Anybody tried the A. Fernandez Signature Series?

betasynn

I actually have a whole mess of them, and haven't tried them all yet. I got the sampler, which has five each of churchill, toro, robusto, and torpedo. They have a great feel, very smooth and lightly oily, and are very well wrapped. Has anybody heard or tried these?

j0z3r

I haven't purchased any to try yet, though I already know I'd like it because I like everything AJ Fernandez that I've tried thus far. Light one up and let us know how it is. And if you're looking to trade some away, let me know.

betasynn

Yeah, I'd be happy to trade you a few, since I'm looking to establish myself and diversify my tastes a little. What do you have in mind?

MaduroScott

I have smoked two of the A. Fernandez Signatures now (one Robusto, one Churchill). I found them to be a little on the young side, as if they were shipped too early, which was a surprising disappointment for AJ. I will be aging the others for a couple of months.

Having said that, the flavors in these cigars were outstanding. A great mix of the subtle sweetness you expect from Fernandez, blended expertly with a medium body, maybe medium-full depending on your tastes, that fills the pallet evenly and builds in the gut over time. I'm confident that when they've gotten past launch and a releasing well aged sticks, these will be another Fernandez hit. On the fullness and pepper scale, I'd put these squarely between the La Herencia and the SC Cuban Cabinet. Fuller than Herencia, but less pepper than the CC. In fact, they didn't even have the amount of pepper in the first inch found in the Herencia. In other words, an awesome line addition in the Herencia/Sig/CC/ManOWar spectrum.

j0z3r

betasynn:

Yeah, I'd be happy to trade you a few, since I'm looking to establish myself and diversify my tastes a little. What do you have in mind?

Anything in particular you want to try?

I can offer up the following in trade:
Padilla: Signature 1932 churchil, torpedo, Signature 1948 churchill, Miami churchill, Habano torpedo, Obsidian belicoso
Oliva: Serie V double robusto, Special S robusto, Master Blends 2 and 3, robsuto and double robusto respectively
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño belicoso
La Gloria Cubana wavell
5 Vegas: Limitada '06, '07, '08, Classic Fifty Five, Series A petit corona
Padron 3000 habano
La Aurora: 1495 corona, Barrel Aged robusto, Cien Años belicoso
Camacho Triple Maduro robusto, figurado

I can't seem to think of much more...let me know if any of that interests you. Also, if it would be ok with you, I'd like to trade for one of each size, again if that's fine by you.

betasynn

Sure, that's fine. I am definitely interested in the Aurora Barrel Aged, and just whatever else evens it out for you. Just PM me your mailing details, and I'll get them in the mail around tuesday. What methods do you guys use to pack and ship cigars?

j0z3r

Was there anything else in particular that you might like...I mean, I'd hate to just pick some cigars and send them along to find out you didn't like them or even want to try them.

As far as packing and shipping, usually cigars in a Ziploc bag inside a cardboard box is fine, I like to stuff mine with newspaper so the cigars don't rattle around. I usually use USPS Priority to ship, others use UPS, Fedex...take your pick. I'll pm you my mailing info, pm me back with yours and let me know if there is anything else on that list you might want to try, and don't have any second thoughts or anything about asking for something you want, I'm more than happy to entertain requests.

betasynn

Deal all worked out then; I'll ship tomorrow.

gmill880

Don't ya just love when a deal comes together

betasynn

This will actually be my first trade I'm excited about it, going to get these in the mail later today.

betasynn

Okay, here is my review. Remember I'm sort of a noob. Cigar: A. Fernandez Signature Series, Robusto Accompanying Drink: Starbucks Vanilla Frappuccino Pre-Light: Very peppery smell with a hint of leather. The cap tastes A LOT like leather, which made me think it'd be a strong cigar. After cutting the cigar, I took a draw and found that it has a HEAVY pepper flavor, with a spice that sort of tingled on the tongue. 1/3: The first few puffs were loaded with pepper, almost ashy. It cleaned out pretty well after five or so drags, and the cigar balanced out between pepper and leather. The pepper soon goes away and leaves a remarkably smooth leather taste. 2/3: The ash was strong and only broke after I was a third of the way through. There is now a mild pepper undertone with what I initially thought was a bitter coffee flavor but eventually realized as a very faint nutty taste. This nutty flavor started to come out more toward the end, balancing leather and nuts, with very little pepper. 3/3: Very clean, mild taste that had none of the previous pepper taste. It now tastes almost creamy, and has a pleasing medium smoke. The finish was clean, and left your palette clear. Verdict: Great smoke, very well accompanied by coffee. I think it could probably use a little more time in the humidor, as the end might be a little too mellow for some.

betasynn

Feedback? Sorry it's just a wall of text; formatting doesn't stick here.

smbrink

Has anyone else noticed that almost all reviews all say that the cigar being reviewed could use more time in the humi?

betasynn

All I'm saying is, it doesn't taste like the flavor has set in evenly.

j0z3r

smbrink:

Has anyone else noticed that almost all reviews all say that the cigar being reviewed could use more time in the humi?

That's not terribly uncommon for a new release cigar, also it is easier I think to detect unbalance in a cigar's flavor the stronger it is. I think a couple months of rest does some good for any cigar myself, just gives it more time to balance out.

hardbuck

I just tried one of these for the first time the other night and it was fantastic. I smoked the Torp. The only thing I can say is that I'm glad I bought a sampler b/c I have 11 more of these puppies to burn. Mine was in the humi a little over a month. Burn- I've never seen a smoke burn this well. The smoke was hardly noticeable when the cigar was resting but responded well when you pulled on it. Kept it very cool. The ash was white white and even. Actually never seen a cigar burn THAT evenly. Taste-To me this cigar was leathery/earthy with a light light hint of spice. it also got more peppery as it went. Mind you, none of these flavors were strong or overpowering. Just like I like them. Construction/appearance- flawless. Not that this means as much to me as taste/burn but it was a pretty cigar. I highly recommend this smoke to anyone. I will make sure I have plenty in my humi.

cholmes8310

betasynn:

I actually have a whole mess of them, and haven't tried them all yet. I got the sampler, which has five each of churchill, toro, robusto, and torpedo. They have a great feel, very smooth and lightly oily, and are very well wrapped. Has anybody heard or tried these?

edit*** just saw the date of original post.

Still a good cigar, not my favorite by AJ, but definitely good, and heavy on the pepper, especially the first inch or so.

ejenne87

Because this thread just popped up again, and because I just smoked one last night, I will share my thoughts.

I lit one of these up last night with a friend, he smoked one as well. It was the habano wrapper in the Robusto. I bought these on a whim (knowing that AJ was the $hit!) in both wrappers because I got a HELL of a good deal on them, almost a year ago. I lit one of each up shortly after receiving them and thought they were both pretty great cigars. Not the best thing by AJ I had ever had, but still a pretty good smoke. I decided to go with it last night because it had been a while since I revisited. With almost a year on it, this cigar was absolutely amazing! The flavors just all seemed to mellow out a bit, and every single draw was better than the last. It's been a while since I have had some time to really enjoy a cigar and I am very glad I made this choice. If you can get your hands on some of these still, or if you have some that have been resting I highly recommend doing yourself the favor of trying one out soon. I cant wait to see how these things fair with just a bit more time on them!

fla-gypsy

As with all AJ sticks, they are very good.

cabinetmaker

Just bought 4 boxes of robustos, about to order 4 more. I might just like them...

Fourtotheflush

cabinetmaker:

Just bought 4 boxes of robustos, about to order 4 more. I might just like them...

I love this cigar also. the 1st inch is a pepper bomb, but after that its like smoking a juicy medium rare steak! Yummmy. I havent had one in a while, but now I want one.

Heavy

This stick has been discontinued, right? I thought it had something to do with the name/trademark or something, and was supposed to be re-released under a different name. Anyone heard anything on this lately?

And I've only smoked one of these and absolutely loved it. Nice pepper but had a slightly sweet undertone, lots of earth and leather. Yum - fortunately I have a few more resting.

Fourtotheflush

Heavy:

This stick has been discontinued, right? I thought it had something to do with the name/trademark or something, and was supposed to be re-released under a different name. Anyone heard anything on this lately?

And I've only smoked one of these and absolutely loved it. Nice pepper but had a slightly sweet undertone, lots of earth and leather. Yum - fortunately I have a few more resting.

Discontinued, yet, why - I dont know.