Tag Archives: A.J. Fernandez

January 4, 2026 · 9:14 am

Davidoff, Rojas and San Lotano Cigars and the Giveaway Winner

Happy New Year!  Another year of writing stuff about cigars! I’m a few years away from the twentieth anniversary of CigarCraig.com, I’ll have to come up with something big to celebrate.  Speaking of celebrations, last Wednesday was New Years Eve, and I celebrated like I celebrate just about every evening, with a cigar on the porch!  Davidoff was kind enough to send a couple of the Year of the Horse cigars, their 2026 Limited Edition.  I know, the Chinese New Year isn’t until February, but I couldn’t wait to try this.  This is the first “Year of the” Davidoff I’ve ever smoked, they are way out of my price range.  Kudos and thanks to Law Ream and Jack Heyer for getting these out to those of us who choose to write stuff about cigars! The Davidoff ornament looked great on our tree. Anyway, I decided to close out what was not the greatest year for me with a great cigar (I hoped).  I have previously stated that I have a very limited range of experience with the Davidoff line overall, so I was hoping for the best. I believe this is the best Davidoff I’ve smoked to date.  There wasn’t a hint of horse at all in this cigar. This is a 6½” x 55 cigar with wrapper and binder from Ecuador and Dominican fillers. I have to assume the wrapper is a Habano varietal, it’s too dark to be a Connecticut Shade, and doesn’t taste like it either.  It had an interesting sweetness, with some nuttiness and what I think of as a lemon zing.  It was delicious, burned perfectly and was a great way to spend New Years Eve.  After that I watched hockey until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. Great cigar, as it should be for $65.

 

Getting back to reality, I smoked a Rojas Street Tacos Al Pastor Gordo Friday, after treating myself to a Padron Damaso (not as good as I remember, but still tasty), and a Diamond Crown Black Diamond, one of my favorites. I chose the 6″ x 60 gordo, as Noel Rojas is the self proclaimed king of the small ring gauges, and it seems funny to me that he even makes a 60.  The Al Pastor has an Ecuador Habano wrapper over Nicaraguan fillers.  Like the Davidoff, which is in excess of six times the price, this burned perfectly.  I looked at a few other reviews, as Rojas doesn’t seem to have a working webpage, and one reviewer listed flavors of “earth and cedar”, “espresso, and white pepper” and “dark brown sugar and cream”.  I don’t get any of that.  I got some leather and baking spices.  I liked it, it was a good cigar, and well worth the price. I’ve enjoyed a lot of cigars from this factory, especially some of the Stolen Throne lines, and this was a good one.  I’m sure I’ve smoked the Carnitas and Barbacoas before, I needed to give this one a shot and I think it’s my favorite of the bunch.

 

Yesterday I dropped a few things off at Goodwill and stopped into JM’s Cigars in Exton PA. Unlike Rojas they have a website, however it hasn’t been updated in 12 years. It’s fine to have a static landing page, but delete the event from 2013 please!  This was the first shop I sent to in the mid-90s (apparently when the website was created) and it’s been a while since I stopped in. It really hasn’t changed much over the years (like the website).  I picked up a couple cigars that I hadn’t had before, one of which was the A.J. Fernandez San Lotano Requiem Habano in the “Churchill” size.  It’s probably closer to a Double Corona, as a Churchill is 7″ x 47, and this is 7″ x 54.  Actually, I don’t even think a Double Corona is 50 ring, but times change.  It’s a big cigar.  I think the last San Lotano I smoked was an Oval, and it’s been well over a decade. This has a Brazilian Habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Honduran fillers. It started out spicy, and had some nice coffee flavors. I liked this and I think it was around $10 so I call it a very good value. I may be overly concerned about the shops website.

 

It’s time to pick a winner for last week’s giveaway!  I haven’t even selected cigars yet, but I don’t think the winner will be disappointed. The random number generator spit out the number 4, which corresponds to Ron Hunt! To answer Ron’s question, While I purchase most of the cigars in the northeast, most should be available all over.  There are some brands that just seem to be regional,  All Saints comes to mind, but that’s a function of  the brand being small and maybe one or two people involved and they can’t get all over the country to support the sales.  Different shops in the same area will have a different mix too. I’ll try to include some cigars that may not be widely available in your package.  Ron is the host of  the All About Wine podcast. I had the good fortune of meeting him a few years back at the Tampa Heritage Festival, and I talk to him regularly. Send me your address Ron! 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time,

 

CigarCraig

 

 

 

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October 26, 2025 · 10:16 am

Crowned Heads Broadway, Tatuaje Corojo T110 and AJ Fernandez Decenio Cigars

I had occasion on Wednesday to hang out at the Wooden Indian in Havertown, so, of course, I bought some more cigars to smoke.  I don’t smoke a lot of Crowned Heads cigars, I like Miguel there a lot, and do actually like a lot of their cigars.  Jon has always been cordial to me, but one time he blew me off at a trade show left a bad taste in my mouth.  I don’t think I ever made that public.  Anyway, the Broadway line intrigued me, so I picked one up and smoked it there in the Wooden Indian’s Liga Privada Lounge.  Of course, I smoked the toro, which is 6½” x 54.  This cigar has a beautiful, oily broadleaf wrapper, over  a Jalapa binder and fillers from Estelí, Jalapa and Ometepe, Nicaragua.  It’s made at NACSA, which is where Saka makes Mi Querida, Umbagog, and the Red Meat Lovers Club cigars.  This factory has a steady supply of Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.  My expectations were exceeded, as this cigar was absolutely delicious. I may like this more that the Mi Querida Blue, which I like a great deal.  Construction was perfect, the flavors were smooth, rich cocoa and coffee, right up my alley. my only regret is that I only bought one, and I considered picking up a few more before the shop closed. I want to thank Dave at the Wooden Indian for letting me hang out in the members lounge after the shop closed, I very much appreciate it!  By the way, the Crowned Heads website is in dire need of updating.  

 

The Tatuaje T110 Corojo is a 4 3/8″ x 52 short robusto with a Corojo wrapper.  I smoked the Cohete (4″ x 50) back in August and really liked it, so I was very much looking forward to this one. I have smoked the T110 in the Broadleaf and Tuxtla wrappers and enjoyed them.  This one I didn’t care for, and there aren’t many Tatuaje cigars I don’t like.  It started out with a sourness, and skirted the line between sweet and sour through out the whole smoke. It was disappointing, but I always look at situations like this as a learning experience, what do I like in a cigar and what don’t I like, and how can I avoid it in the future?  It’s money well spent,  as long as I remember what I don’t like and don’t spend money on it again?  This one had been in the humidor for a a couple months. 

 

Another cigar I selected from the vast humidor of the Wooden Indian was the A.J. Fernandez New World Decenio in the toro size. This cigar commemorates a decade of the New World line, and made in the San Lotano factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua.  I was hoping to pick one of these up a week or so ago when I saw Laurel at another nearby shop, but I either didn’t see them, or they didn’t have them. They had a really expensive 20th anniversary cigar, which may have distracted me (I didn’t bite). I adore the New World Dorado, and the rest of the New World line are really very good.  This cigar is 6½” x 54 with a box press that makes it seem thinner.  It has a Mexican San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. I expected a good smoke, and I got a good smoke.  This started out spicy, no surprise there, really.  It moved to sweet, dark coffee, which is a combination I really like. I also really like that bonus half inch on a toro, more of a good thing.  This was a really good smoke, and, dare I say, worth the $14 I paid.  This is another anniversary cigar for a budget brand that is higher in price, like the Rocky Patel Edge and the Foundation Charter Oak. 

 

My name was mentioned on yesterday’s Cigar Authority show which was about the cigar inventors.  I’ve been on the show a couple times and I’ve known these guys for a long time.  It’s humbling to be mentioned, and it gives me some credibility, I guess, to be recognized by them, but I want to set a couple things straight.  I, in no way, created anything or was the first of anything.  When I started this there were a lot of cigar blogs,  I just happened to have outlasted a lot of them. Certainly Stogie Review (which is making a comeback with the Smoke & Steel podcast) was one of the first, and Casas Fumando has stood the test of time.  I take some pride in being mentioned by my peers (I got a nice mention by Kevin on a recent El Oso Fumar show too, TY).  I’m still just a guy who writes stuff about cigars.  

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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August 10, 2025 · 7:00 am

Black Label Trading Co. Eletto, Enclave by Eladio Diaz and Timeless Supreme Cigars

One of the shops local to me recently changed ownership, and I’ve been able to find some new-to-me cigars there.  the first one that caught my eye was the Elatto from Black Label Trading Co.. This it Black Label’s tenth anniversary cigar, Eletto is Italian for “chosen one”.   I’m pretty happy I chose this one.  This was the 6″ x 50 toro, and has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadorian Habano binder, and Nicaraguan fillers, made at their Oveja Negra factory in Esteli.  This didn’t taste like a typical Connecticut Broadleaf cigar, not that it was a disappointment, there are plenty of cigars I can chose if I want that flavor.  This was very interesting. It started with some dry cocoa powder, a little on the bitter side, and sweetened gradually, but not very much.  I really like a lot of the cigars BLTC makes, and I grab one as often as I can.  It was nice to see something this new (only a week or two on the market) in this local shop.  It’s not the closest shop to me, it’s two miles away, but it’s pretty convenient.  

 

Another cigar I picked up was the A.J. Fernandez Enclave by Eladio Diaz in the 6″ x 54 toro size.  Eladio Diaz spent 40 years at Davidoff, and was most recently Head of Production and Quality Control.  He’s quite a prolific blender, then partnered with William Ventura to start Freud Cigars.  The blend is a Corojo ’99 wrapper from Ecuador, an Ecuadoran binder and all-Dominican filler. It’s made at Tabacalera Diaz Cabrera in the DR.  This is all a little odd, since the cigar doesn’t seem to have anything to do with A.J. Fernandez except for the name. The Enclave line celebrates camaraderie in the cigar industry, so I guess there’s that.  I’ll be honest, this was not a cigar that really fit my preference.  It had a nutty, creaminess, but a little bite as well. I actually thought it was a shade wrapped cigar, and was surprised that it was Ecuador Corojo.  While it’s not for me, if you like the older Davidoffs, or Ventura cigars, this would be a good cigar to try, especially for just under $10.  

 

I’ve been negligent in sampling the offerings of Ferio Tego, so I was pleased when I saw the Timeless Supreme on the shelf.  I haven’t been able to pull the trigger on the Elegancia and Generoso, too rich for my blood.  I picked up the box pressed 660, which feels more like a toro.  I used my CigarMedics The Baller on this one, I’ve been using the Il Maestro and Guillotina De Saka most of the time. Both cut exactly the same, by the way. This is a Nicaraguan puro, made by Plasencia. Of course, Timeless was a brand developed by Michael Herklots when he took the Nat Sherman brand from a catalog brand back into the premium space. When Altria divested itself of the Nat Sherman cigar brands, Ferio Tego acquired the trademarks to continue the brands. Timeless Supreme is probably the strongest of the four varieties offered, at least I found it to be quite strong.  This is a leathery cigar, burn and draw were perfect, and I put it down sooner than I normally do.  I still enjoyed it, and look forward to sampling, or resampling I guess, the rest of the Timeless line. 

 

We’ve been super busy cleaning out my parent’s house, but the end is in sight. We have settlement this week and that chapter will be behind us. We still have a lot of stuff to liquidate, but at least we won’t have to worry about the house.  Wednesday’s cigar will be a good one!  That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig 

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April 27, 2025 · 8:06 am

Aganorsa Signature, The GOAT and Oz Family Cigars

First off I feel the need to point something out.  I received the press release for this year’s Punch Father’s Day release, Mr. Punch’s Weiners.  I thought the Dad Bod was a terrible concept just about all around, some folks liked it. The band was dumb, packaging them in a can was dumb, overall I thought it sent a bad message: it’s OK to let yourself go.  Not that I’m a fitness freak, I have a dad bod, but I don’t embrace it!  The Dad’s Home Videos was very good, not a problem. I have a problems with the weiner theme, aside form the obvious, it seems to be a little close to the Fratello Vice-Versa, down to saying it can be smoked from either end.  Now, it doesn’t claim to taste different depending on which way one smoked it, but the concept is the same. I know it’s not worth Omar’s time to do anything about it, both are limited editions, and General has deep enough pockets to defend themselves, but it would be a courtesy to look at things in the market and try not to blatantly copy them.  At least they put them in packs of 10.  I think Kevin (who played a big part in the Vice-Versa, by the way) should get on his 3D printer and make some hot dog roll cigar props and sell them in packs of eight!

 

That was a long way to get to the punch line, so let’s talk about some new-to-me cigars.  In a recent visit to The Wooden Indian I picked up an Aganorsa Leaf Signature Selection Maduro Toro.  This is a Nicaraguan Puro, mostly Nicaraguan Corojo with a touch of Nicaraguan Criollo 98 in the filler.  I struggle with the Aganorsa lines, some I like, some not so much and I can’t seem to ever remember which ones fall into which category.  I know I like the La Validation Maduro, that’s for sure. Will I remember the next time I’m faces with a choice?  Who’s to say?  I can say that I’m adding this to the list of Aganorsa cigars I like. It started with a dry cocoa powder kinda thing going on, and got sweeter as it went along. Burn and draw were great and it hit the spot.  $13.50 well spent.

 

Next up from my Wooden Indian foray was an A.J. Fernandez cigar that I’ve heard a lot about, The Goat.  This started life as a store exclusive for Nasser’s Lounge in Pétion-Ville, Haiti.  I’ve never been there.  It’s now in wider distribution, and is pricey for an A.J. Fernandez cigar , around $17.  Also pricey for me, but I was interested and looking for new things.  This has a San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan Corojo binder and Nicaraguan fillers.  What’s not to like, right?   Turns out, I liked it a lot.  It was a 6″ x 52 toro, It was heavy, earthy and had some sweet espresso notes.  It was very good, but outside my comfort zone price-wise.  I’m notoriously frugal.

 

Finally I picked up an Oz Family Cigars Firsat, in the F54 size.  This is a 7″ x 54 cigar, with a higher priming Ecuador Connecticut wrapper that I thought was pretty ugly.  Many times ugly wrappers are very tasty.  The binder is a Ecuador Habano with Nicaraguan fillers.  I believe this is made at Casa Carillo in the DR. It’s a big cigar, and I sat down to watch a movie figuring it was going to take a good two hours to smoke.  The flavors were nuts and leather, with a bit of creaminess and built up to a solid medium. This was a light (in weight) cigar, and was done in less than 90 minutes, which was a bit of a disappointment. $14 wasn’t a terrible price, it was a tasty cigar and it might work better in another size, or at least the same for less money.  

 

That’s all I have for today. Don’t forget to check out the Flatbed Cigar Co. Daily Deal, there’s always something good (left sidebar). Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

 

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June 30, 2024 · 10:31 am

E.P. Carrillo Sumatra, Dias de Gloria Brazil and Reinado Capablanca Cigars

It’s the end of June already, we’ve reached the halfway point of 2024! One of my favorite things about summer is that I can write my Sunday blog post on the porch with a cigar.  This morning it’s a Macanudo Gold Label 2023, which is a 4½” x 60.  I think my friends at Best Cigar Prices would call this a Robolo, they used to have a whole series of them!  Anyway, that’s not what I was planning to talk about today!  Last week I smoked the new E.P. Carrillo Maduro from their new Essence Series, This week I smoked the Sumatra. Lately I’ve been surprised at how many times the Maduro has come in second to another wrapper when I’ve sampled cigars in the same line with different wrappers, so I was half expecting this to happen again.  The Sumatra I smoked is the Toro, a 6″ x 52 with an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper, binders from Nicaragua and Honduras, and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.  This was a really interesting cigar!  It had a heavy, almost cloying, flavors of dark dried fruit, to me. It was mouth coating, like black licorice can be, with a pretty long finish.  Where the Maduro brought back memories of the old La Gloria Cubana maduros, this was something new and different.  I enjoyed it, although not as much as the Maduro, and look forward to seeing what other wrapper combinations they come out with in the future.  This line is priced in the $10 range, so it should be a hit!  

 

I stopped by a local shop on the way home Friday and grabbed a couple of the new A.J. Fernandez Dias de Gloria Brazil in a corona size.  They call it a corona, it’s 6½” x 44, more of a lonsdale, really, which is why I picked a couple up. I’m not overly fond of smaller cigars.  This has a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper over Nicaraguan binder and fillers.  It’s a nice

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, dark cigar, which started off with a bit if tanginess. It progressed to a savoriness with some sweet notes.  I liked it very much.  The price tag made me recall a few years back when they released the Ramon Allones at around $14 and we all thought that was a pricey A.J. Fernandez cigar.  This Corona was $14.   How times have quickly changed.  Geat smoke though!  Worth the price.

 

I go back about nearly a dozen years with Antonio Lam of Reinado Cigars.  I think we first met at Cigar Emporium in Lyndhurst, NJ back in April of 2013. He sent me his newest project, the Capablanca.  This cigar, like the rest of his recent work, is a tribute to his father. My first thought, looking at the name as a non-spanish speaker, I was expecting a shade wrapped cigar. It’s not, it has a Cameroon wrapper, over undisclosed filler and binder, and it’s made at an also undisclosed factory in the Dominican Republic.  Capablanca refers to the Cuban chess master José Raúl Capablanca, who was the world chess champion in the 1920s.  Antonio’s father would replay Capablanca’s chess games with his brother, and taught Antonio to play chess, often replaying the Capablanca games.  Because of Antonio’s father suffering from dementia, a portion of all sales of Reinado cigars goes to the Dementia Society of America. The cigar is listed at 5½” x 54, but if felt more like 6″, but that might have been the inch of wrapper hangin over the foot.  It also had a pigtail cap.  I’ll admit that. I pulled a bit of the loose wrapper off pre-light because I’ve burned to many shirts, pants, rugs with flying burning debris!  This is a really nice smoke.  It has some nuttiness along with a pit of creaminess.  It was medium bodied and burned well. It wasn’t overwhelmingly Cameroony, but that flavor was still there.  I smoked it to a small nub while enjoying a movie on the porch with me family.  I highly recommend anything from Reinado, this included.

 

I heard someone talking about what cut they prefer, and it got me thinking that I really don’t have a preference.  I have three cutters sitting next to me, a Colibri V cutter, a CigarMedics Baller, and my Screwpop MagPulse straight cutter and I use them all depending on my whim.  I have an Adorini Double Cigar Punch that I use (mostly the large end) when I absolutely need a Punch (flat capped

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cigars).  I really am not that picky about what I use, as long as the cigar draws and doesn’t come apart.  I have a variety of straight cutters which work fine, if I’m out and about it’s usually with a Xikar, due to the pocketability.  Whatever works.  Anyway, that’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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