Is anyone else just plain done?
CigarMan37
Posts: 432
I'm curious to hear people's thought on this. Is anyone else just plain done with AJ Fernandez? The more I smoke his stuff I'm just more and more disappointed.
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If it's a "flavor" issue, then maybe your palate has changed somewhat?
If it's a "performance" issue (construction, burn, draw, etc), well that just may be a a bad string of sticks, or possibly they're too dry or too moist (unlikely).
I hope it's not both flavor and performance.
For me, I noticed several cigars that I used to like a lot (JdN El Martillo, Oliva O, Padilla Black Bear, etc.) , that no longer "do it" for me.........I still smoke them, but don't like them nearly as much as I did a few years back...............changing palate.
As others have noted, imo, AJ makes good cigars at solid price points, and if you're patient and know where to look, you can really score from time to time.
Obviously not every AJ stick will be a winner, as I noted with my disappointment with the MoW Special Edition Figurado. (But I'm going to smoke 2 more before I brand them duds for my purposes.)
But the everyday gars he blends I don't care for many of those. The 1884, and the San Miguel being the big exceptions I can think of.
But the La Henrencia line I will pass on all day everyday. Also most diesels I'll pass on.
I feel like other blenders do much better in the middle of the road stuff than he does.
fixed it for ya.
and yes i AM done with Gurkha. never again.
i just have to be in the mood for it and be prepared for it.
there are many times where a 5 Vegas AAA is just what i need in my life.
still like A.J. myself, mostly. Looked at the Weekend Blitz, Gurkha Beast, and thought "Couple years ago I'd have jumped on that", not now. Don't like buying 20 cigars and only being able to smoke 10 of them.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
but.........but...............but.........uh..... Not too long ago you said that a Centurian with a year plus on it was a Gurkha you enjoyed?
(it's on here somewhere......I'm too lazy to find it)
aaaand, based on the Kuzinator's high praise, a year and a half ago I went out and bought a 6-pack from big sister!
waaaahhhh!!!!!!
Well, here's what I wrote on another Forum, which sums it up:
I had a Centurian a while back......had 18 months of rest.......
It was very.......um............................had a rather strong cedar profile...............and there was this other flavor....................think it was cedar...................and there were hints of this spice, no, not spice per se........but............kind of a cedary spice...........and some bland tobacco notes here and there......
Definitely worth about 75 cents............
On a serious note............there was one Centurian in that six-pack I paid $18 for (ouch!!)......that actually was decent........and I'd pay $3 for it again if I could be certain to get one like that again.......but alas.................we're talking Gurkhaaaaaaa.
(thread jack off.....apologies to the OP)
I was thinking this would end like other "loves" I've had but I cant get enough of his stuff. I even like the forum blend.
I just realized I never smoke any AJ smoke, until it has at least 6 months on it, except mowpas, I'll fire those up after three months.
I did have a Ruination Robusto yesterday that had 1.5 years on it.........................very very good.
I'm definitely NOT done with AJ.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
1) dry box 6+ hours
2) v-cut parallel to the long side of the press
3) take soft draws, but enough to keep it lit of course, purge once in a while
The Core is a much "tastier" cigar to me when I do the above, as opposed to smoking it like most other cigars I smoke.
The Core is finicky.....overheats easily, can canoe sometimes, etc.
But with just a little attention, it can reveal some interesting nuances.
The two different Man 'O War brands I tried (forgot which ones) were quite pleasant but nothing spectacular and certainly worth $6-7 a stick.
The one Diesel I tried I think I initially responded favorable to the full body and smoke output, but in retrospect I found the flavor lacking in complexity. And it gave me a tummy ache.
I've tried three different sizes of LHC Cores and couldn't get past the first third. A tasteless, newspapery chore.
The one Ave Maria I tried was a complete dud. Nothing remarkable about it all.
I had high hopes for the Pinolero, but at best I found it pleasant, but nothing I would go out and order more.
Now this may have more to do with my own limited flavor profile, which gravitates toward cigars that are less smooth, more full-bodied, spicier, and have more 'nutty'/'sweet' flavors rather than earthy/peaty flavors. Of all of AJ's brands, the SL Oval is the only one I've smokes that meets my profile.
Now, I didn't age any of these, but then again, I haven't aged the brands I liked either.
Again, to show the difference of palates, this is by far my favorite AJ offering, lol.
I never have been a huge fan of AJ's stuff. I put him in pretty much the same category as Gurkha and RP. A huge variety of stuff, some of its okay, some of its bad, and there are just a few gems in the lot. As I said above, the LHC Core is my favorite by him; the MOW PA and the San Lotano Habano are some other notable blends. I know I am way in the minority here, but none of the MOW blends really appealed to me (except the PA) and I think all the LHC (except the CORE) line is horrible.
That being said, I wouldn't say I'm done with his stuff. I'll smoke the Cores as long as they are being produced, and if he comes out with any other new stuff that seems to be interesting or otherwise piques my curiosity, I'll definitely give them a shot. Its just like Gurkha, I ultimately am not a fan of their stuff, but I really want to try the Cellar Reserve right now, as I have read alot of good stuff about them.
im out.