PINOLERO by AJ Fernandez

PINOLERO by AJ Fernandez

• Beautiful leaf coloration
• Minimal veins
• Slightly shaggy at foot
• Nice oil sheen
• Even coloration
• Pleasant earthy scent
• Earthy with mild coffee flavor during cold draw
• Cuban-seed aged Nicaraguan long-fillers
• Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper

Background: "Before you start reading into this too far. Let me first preface something. The band is a little errr goofy, admittedly a bit of a departure from his others, but rest assured what awaits underneath will have you singing the cigar praises. Now that I got that out of the way, it's time to dig into Pinolero, the newest cigar release from A.J. Fernandez. Introducing Pinolero. A.J.'s latest endeavor into the world of premium top-shelf handmades. The guy never ceases to amaze us, but this time he truly went and out did himself. Carefully crafted in his factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, each Pinolero is patiently crafted, methodically, one aged leaf at a time (Cigarinternational.com)."

First Third: Upon lighting the cigar I am hit with a wonderfully nutty flavor. Moreover, other flavors such as earth and coffee begin to surface. The first few puffs of this cigar hinted towards a great smoke. But also one of a good amount of body. As i progressed through this third the flavors became more bold and pronounced. I feel as if earth, coffee, and black pepper dominate this third. There is a slightly woody flavor present but i can not yet put my finger on it. The burn is consistent and I am pleased with the smoke that billows.

Second Third: After finishing the first third i can safely say that this cigar is a medium to full bodied stick. Moreover, the strength has increased from the first third. I am tasting earth and coffee still. Furthermore, I am tasting the nuts and leather on the exhale or when I place my tongue to the roof of my mouth. The woody notes are still gently present in the background, however, only when i am intently searching for the hint. The cigar is now burning slightly uneven, but the smoke is strong and the smoke overpowers those of the cigar smokers around me. Ash is one of the strongest and brightest I have seen.

Final Third: What a pleasant cigar. Flavors are consistent throughout. Not much change other than the magnitude in which the cigars flavors are present. Not super complex but enough to be pleasant. The flavors are in wonderful cohesion with each other, at times they were seamless. Smoke volume was even throughout.

Final Thoughts: Great cigar. Pleased with all flavors present with no real surprises. I consider this another solid cigar by, one of my favorites, AJ Fernandez. Some do not like the wrapper, but i found it different and refreshing with the blast of color. Moreover, I feel as if it adds a little more culture to the cigar. I give this cigar a 7.2/10. I think the flavors that are present are some of the best I've tried this year in like categories. It had enough complexity to keep my taste buds satisfied and provided an ambiance that was relaxing. Moreover, I loved how my cigar's smoke dominated an area where 3 other men were smoking.