New World Puro Especial is the newest addition to the popular New World line by AJ Fernandez. The blend was developed by AJ Fernandez and his father, Ismael, over the course of several years using tobaccos exclusively from Fernandez-owned farms in Nicaragua, all of which have been aged three to five years. The wrapper, binder, and filler all come from different farms in order to provide different aspects to the cigar in terms of flavor, aroma, and mineral qualities.
••••• N Habano N N
Ellory Wells –
Initial Thoughts
In the cigar world, there are “old world” and “new world” cigars. New world cigars come from Brazil, Nicaragua, Honduras, Sumatra, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and the list goes on. Old-world cigars come from, well, Cuba.
To celebrate these “new world” cigars, AJ Fernandez decided to come out with a line of cigars to celebrate these wonderful tobaccos. And today, we’re going to dive into the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Robusto.
Once cut, the New World Puro Especial had a slightly tight draw that offered up flavors that were a little like sawdust. However, once the cigar was on fire, it became apparent that this was going to be a strong, bold smoke.
This cigar started off interesting. The wrapper could’ve convinced me it was a Connecticut Broadleaf instead of a Nicaraguan Habano, and there was also something sweet lingering in the background.
CigarScore: 4
Brand: AJ Fernandez
Line: New World Puro Especial
Size: 5 1/2 x 52
Cut: Guillotine
Light: Torch
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 68 minutes
Strength: •••••
Through the middle of the smoke, I found the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Robusto to be fairly one-dimensional. There wasn’t a lot of variety or complexity in the flavors. The cigar was full-on bold, and that seemed to be it.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t love the flavors on the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Robusto. The cigar was just bold, without much else. The New World Puro Especial tasted like a lower-cost Cohiba Black.
But, the construction was good. The burn was even, and I could get a good amount of smoke on each puff.
Overall, I didn’t love the flavors. But, that’s a personal choice. The price point on this cigar was good, the construction was good, and the smoke time was appropriate. The AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Robusto earns a CigarScore 4.