Yet another great installment in the AJ Fernandez portfolio the ENCLAVE HABANO. This exquisite blend is no surprise to AJ fans and brings joy to all who smoke it. The Enclave Habano is a medium-full cigar with a powerhouse of flavors that will take your senses on a journey. Wrapped in an Ecuadorian Rosado Habano, with a sweet Cameroon binder and Nicaraguan long-fillers, including Piloto Cubano, that lends this blend flavors from old school Havanas. Find the Enclave and other AJ Fernandez products online or at your local B&M today.
Profile: Medium/Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan and Piloto Cubano
Binder: Cameroon
Shape: Robusto
Length: 5
Gauge: 50
Country: Nicaragua
Box-pressed:
Sweet:
Pricing: ($160 Box of 20) ($6.32 per stick)
First Impression: This cigar was left resting for two weeks in my humidor while I prepared for this review. The wrapper was that of milk chocolate with a hint of mocha in color. Medium textured wrapper with an oily finish. The aroma was that of coffee and cedar with a slight earth mustiness that I really look for in a cigar. The cigar felt well-packed and quite firm, and I did wonder how well it would draw. I allowed the cigar to acclimate to the environment so as to afford the tobacco every opportunity to shine.
Lighting, Draw, and Burn: I used a guillotine-style cutter in this review, something I’ve noticed with a lot of cigars blended by AJ, they need air. The better the airflow, the better it is to grab those subtle hints and expressions of the tobacco. If you’re looking to improve your perception of flavor notes, buy several of the same cigars and try different styles of cutters. You will notice a difference each time. The draw was on the medium side, not too tight but tighter than most, which is okay. I like to know I’m smoking dense tobacco. I used a dual flame torch lighter. Since it’s a smaller ring gauge, I decided it didn’t need too much heat to get going. The burn was excellent, with no touchups required.
First Third: The first few puffs were good, but I wasn’t getting the full message. The tobacco wasn’t speaking to me yet. It was a slow burner, so I knew I had to be patient. At this time, I was getting simple notes of nuts, a little bit of hay, coffee, and that barnyard mustiness that I love. So far, so good, but I knew it had to get better.
Second Third: Now, we’re really getting into it. As I stated before, this cigar was slow burning, so I tried my best not to over smoke the cigar. Now the tobacco was talking and telling me its story. I got flavors like figs and raisins, the cedar was still prominent, coffee and espresso, spice, and a little sweetness in the finish. I did get a flavor that I could not put my finger on. However, it was something like nutmeg or cinnamon.
Final Third: Something that they don’t teach you when you’re starting out in cigars, that final third is the powerhouse. Now that spice and pepper is leading the band and leaves a heavier finish on the palate. This is where I really slowed down. The hotter the ember gets, the spicier the cigar.
Overall Flavor: Overall, I think this was a fine cigar to add to any rotation. It did not smack me in the face with flavors in the beginning, but it did provide a good crescendo in the orchestra of flavors. But watch out for that ending, it bites back.
Final Thoughts: Cigars are a totally handmade product. They are blended with the world in mind, and not every blend is a homerun. But what if we gave them a chance? Each blend has a story, a symphony, and a heart behind it. Not including the farmers who nurture these plants to life, there are over 300 hands that go into every artisan product. This cigar was no different. It told a tale, and, in my opinion, it was worth listening to. I did enjoy the Enclave by AJ Fernandez, and I deem it box-worthy. I hope you feel the same!