DECEMBER 25, 2022 - PHIL KURUT, COMEDY - CIGARS - MUSIC
AJ FERNANDEZ SMALL BATCH PRENSADO TORO (6 x 52)
WRAPPER: NICARAGUAN MEDIO-TIEMPO HABANO
BINDER: NICARAGUA
FILLER: NICARAGUA
A smooth start with earth, raisin, faint dark chocolate, and generic sweetness. There’s a darker element in there that refuses to completely step forward and puts me on the struggle bus in my attempt to identify it.
Draws effortlessly and produces an abundance of smoke.
Dark earth, wood, raisin, and dark chocolate flow from the retrohale, each allowed its own space and time.
The slightest touch of spice keeps the palate attentive, picking up wood, coffee, and an underlying sweetness on the finish.
Unsurprisingly and enjoyably, wood, spice, and raisin fill the room.
Near the halfway point, a pleasantly smooth lightly salted butter, cola sweetness, and raisin show up.
A slight vegetal note arrives at the end from time to time, and it dances quite nicely with dark chocolate. Cinnamon passes by a few times but not entirely sure he wants to dance in public. I imagine them in a “nice” dance club, which I’ve only been to a few times and in my much younger days. I was the guy wondering why I was there. Never figured it out.
A nice syrupy finish builds and continues through to the end.
The burn and ash are superb.
This cigar is smooth, sweet, dark, and quite enjoyable. That might be a boring assessment, but it's accurate.
SMOKE TIME: 1 hr. 48 mins.
RATING: 3.5 / 4 - Merry Christmas.