Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro is dark brown with some lightly raised veins and fine tooth. The seams are smooth and the caps very well applied. The cigar has two bands, both in a gold and black color combination. The primary denotes the line, while the secondary carries the company and blenders name and is the style used on most of their cigars. There is also a cedar sleeve that runs from just under the secondary band, down to the foot. The aroma from the wrapper is earth and light cedar, while the foot is the opposite, with cedar and light earth. The pre-light draw is airy cedar with light amounts of bread and earth along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro is a good-looking cigar. I don’t think the cedar sleeve is needed with this cigar either. However, it does provide some nice contrasts with the bands and wrapper. The cigar has a nice soft maduro coloring with some Colorado aspects present. Dark aged wood coloring. Small veins throughout with lovely texture. Aromas on the foot are that of rich earth, strong tobacco, wood and sweet spices.
John: The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro did not come in cellophane and had a UPC sticker on the cedar sleeve with the cigar information. That may have been from the retailer and not the manufacturer. There is a primary 20th Anniversary band and a secondary AJ Fernandez band, along with the aforementioned cedar sleeve. I weighed the cigar at 19.4 grams with the cedar and 18.8 grams without. The humidity came in at 58.1% as measured with HumidiMeter Pro. Aromas from the wrapper included tobacco and cedar. From the foot, I could smell mild, sweet tobacco and cedar.

AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with toasted cedar, baking spice and some earth. At a quarter inch in, the baking spice transitions to a bold black pepper. At a half inch in, the earth increases to become even with the black pepper, which is a bit behind the toasted cedar. At three quarters of an inch in, the pepper isn’t quite as bold. The retrohale is toasted cedar, dry earth and light black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the earth has increased to become even with the toasted cedar up front. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar and earth are even up front, with the black pepper a bit behind. The strength was slightly above medium.
Seth: The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro begins with notes of leather, dry earth, wood and spices. There are some red pepper notes present along with some cinnamon and cocoa powder. I would classify the cigar as medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: Wood and spices team up for the initial flavor impressions with the wood going solo into the post draw. Black pepper comes into the post draw after a short delay, starting at medium strength and building to medium-full. The pepper recedes to medium-minus strength after a few puffs. At just over the 25 minute mark, the pepper has come down all the way to light strength. Creaminess leads off each draw as the first third continues to evolve. Nearing the halfway point, some mild fig notes are present on the finish.

AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro

Second Third

Aaron: The second third is a continuation of the first. At a quarter inch in, the black pepper mellows a bit and the overall profile is now a bit dry. The retrohale remains toasted cedar, dry earth and light black pepper. At an inch and a half in, the earth takes a slight lead over the toasted cedar. As the third comes to a close, the earth is just ahead of the toasted cedar, with the black pepper in the middle of the profile. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The second third delivers a similar profile with stronger wood notes. Bits of oak are present with some mineral qualities on the earth. Pepper spices remain with some cocoa and cinnamon. Like the first third, medium to medium-full in strength and body.
John: Creamy wood greets me in the second third at medium strength with wood and light spices to finish and linger into the post draw. As the second third continues, earth joins the wood at the front of the profile. The spices on the post draw have moved up to medium strength as it progresses to the halfway point. In the bottom half, rich tobacco is present at the front of the profile. That tobacco takes on some sweetness as earth and medium strength spices make up the center.

AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro

Final Third

Aaron: As the final third begins, a light leather joins the profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the earth increases its lead over the toasted cedar. The retrohale is now toasted cedar, dry earth and light black pepper and leather. At an inch and a quarter, the black pepper picks up a bit. As the cigar wraps up, the earth is ahead of the toasted cedar, with black pepper just ahead of the middle of the profile and some leather in the background. The strength remained at slightly above medium.
Seth: The final third is in line with that of the second. Medium-full in strength and body with flavors of minerals, oak, leather, cinnamon and red pepper. Some black pepper notes are present as well with the cigar, and it has a nice finish that is cool to the end.
John: Creamy tobacco starts the final third with earth in the center and a combination of medium strength wood and spices to finish. Moving towards the halfway point, creamy earth is leading, tobacco is in the center and earth is finishing. In the bottom half, the profile remains consistent but drops the tobacco center.

AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro

Burn

Aaron: The burn was straight throughout and the ash held on in inch and a quarter increments.
Seth: The burn is perfect from beginning to end.
John: The burn was straight in the first third with a flakiness to the ash. The burn continued straight in the second third. In the last third, the cigar spontaneously went out, requiring a re-light.

AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: The draw is perfect from start to finish.
John: The draw was at most 1/2 of a notch towards the open spectrum, which puts it in the ideal range between open and resistant for an amazing draw.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with toasted cedar, baking spice and some earth. The baking spice transitioned to bold black pepper fairly quickly. The earth later increased to become even with the toasted cedar up front. The second third saw the black pepper mellow a bit and the earth took a slight lead in the profile. The final third saw some light leather join in and the earth increased its lead over the cedar. Construction was absolutely perfect. The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro had an average flavor profile throughout that was pretty basic and fairly mundane. For a 20th Anniversary, this cigar didn’t stand out, but I will say that the profile was pretty on brand for the company. Very high price point and not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to.
Seth: 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.
John: The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro provided consistently pleasant flavors from start to finish, but didn’t have any complex or particularly engaging flavor combinations for me. The draw was perfect and the burn required a re-light in the last third. If you took the price point out of the decision making, there just isn’t anything here that makes this cigar stand out in the crowd, even in the AJ Fernandez portfolio. At a $25 price point, I wouldn’t be seeking this out in the future. Total smoking time was 2 hours and 34 minutes.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

5.75

Cost/Point

$4.35

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$3.67

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

5.55

Cost/Point

$4.50

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary Toro