Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez

Jeremy Hensley — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 14:30:20 +0000

AJ Fernandez has certainly made a name for himself in the industry and this has not gone unnoticed by the cigar giants and newcomers alike. He may be the most sought after manufacturer right now as several 2017 releases from Altadis USA would attest to. A few weeks back, I lit up the original Monte and was very pleased with the results. Since neither Tony nor Jeff got around to the Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez, I figured I would take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the latest addition to the line.

Manufactured in Nicaragua at Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua, the new Monte is available in four vitolas: Corona (4 by 44), Robusto (4 1/4 by 54), Toro (6 by 55), and Belicoso (6 1/8 by 54). The cigars come packaged in 20 counts boxes and will range from $10.50 and $11.25 per cigar.

You can purchase the Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez from our good friends over at Famous Smoke Shop. Use coupon code “CASASAVINGS” to get $15 off your order of $100 or more.

THE FACTS

Price: $11.00
Vitola: Toro
Size: 6 by 55
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo ’98
Filler:Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 and Dominican Piloto Cubano
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 20 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez is dressed in a medium brown Ecuadorian Habano leaf that is consistent in color. Some light oils and small veins can be seen on the box-pressed cigar. The cigar is very smooth to the touch and evenly filled from head to foot with only a slight give.

Bringing the wrapper of the cigar to my nose, I pick up an aroma of cardboard, earth, and sweet grass. The cardboard and earth are on the foot of the cigar with an added touch of black pepper. The lines on the double cap are nice and straight. Upon clipping, the draw has hardly any resistance as flavors of cardboard, rich cedar, and cinnamon greet my palate. A medium heat lingers in the mouth after the cold draw.

FIRST THIRD

The rich cedar from the cold draw translates right over to the smoke followed by some sweetness and a sharp pepper. There is also salt and citrus flavors. The Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez is producing a crazy amount of resting smoke. Even though the flavors and spice are full, the smoke feels somewhat thin in the mouth. As I make my way through the first third, the wrapper struggles to burn with the rest of the tobaccos.

MIDDLE THIRD

As I enter the second third of the Monte, the rich cedar has evolved to more of a pine flavor. The pepper is not as sharp and the sweetness has stepped down a notch. There is also charred flavor on the finish of the smoke. The citrus is still hanging around in the background of the profile and later in the third the sweetness creeps back around.

FINAL THIRD

The burn has been jagged for the majority of the Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez, but has been able to self-correct. The charred wood takes a more dominant role, with the pine flavor and black pepper trailing.

WRAP-UP

The Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez was a tale of two cigars. Two completely different smoking experiences from one sample to the next. The sample smoked for the written portion of the review presented an off-balanced profile with a sharp spice and burnt flavors that began in the second third and held to the end. The sample smoked for the photos was more consistent throughout with well rounded flavors and, rather than the pine and char, I found a nice sweet wood flavor that tied all the flavors together. Both samples showed medium to full flavors with a decent amount of strength. The competition is fierce at $11.00 and I am not even sure if the good experience would justify the price.

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IndianHead Cigars – La Galera 1936 Box Pressed

Jeremy Hensley — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 13:30:08 +0000

I am back at it again with another review coming out of IndianHead Cigars. In 2015, it was announced that Jochy Blanco, owner of Tabacalera Palma, acquired IndianHead Cigars along with its many valued priced brands. Paired alongside the news of the acquisition was the launch of the La Galera brand by IndianHead Cigars. The original launch consisted of the La Galera Habano and Connecticut. Three additional lines were added to the La Galera brand in 2016 including La Galera 80th Anniversary, La Galera 1936, and La Galera Maduro.

The La Galera 1936 Box Pressed was created to commemorate the year Tabacalera Palma opened its door, the factory the La Galera line is produced at. The 1936 Box Pressed is available in six vitolas: Chaveta (5 by 50), Pegador (5 ½ by 46), El Lector (6 by 54), Pilon (6 by 54), Cortador (6 ⅛ by 52), and Churchill 7 ¼ by 50. Packaged in 21-count boxes, the cigars range in price from $6.30 to $9.20 per cigar.

You can purchase the La Galera 1936 Box Pressed from our good friends at Fox Cigar. It doesn’t look like they are listed on their online store yet, but you can give them a ring at (800) 730-2087.

THE FACTS

Price: $6.30
Vitola: Pegador
Size: 5 ½ by 46
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Criollo 98
Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano and Criollo 98
Smoke Time: 1 Hour and 5 Minutes

PRE-LIGHT

The La Galera 1936 Box Pressed wears a medium brown wrapper that is mostly consistent in color, but there is some dark, nearly black splotching. The veins are tiny and only a couple of scattered bumps are found on the leaf. The cigar is incredibly smooth and the wrapper is oily.

Cocoa and crushed red pepper are on the wrapper, while a bigger notes of chocolate, crushed red pepper, and cedar come across on the foot. I find a perfect cold draw after cutting the cap with rich notes of cedar, clove, and chocolate.

FIRST THIRD

The 1936 Box Pressed opens with medium flavors of oak, dark red fruit, and spice. The flavors are meshing well together and well balanced. Even so, there is a nice spicy edge to the smoke and a hint of saltiness. Earth and unsweetened bumble gum characterize the finish. The burn, which started off with a slight wave, is even after self-correcting itself. The carbon line is thick and a white ash is forming.

MIDDLE THIRD

Transiting into the second third, the profile is meatier as the spice and salt develop and take on a more dominant role, but the flavors from the first third can still be found in the background. As I reach the middle of the cigar, the secondary band removes with ease. It is at this point that charred wood and cocoa join the mix.

FINAL THIRD

Pieces of the flaky ash are dropping all over me as I enter the last leg of the La Galera 1936 Box Pressed The charred wood note is holding strong and a mild natural sweetness is trying to fight off some bitterness that has snuck in. With a few minutes remaining in the smoke, I am beginning to feel some of the strength the 1936 brings to the table.

WRAP-UP

The small ring gauge, box pressed format, and the introductory profile is everything I want to in an elegant, classy cigar. A cigar that I would want to accompany me in a celebration setting where time may be a limited. When the flavors evolved in the second third, I felt like it lost that classy touch. The burn issues and flaky ash of the La Galera 1936 further affirmed that. There was no “bad” part of the cigar. But it just didn’t end as favorably as it had begun. I really like what Jochy Blanco is doing at Tabacalera Palma and with the La Galera brand. The Maduro is way up there as one of my favorite smokes I’ve had this year. And for a price of $6.30 for the 1936 Box Pressed, you can’t really go wrong trying a couple of these for yourself.

The post IndianHead Cigars – La Galera 1936 Box Pressed appeared first on Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando.

Ecaudorian Habano Archives - Cigar Reviews | Beer Pairings | Casas Fumando

Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez

THE FACTS

PRE-LIGHT

FIRST THIRD

MIDDLE THIRD

FINAL THIRD

WRAP-UP

IndianHead Cigars – La Galera 1936 Box Pressed

THE FACTS

PRE-LIGHT

FIRST THIRD

MIDDLE THIRD

FINAL THIRD

WRAP-UP