AJ Fernandez Cigars Man O' War Valkyrie Toro in Review

BRAND: Man O' War
BLEND: Valkyrie

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticut
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Toro
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Mild-medium
SPICE: 3/5

NOTES:
Lemon Meringue | White pepper | Cedar

It's all wrapped in thin suede and placed in a chicken coop. I'd like to note how all the above italicized notes could easily be mistaken for one-another at times. Citrus, White pepper, cedar. So a profile skewed toward thattaway, and therefore not greatly balanced. Rye flour.

White tea and floral notes. A bright and slightly sharp smoke. Puckering. Puts me in mind of a super-hoppy beer. Burns and draws admirably. Built well. The most refreshingly brisk cigar I've had in some time. A good wake up call, but I'd pair it with a morning tea, and hold off on the coffee.

If you don't wake up until brunch, all the better--pour yourself an Arnold Palmer.

TASTE: B
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Diesel Cigars Fool's Errand Simple Fool in Review

BRAND: Diesel Cigars
BLEND: Simple Fool

WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Sumatra
BINDER: Nicaraguan
FILLER: Nicaraguan

FORMAT: Perfecto 558
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
INTENSITY: Medium/Med.-Full
SPICE: 2/5

NOTES:
Molasses, seared | Almond, buttered | Oak, toasted

Platform is well-tamped potting soil, watered with root beer. Nice depth and balance, but the profile could use a good bit more structure. Amazingly consistent, to the point of uneventful. Dependable as heck, though. Stoic. Fun vitola, tickling dreary smoke--saved by being yummy. Melancholy?

TASTE: B+
DRAW: B+
BURN: B+
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Asylum Cigars Insanity Later Robusto in Review

BRAND: Asylum
BLEND: Insanity Later

WRAPPER: Mexican San Andres
BINDER: ?
FILLER: ?

FORMAT: Robusto (550)
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Medium-full
SPICE: 3.5/5

NOTES:

A Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar thrown into a hardwood bonfire. An ember gets free and the guy gets up with his acoustic guitar in tow to step it out; melting the rubber sole of his shoe just a bit. Black pepper. Maybe instead, someone splashes out the ember with the reminder of their Dr. Pepper. Tar.

An unrelenting display of that. Unchangeable. Not so much aggressive as assertive and insistent. Not much depth, as all note are pretty high, evenly-so. Draws well. Burns on a slight jagged-wobble. Built fine. profile-wise, gets a tick sharp after the half and threatens to be more feel than flavor.

TASTE: B
DRAW: A-
BURN: B
BUILD: B+

FINAL GRADE: B
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very ::: 

Asylum Cigars Serenity Now Robusto in Review

BRAND: Asylum
BLEND: Serenity Now

WRAPPER: Connecticut
BINDER: ?
FILLER: ?

FORMAT: Robusto (550)
ORIGIN: Honduras
INTENSITY: Mild-medium-Medium
SPICE: 2/5

NOTES:
Sweet cream | Dessert spices | Chamomile tea

Pillowy-billowy soft, tho lacking in delineation on account of it. Lively oak in the first half, picks up a wet cardboard half-vibe in the second. Quite pleasant throughout, simply and in a straightforward manner. Cereal grain and golden hay over dirt base. White pepper. Pale spices.

Draws a tick toward open but evenly-so. Burns at an even but quick-pace, lacks ash growth. Build-wise, nice tight seams, cap assemblage, with neither hard nor soft spots. Hits somewhat as a smokeable aperitif. Mainly lives up to its name, a serene not overbearing or difficult thing.

TASTE: B+
DRAW: A-
BURN: B+
BUILD: A-

FINAL GRADE: B+
A 90-100 B 80-89 C 70-79

::: very :::