AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary celebrates two decades of operating from his own factory which started in a garage in Esteli, Nicaragua.
Abdel Fernandez better known as AJ Fernandez left Cuba in 2003 where he was a third-generation tobacco farmer. He would get a job with Plasencia cigars before founding his own factory and becoming a household name amongst cigar smokers. Today, in addition to his own brands AJ Fernandez makes cigars for Altadis USA, Espinose, Foundation Cigars and many others.
The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary was showcased at the PCA Trade Show in the Spring of 2024 in two sizes. The first being a 6.75 x 54 Belicoso that is only available in special 50 count humidors and a 6 x 56 Toro that comes in a more traditional box.
Cigar Review: AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary
Size: 6 x 56 (Toro)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Fillers: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Release Date: October 2024
Production: Limited/7,500 Boxes of 20
Box Count: 20
The Cigar: The presentation is beautiful with the cigar wrapped in cedar below the secondary band. Speaking of the bands, the black and gold pop with the primary denoting 20th Anniversary and the secondary denoting AJ Fernandez. Removing the cedar reveals a somewhat oily undisclosed wrapper that has a few veins and a slightly porous roll. In the hand the two cigars I smoked for review feel exceptionally light in hand with a foot that looks slightly underfilled.
The Taste: As we always do we cut the cap and take a cold draw of the tobacco prior to lighting which reveals some cocoa and cornbread while the aroma from the foot has a lot more going on. There is red pepper, cinnamon, paprika and a touch of lemon zest. Once the cigar is toasted and lit there is an abundance of spice that is a bit unbalanced to start.
Smoking into the first third the black pepper remains dominant for the first few puffs before the cigar begins to develop some complexity which eased any concerns about the direction of the cigar. Notes of black coffee, earth and cedar begin to help balance things out while the retrohale sees a touch of brown sugar alongside an abundance of black pepper. As the first third comes to a close the pepper begins to fade, a subtle floral component emerges.
The second third starts very differently than the first. In fact, it’s almost like I am smoke a completely different cigar. There is a subtle floral component that disappears just before the halfway point. The constants in this part of the cigar are bread, cinnamon, leather and a touch of cocoa. The retrohale sees some brown sugar and caramel with a lingering pepper on a relatively short finish.
As we move into the final third the aroma of the cigar sees some red pepper and paprika as the AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary rest between my lips. On the palate notes of charred steak become dominant with some espresso on the finish with some late developing wheat that lingers perfectly. The retrohale hold up to some sweetness but also adds to the leathery finish.
Conclusion: I wouldn’t consider myself a big fan of AJ Fernandez cigars like I am some other brands, but I do love some of the cigars he produces for others with the H. Upmann Anniversary and the Knuckle Sandwich being amongst my favorites.
The AJ Fernandez 20th Anniversary starts off unbalanced and overly spicy before settling into a cigar that is enjoyable. Now I supposed the leather tongues and spicebomb lovers would prefer the cigar stayed the course but the final two thirds of the cigar were delicious and different from each other. . Sadly, the rough start lingers on my mind and on my tongue and that detracts from the overall score of the cigar. I do however highly suggest giving these a try. On a side note, despite feeling light and the foot having the appearance of being underfilled both cigars smoked lasted me about 2 hours.
Score: 91
Price: $25.00 (Before any local or state taxes)
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