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Unlit Impressions

My, what a snazzy-looking cedar sleeve you have there, you milky mocha-colored concoction you. Green banding to mimic the Brazilian flag, a silken footband in a matching hue, and an ultra deep cap up top are all what I like to see in a cigar from a window shopping standpoint.

The wrapper may be dry to the touch and therefore an oil-free affair, but that doesn't mean it is inferior in any way. In fact, this has to be one of the smoothest-looking and feeling Mata Fina leaves I have ever come across, and in true AJF style, it has been fitted flawlessly to its bunched and box-pressed Nicaraguan internals. Leather before all else, and then followed by milky mocha, and a spicy umami meatiness third, the wrapper smells familiar yet distinctly of its own entity.

Dark chocolate-covered raisins, coffee liqueur, raw cookie dough, and a spin of the peppercorn wheel all pump up the profile of the foot, which is a considerable contrast to the aromatics along the wrapper. Squeezes show a perfect bounce-back under the thumb, so no need for a straight cut here, as a slice from my Overland Pro V-Cut Lighter will be plenty sufficient.

Cold tokes are oatmeal cream cookies studded with rum-soaked raisins, more raw cookie dough of the lighter variety, dried cedar, and instant hot chocolate powder. Surprisingly, not a stitch of spiciness or coffee is to be detected, and the coca tastes remain mild and not very sweet whatsoever. 

Initial Smoke

Never underestimate the significance of a cedar cigar sleeve. Style points are one thing, protection is another, but infused aromatics are a whole other consideration. This bright, organic aromatic upon light tricks the tongue into tasting more of the wood than what is actually there, and this turns the mocha flavors of that Mata Fina wrapper into a secondary note. The draw is perfect, pepper spice strikes only when the smoke is exhaled via the nostrils, and the body of the smoke is medium-grade in weight. 

1st Half

Still cedar-first above all else, the cigar heats up a touch and turns over the rainforest compost heap to allow some organic fermented funk to form. Smooth and subtle, this "controlled composting" earthiness enters with the signature Mata Fina flavor of Brazil nuts bounding alongside it, for a milky, meaty flavor to go with that emerging mocha undertone. 

But before that can happen, a cup of Mexican hot cocoa gets handed to you, finished with that classic mix of cinnamon and the slightest pinch of dried chili powder. Light, herbal, and very clean, retrohales ease back off the peppercorn parade and allow the milkiness of the Brazil nuts to move forward. Medium-bodied, medium strength, and a notch above medium in flavor, first half impressions are quite good, even though the lack of mocha magic is a bit unexpected.

2nd Half

Wood tannins drying out the overall cigar flavor profile by at least an oak stave or two, the second half starts with bright aspirations, even though a heart of darkness lies in wait just a third of the barrel south. As the cedar flavors grow resinous in nature, a gradual increase in body and flavor moves the sticks further downfield toward full, but only for just a bit. 

Moist rainforest soil and a rich bittersweet chocolate bar flavor soon shove their way to the front of the stage, and with the return of those rum-soaked raisins right beside them, make for a really nice final third smoking section. Retrohales continue to be pepper-free and pull heavily from whatever cedar and nutty milkiness is still left from the first half, and meaty aftertastes turn the medium finish even longer.  

Parting Puffs

Bittersweet cocoa crushing all around it, the parting puffs on this blend bring the ruckus with plenty of rainforest floor funky flavor and sun-grown AJ Fernandez tobacco spice. While some coffee ground tastes can be detected, the chocolate intensity does not allow much room for growth, and with a jolt of nicotine knocking, I know that it is time to set the cigar down and assess what I have just consumed.  

Ash / Burn / Smoke / Draw

Another cigar from AJ Fernandez with a perfect draw, a respectably lengthy ash, good burn lines for the most part, and zero need for a relight or touch-up. 

If I did have any complaints, it would be that the blend burns a bit quickly, and the ash on both cigars did like to flake in the final third, while dropping in the first.  

Final Thoughts 

Brazilian tobacco nerds are surely going to enjoy this smoke, but maybe not for the reasons they expect. All said and done, this is a medium-grade Mata Fina that sits somewhere between a chocolaty maduro and a smooth shade-grown specimen. Not too heavy, but by no means a lightweight either, flavors and body form around a clear agreement that cedar, soil, chocolate, Brazil nuts, and milkiness matter more than coffee and umami meatiness.

An overall lack of sweetness from start to finish also left me wondering what else might be missing. The taste of chocolate-covered raisins from prelight only arrived later on in the cigar, and struggled to maintain their presence due to all of the dank soil and resinous cedar tastes.  I was also surprised by how quickly both cigars burned, for they felt firmly bunched and not underfilled in any way.

So while I will suggest this AJ Fernandez smoke to Mata Fina fans, and did enjoy the traditional Brazil nut tastes I detected, I cannot say that it is my favorite example of what this type of tobacco leaf has to offer. It is 100% worthy of smoking when the medium-bodied cigar mood strikes you, just don't go in with the mindset that you are going to get the entire espresso bar and sixteen strains of sugar cane to go along with it.

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