A couple of months ago I reviewed the Emilio AF1 cigar and was really impressed. This time around, I review the AF2. Emilio is a new brand from Gary Griffith who owns a few cigar shops in Delaware and they are pretty damn good. In my last interview I referred to the brand as the next boutique cigar to work its way into the mainstream and I still believe that to be true today.
According to the company website…
Posted in Cigar Reviews 
Tags: A.J. Fernandez, AF2, AJ Fernandez, Boutique, Cigar Review, Cigar-ette City, Emilio, Gary Griffith, habano, ligero, nicaragua, oscuro, Pennsylvania, robusto 
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According to the Emilio Cigar website, “the cigars are produced in Esteli, Nicaragua and named in honor of our friend A.J. Fernandez, blender and manufacturer. Two years in the making, the cigars are loaded with flavor from the Nicaraguan tobaccos of the filler, and clothed with a slow fermented maduro wrapper, dark and rich with spice and sweetness. Available in shelf-friendly cabinet boxes of 20 in four sizes: Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, and the massive BMF, a 6×58 powerhouse.”
I got these from a friend while hanging out recently and I was extremely hesitant to smoke them. A lot of cigars that were new to me have disappointed over the last few months and have left me jaded. Would this cigar buck the trend or continue down that same path?
Posted in Cigar Reviews Tags: A.J. Fernandez, AF1, AJ Fernandez, Boutique, Cigar Review, Cigar-ette City, Emilio, Gary Griffith, maduro, Mexico, nicaragua, robusto, San Andreas 5 Comments »
As I have written before, I feel AJ Fernandez is beginning to make a solid mark on the cigar industry and is the next big thing. Inside many cigar shops people don’t know his name yet, but those who have shopped the catalogs do. (Editor: If you shop the catalogs get out of them and support your local economy and brick & mortars). Here are some of the cigars made by AJ Fernandez – Diesel, Man O War, Arganorsa Leaf, Ave Maria, 5 Vegas AAA and many more.
Abdel J. Fernandez is a third generation cigar-maker who runs Tabacalera Fernandez in Nicaragua. He traces his cigar roots back to San Luis, Cuba where his grandfather started the San Lotano brand prior to the Cuban Revolution of 1959. Before venturing out as a cigar-maker, AJ was a protege of Alejandro Robaina, one of the top cigar makes in Cuba.
In 2010 the AJ Fernandez decided to return to his roots and revived the long since discontinued brand, San Lotano. Produced in Esteli, Nicaragua at one of the large cigar factories in the region the San Lotano comes in a Connecticut, Habano, or Maduro wrapper.
Posted in Cigar Reviews Tags: Abdel J. Fernanderz, AJ Fernandez, Alejandro Robaina, Cigar Review, Cuba, Dual Binder, maduro, Mexico, nicaragua 7 Comments »
As I sit here ready to write my Sunday Links entry i just lit up an Anejo #48 and as I just spoke with fellow cigar enthusiast @baboruger on twitter we both agree that this years Anejo release is pretty special. Although I have had some draw issues, the cigar has been better then recent years.
Yesterday I was on the radio, my first ever cigar interview on the air. I’ve been on the radio on the past as a college DJ back in the day, my friends radio station had me in studio hanging out once and we got into a discussion on new wave music which was awkward as I am a metal head. But my time spent yesterday on The Cigar Authority was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again. In two weeks I will also be a guest on a show hosted by @mallikarjunan
Recently I took part in another Cigar Pass this one started by the guys over at Toasted Foot. I saw a few cigars in there I haven’t reviewed and being that January is a slow month in the cigar world I figured I would attack one of those cigars today. It seems like AJ Fernandez is everywhere today and this is yet another cigar from him. The Diesel Shorty some people have described as yet another cigar inspired by Nub and being it checks in at 4.5 x 60 I can see how people make the comparison.
Posted in Cigar Reviews Tags: 60 Ring, AJ Fernandez, Broadleaf, Diesel, Diesel Shorty, limited edition 2 Comments »
As the year comes to a close and we are getting ready to release our list of the best cigar of 2010 we find ourselves in a rush to get to some cigars that we missed earlier in the year that had a significant buzz to them. One of these cigars is the Casa Fernandez Arganorsa Leaf. In the past the cigars produced by Casa Fernandez aka Tabacalera Tropical were the first Pepin cigars, and recently Alec Bradley. Also our friend Danny at Tobacco Plaza on long island has his Old School Original brand produced at the same factory.
According to the Casa Fernandez website this cigar is blended by Cuban Masters utilizing tobacco from the valleys of Condega, Jalapa and Esteli in Nicaragua from Cuban seed tobacco. The box pressed cigar is available in 3 sizes, Robusto (5 x 52); Toro (6 x 54); and a Torpedo (6.5 x 52).
Posted in Cigar Reviews Tags: AJ Fernandez, Arganorsa Leaf, Box Press, Nicaraguan, Tabacalera Tropical 2 Comments »
On our current contest to give away a gift certificate for $100.00 a couple of people mentioned San Lotano with one person mentioning the Habano wrapper. This reminded me I got my hands on a couple back in August and they were sitting in the bottom of my humidor. So I decided to break them out and see why they made it on to someones top 5 list of 2010.
According to a press release back in July the San Lotano is AJ Fernandez signature line. The rich history of San Lotano dates back to Cuba’s pre-Castro era where the brand was among the most popular with traditional Cuban cigar makers. Retired for decades, the line is being reintroduced by A.J. Fernandez whose grandfather first started the brand in San Luis, Cuba. San Lotano is made entirely by hand in the Fernandez factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, and is available in three enticing variations encompassing Habano, Connecticut and Maduro wrappers.
Posted in Cigar Reviews Tags: AJ Fernandez, Brazil, Cuban Brand, Habano Wrapper, San Lotano 2 Comments »
Well the good part about this time of year being slow in new releases it allows me to catch up and smoke cigars that I have not had but wanted to try based on the reviews of others. One of those cigars is the Man O War Ruination. I first found out about this cigar from Jerry Cruz on his review over at stogiereview.com and last year I was so concentrating on getting certain reviews up I just put it on the list.
Cigar: Man O War Ruination
Size: 5.5 x 54 (No. 1/Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Ligero
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduran & Nicaraguan
Strength: Full/Medium
Posted in Cigar Reviews Tags: AJ Fernandez, Cigar Review, Complex, Full Bodied, Man O War Ruination, man o' war 12 Comments »
I was browsing some cigar sites last week looking to spend some money that I really shouldn’t of been spending. I had told myself I would only window shop but I came across a deal on the new Man O’ War Virtue cigar and I had to grab them.
The Virtue is the mildest of all Man O War cigars. These cigars are produced by AJ Fernandez who it turns out was a protege of Don Alejandro Robaina who recently passed away at the age of 91.
Cigar: Man O War Virtue
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut 2002
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Mild
I swear it feels like the days are going faster and faster as I grow older. The end of April is already upon us I wonder why there first third of 2010 has gone. The future of acigarsmoker.com is stronger then ever and we have a lot of events and trips lined up in the near future.
Also we have the Sunday links which include Cuba Aliados, AJ Fernandez Arsenio 2009, and a cigar tasting wheel… so come on inside!
Posted in Sunday Links Tags: AJ Fernandez, Aurora 107, Aurora Cigar Factory, Cigar Tasting Wheel, davidoff 5 Comments »
I first heard of these cigars when Jerry Cruz reviewed them over at StogieReview.com and they piqued my interest since they were made by AJ Fernandez who also makes the Man O War. However I never purchased any until I got one in a cigar pass. The cigar that came in the pass was pretty beat up so I had to go out and buy some more to further appreciate this stick. I have now smoked about 5 of these and decided it was time for a review.
The cigar comes in only one size and in boxes of 30.
Cigar: Diesel Unholy Cocktail
Size: 5 x 56
Wrapper: Stalk Cut Habano (from Connecticut)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
