Pre-light Experience

Aaron: The wrapper on the Alfonso Añejos No. 2 is medium tan and has some lightly raised veins present. The seams are smooth and the caps well applied. There are two bands, but the primary band is designed to look like two separate bands as there is a cutout in the front half of it. This band denotes the line name and that it is limited production. The foot band is the common Selected Tobacco band used on the companies various lines. The aroma from both the wrapper and foot is cedar, as if you opened a brand new humidor. The pre-light draw brings an airy and creamy cedar along with a mild spiciness on my lips.
Seth: Aaron needs to change the pre-light experience options for Nelson Alfonso’s cigars. They are never below Very Good. Typically always Amazing. Presentation of the Alfonso Añejos No. 2 is fantatsic. Bands pop against the beautiful Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and it gives off that golden hay color. Natural coloring. Very small veins throughout while firm in hand and silky to touch. Aromas of hay, honey, aged tobacco, sweet cedar, nuts and earth.
John: The Alfonso Añejos No. 2 comes in cellophane and does not have a UPC sticker. The cigar has three bands, with a primary, secondary and footband. The secondary band indicates ‘Produccion Limitada’ and the footband is ‘Selected Tobacco’. As I take the cellophane off, I noted that it was open, which removes the step of having to open up the cellophane to slide out the cigar. Aromas from the wrapper included sweet wood, mild bread and faint barnyard. From the foot, I picked up faint chocolate and wood, with hay underneath.
Jiunn: The Alfonso Añejos No. 2 has a silky Colorado Claro wrapper shade. Veins are well pressed, seams tight, bunch and roll even and the head is well wrapped and capped. Aromas from the wrapper tell pungent wet barnyard, cedar and celery seeds. Foot aromas provide the same, but with greater spice. Cold draw gives cedar, hay and ash.

Team Cigar Review: Alfonso Añejos No. 2

First Third

Aaron: The cigar begins with a mellow mix of toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. At a quarter inch in, the components increase in fullness. The cedar note is quite detailed. The retrohale is a slightly fuller version of the toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. As the third comes to a close, the toasted cedar is just ahead of the earth and black pepper. The strength was right at medium.
Seth: The first third starts out with a lovely hay, honey, cream, cedar and earth flavor profile. There are faint sweet spice notes present, and touches of hazelnut and tobacco on the finish. Balanced cigar. Mild to medium in strength and body.
John: Sweet bread gets things rolling with wood and hay through the finish. There’s a blast of baking spices out of nowhere after a few puffs. Some mild marzipan is present underneath. Honey, baking spices and earth combine through the finish as the cigar settles in. Sweet wood defines the post draw moving towards the halfway mark.
Jiunn: The first third shows incredible balance. Notes of barnyard funk and musk, buttered toast, cedar, accented black/red pepper spice. On the retrohale, there’s more pepper but it’s not over done. The finish is clean with hay and layered red pepper spice. Strength and body is medium.

Team Cigar Review: Alfonso Añejos No. 2

Second Third

Aaron: As the second third begins, the earth becomes even with the toasted cedar up front. At a quarter inch in, the toast level picks up a bit. The retrohale is now toasted cedar and earth with a mild black pepper. At an inch in, the toasted cedar is now carrying a bit of dryness to it. As the third comes to a close, the toasted and slightly dry cedar is even with the earth up front with the black pepper a fair distance behind. The strength remained at medium.
Seth: The second third is farily similar to that of the first. Cedar, cream and honey notes up front with some baking spices as well. Earth, tobacco and hazelnuts on the finish. Again, mild to medium in strength and body.
John: Sweet bread leads off again through the second third, followed by mild wood and light-plus strength spices. Sweet wood is finishing each puff. Over time, the center of the profile is defined by light-plus spicy wood with honey sweetness accenting it. Approaching the halfway mark, mild tannins join the wood through the end of the draw.
Jiunn: The second third ups the ante with a unique forest wild mushroom dankness. The profile is still very composed and balanced with the aforementioned flavors within the first third. Strength and body remains medium.

Team Cigar Review: Alfonso Añejos No. 2

Final Third

Aaron: The final third continues with the toasted and slight dry cedar even with the earth up front with the black pepper a fair distance behind. At a half inch in, the toast level increases a bit more. The retrohale is a fuller version of the same profile. At three quarters of an inch in, the cigar warms up a bit and a light vegetal bitterness becomes present. As the cigar wraps up, the profile is heavily toasted cedar and earth up front with the black pepper and vegetal bitterness a fair bit behind. The strength bumped up to slightly above medium.
Seth: Final third showed a slight decline. Not as much cream, cedar and honey in the final third. Hazelnut notes with some tobacco and earth. Sweet spices as well. Still mild to medium in strength and body.
John: The last third leads off with mild, spicy bread, creamy wood and a slightly dry wood into the post draw that lingers between each puff. Wood moves to the front of the profile as the last third progresses. Not long after, post draw tannins start to build in intensity. Earth joins the post draw as the cigar moves to the halfway point. The earth largely fades to a background note after a re-light.
Jiunn: The final third abruptly decrease in complexities. All those flavors within the first two thirds reduced to just cedar and mild red pepper spice. Strength and body finish medium.

Team Cigar Review: Alfonso Añejos No. 2

Burn

Aaron: The burn line was slightly wavy at times, but never needed any attention. The ash held on in inch and a half increments.
Seth: Perfect burn.
John: The burn is slightly uneven through the first third, self correcting. The burn is straight through the second third, threatening to stall at a few points. The burn continues to threaten to stall in the last third, eventually going out, requiring a re-light.
Jiunn: Flawless burn performance. Even burn, tight ashes and cool burning temperature.

Team Cigar Review: Alfonso Añejos No. 2

Draw

Aaron: The draw was perfect, with just the right amount of resistance that I prefer.
Seth: Great draw. Nice level of resistance.
John: The draw has a minor amount of resistance to it, roughly 2 notches into the resistant spectrum.
Jiunn: Ideal air flow and resistance.

Overall

Aaron: The cigar began with a mellow mix of toasted cedar, earth and black pepper. The second third saw the earth increase and the black pepper mellow. The final third saw the toast level increase and a vegetal bitterness join in. The Alfonso Añejos No. 2 started with a smooth and elegant profile, but as the the toast level and earth increased, it took the profile down a bit and maintained that level the rest of the way. The cigar had a nice start, and I was hoping for it to maintain that elegant profile throughout, but the profile became a bit heavier as it went along and lost that elegance. Not a cigar I’d see myself coming back to and the price point is definitely a detractor for the experience I had.
Seth: I ejoyed the Alfonso Añejos No. 2, but I did not find it to be a blend that popped or a blend that is calling me to smoke it again. The flavors were enjoyable, and classic flavors with a blend of this nature, but not enough to draw me back. I do love an elegant Connecticut offering, I think they can produce fantastic blends when done correctly, but I can settle for a less sophisticated Connecticut offering for at least half the price.
John: The Alfonso Añejos No. 2 combines flavor complexity with restrained intensity and manages to keep me engaged through most of the review experience. The draw had some resistance to it, and a re-light was required through the last third. Price point aside, I think the Añejos No. 2 is pretty enjoyable and I would not hesitate to smoke another one if it was available. Total smoking time was 1 hour and 59 minutes.
Jiunn: This Alfonso Añejos No. 2 is the route back to greatness for Selected Tobacco S.A. The early days of having incredible nuance, balance, and in general a great cigar is almost back with this release. This cigar (for the first two thirds) had such a large array of flavors that worked in great harmony. It’s not often I smoke a cigar like this, but it is a treat.

Aaron Loomis

SCORE

6.00

Cost/Point

$5.83

Scoring System

Seth Geise

SCORE

6.30

Cost/Point

$5.55

Scoring System

John McTavish

SCORE

6.47

Cost/Point

$5.41

Scoring System

Jiunn Liu

SCORE

6.82

Cost/Point

$5.13

Scoring System

Team Cigar Review: Alfonso Añejos No. 2