bomb.” Although it had some spice, it was by no means a “pepper-bomb” and it’s a cigar I’d certainly come back to. I can see this cigar being a great candidate for aging with the amount of body it has as well.
This AJ Fernandez Dias de Gloria Brazil Figurado was a great cigar, and I would smoke more of these in a heartbeat. I don’t find the price to be bad, and it’s nice to smoke a good Mata Fina release again. The cigar has creamy chocolate notes, and it had this faint hot chocolate and mocha profile that I loved. The burn and draw were great, and it was complex from beginning to end. Nice transitioning and depth.