AJ Fernandez’s Enclave Connecticut Heading to Non-U.S. Retailers
AJ Fernandez has announced plans to release a new Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped version of its Enclave line to retailers that aren’t based in the United States.
According to a report by
Cigar Aficionado, the Enclave Connecticut uses Nicaraguan tobacco grown on Fernandez’s farms for the binder and filler. The line will be offered in three sizes, which come in 20-count boxes:
Enclave Connecticut (5 x 52)
Enclave Toro (6 x 52)
Enclave Figurado (6 1/2 x 52)
Pricing will vary by country, but in Germany they are expected to sell for between 7.50 and 8.50 euro, approximately $9-10 per cigar, when they arrive in early May.
Release Date: Nov. 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
The Epic Ten sports a darker, earthier, almost chocolatey brown wrapper, one that I would have never guessed was a Cameroon leaf. Regardless, it is a good-looking cigar with a fairly matte finish and just a bit of oil to be found by the fingers. One thing that stands out on the first cigar is its head; the wraps of tobacco as well as the cap don’t lay quite flat, leading me to wonder if it wasn’t a byproduct of the box pressing. The others are fine, making this one sample the outlier. In terms of firmness, it is spot on for a box press, offering a firm yet pillowy feel front to back and with a bit less give when squeezed side-to-side. I don’t usually smell the wrapper that intently, but since it is a Cameroon leaf I decide to give it a sniff. I get a bit of cool cocoa from the first sample, while the second has a bit more spice and vibrance and third has a nutty smell. The foot is a bit fuller but aromas don’t c
Release Date: Dec. 19, 2020
Number of Cigars Released: Regular Production
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
Visually, the Southern Draw Manzanita is covered in a reddish mocha brown wrapper that exhibits not only plenty of oil, but also a number of protruding veins. In addition, the cigar is slick smooth to the touch and extremely firm when squeezed. The aroma from the dark wrapper is a combination of strong cedar, raisins, leather, sweet manure, earth, barnyard and hay, while the cold draw brings flavors creamy cedar, bourbon, earth, raisin sweetness, dark chocolate, generic nuts and a small amount of musty mushroom.
Release Date: November 2020
Number of Cigars Smoked For Review: 3
The Montecristo 1935 Anniversary Nicaragua No. 2 is covered in a deep, dark brown wrapper that is extremely rough to the touch and also includes a number of major veins as well as plenty of oil. It is fairly hard when squeezed, but the soft box-press is a very nice visual touch. Aroma from the foot and wrapper is a combination of peanut shells, sweet earth, leather, barnyard, hay and oak, while the cold draw brings flavors of creamy oak, leather, earth, clay, espresso beans, almonds and a touch of floral sweetness.
I am taken aback by the first 10 puffs or so of the Montecristo 1935 Anniversary, as a punishing combination of aggressive black pepper on the retrohale and spice on my tongue almost blows my head off whenever I try to retrohale. Thankfully, both die down fairly quickly, leaving behind distinct flavors of freshly brewed black coffee and leather as the dominant combination, followed closely by notes of cre
New World Double Corona (7 1/2 x 55)
The new vitola is priced at $8.50 per cigar and packaged in 21-count boxes. Its addition builds on a year in which the company released the Tins vitola in April 2020 and made the Redondo vitola a regular production size in November. It had previously been offered only to members of the Tobacconists’ Association of America, and is the only round vitola among the full size options.
When it debuted, the New World by AJ Fernandez line was a notable addition for the company. Its blend was developed by Abdel Fernandez and his father, Isamel, who had just joined his son’s company after working with the Plasencia family for 17 years. The blend, a Nicaraguan puro with a dark oscuro wrapper, Jalapa-grown binder and fillers from Ometepe, Condega and Estelí, was designed to deliver the flavor of a cigar with a $10 price tag but would sell for approximately half that price.