The Expert Review Library

Poised as the blend that introduced the world to Brazilian wrappers, it took five years of research to make the ‘91’-rated Brazilia a reality. Despite its size, the full-bodied Gol! is rich on the palate, very earthy with a complex boutique of nuts, spices, toast, and floral bouquet. A fantastic follow-up to a great meal.

I implore you to give a good, hard look at the wrapper on this one. Stunning. Simply one of the smoothest Connecticut wrappers I’ve ever seen. But what else would you expect from Nick Perdomo? This Nicaraguan-made treat offers warm notes of cedar, spice, and hints of vanilla on the finish. Smooth enough for the morning, flavorful enough to end the evening, this gem will hit the spot for any enthusiast!

Ferio Tego’s Metropolitan Host Maduro flies a little under the radar. Born from the Nat Sherman brand, I think this brand is overlooked simply because its been on the market for decades. But there’s also a reason it’s been around so long. Smooth, consistent notes of milk chocolate, earth, and faint hints of spice on the finish. This is one smooth Maduro! Pair with a nice bourbon for best results. 

AJ Fernandez more than earns his Master Blender title with this ‘91’-rated blend. Due to the dark Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper, the Maduro is bolder than its predecessor, but no complaints here. There’s a nice spicy-sweetness due to the interplay between earth and pepper underneath sweeter nuances of almond, cocoa, and vanilla. Remarkably even burn.

I love a good morning cigar, and Connecticut-wrapped blends are perfect with a cup of coffee. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that this gem was blended by the legendary AJ Fernandez. Hailing from AJ’s factory in Nicaragua, La Gran Llave Connecticut is draped in an Ecuador Connecticut Shade wrapper concealing top-notch Nicaraguan long-fillers. This mellow to medium-bodied blend delivers creamy notes of cashew, hazelnut, and coffee.

CAO has consistently been one of my favorite brands for a long time now. But one cigar in their portfolio that always seems to be overlooked is the ‘91’ rated CAO Nicaragua. Made with long-fillers from three of Nicaragua’s prime growing regions and covered with a dark Jamastran wrapper, this premium possesses a beautiful balance of strength and flavor. A complex profile offers notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, roasted nuts, and a dried fruit sweetness.

This ‘90’-rated Nicaraguan puro made by AJ Fernandez looks modern, but it’s really an homage to the famous blends that came out of Havana during the late ‘60s to early ‘70s. Medium to full-bodied, an attractive chocolate-brown wrapper greets the senses before paving way for a flavor profile laden with notes of pepper, vanilla, coffee bean, citrus, and toast.

I simply can’t resist La Gloria Cubana Spanish Press. These Dominican-made premiums are chock full of tobaccos from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico’s San Andrés Valley capped off with a redolent Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper. Savor every moment as this medium-bodied cigar is rich with notes of earth, red licorice, black pepper, raisin, and baking spice. Fire up a steak and pair this with a nice bourbon…you’ll thank me.

Oliva’s catalog of blends is legendary. And personally, I love a good Cameroon-wrapped cigar, so this one was a no-brainer for me. A hearty but balanced handmade, Serie ‘G’ is packed with Nicaraguan tobaccos and gives off notes of leather, cedar, and coffee. To top it off, the genuine Cameroon wrapper offers hints of sweetness throughout. Pair this gem with some bourbon and you have a match made in heaven.

When AJ Fernandez was asked to blend a Nicaraguan puro for Montecristo, it resulted in this ‘93’-rated, #10 of 2018. Notes of earth, hay, red pepper, red berries, cedar, and sweet hickory in this medium-bodied blend provide a new take on that classic Monte experience. Construction is flawless, with the right amount of pull on the draw.