AJ Fernandez New World - Oscuro Gordo - BOX OF 21

The New World Oscuro blend stretched across 6 x 58 of box-pressed Nicaraguan puro. The Gordo is where AJ Fernandez's dark Estelí wrapper, Jalapa binder, and three-region filler have the most room they get in any standard Oscuro vitola, and the session runs long enough to use every inch of it.

The New World Oscuro Gordo is not the right cigar for every occasion. At 6 x 58 the session runs ninety minutes to two hours, the smoke is the coolest and densest of any size in the lineup, and the flavor development is the most gradual. For buyers who specifically want to spend that kind of time with the 2014 Cigar of the Year blend, it is the correct choice without qualification.

What changes in the Gordo compared to the Robusto and Toro is the same thing that changes in any 58-ring format relative to narrower vitolas. The dark Estelí Oscuro wrapper's spice and chocolate character is the most controlled it gets in this lineup, integrated rather than assertive from the opening draw. The Jalapa binder's sweet undertones, which in the Robusto arrive quickly and in the Toro take a third to fully establish, are woven through the smoke from the beginning at 58 ring because the slower, cooler burn gives them more time to develop before the first third ends. The Finca Soledad Ligero, Condega Ligero, and Viso Ometepe filler blend, which is already a complex three-region construction, gets the most expression in the Gordo because the wider column gives each component more proportional presence.

The result is the most nuanced and unhurried reading of the New World Oscuro profile. The caramel and espresso notes that come forward in the second third of the Toro arrive more gradually here, with the caramel building across a longer arc before the espresso and earth notes follow. The nutty finish that closes the session is more sustained. Buyers who are already familiar with the Oscuro in the Robusto or Toro and want to understand the blend more fully tend to describe the Gordo as a revelation.

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Flavor progression:

1. First third: the dark Oscuro wrapper opens with spice and chocolate at its most controlled and integrated, Jalapa sweetness established early alongside the mineral notes from the Ometepe Viso
2. Second third: caramel develops slowly and fully, espresso and earth following as the Finca Soledad and Condega Ligeros come forward at full expression in the wide column
3. Final third: nutty, herbal cedar close that extends longer than in narrower formats, the Jalapa sweetness sustaining through to the nub

Key Features

1. Brand: AJ Fernandez
2. Line: New World Oscuro
3. Blenders: AJ Fernandez and Ismael Fernandez
4. Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A., Estelí
5. Country of Origin: Nicaragua
6. Blend Type: Nicaraguan Puro (Dark)
7. Wrapper: Dark Nicaraguan Oscuro (Estelí)
8. Binder: Jalapa, Nicaragua
9. Filler: Estelí Finca Soledad Ligero, Condega Ligero, Viso Ometepe
10. Vitola: Gordo
11. Size: 6 inches x 58 ring gauge
12. Construction: Box-pressed, handmade
13. Strength: Medium to Full
14. Flavor Profile: Spice, chocolate, caramel, espresso, earth, nuts, Jalapa sweetness, herbal cedar finish
15. Line Ratings: 94 pts Cigar Journal (COTY 2014), 92 pts Cigar Snob, 91 pts Cigar Aficionado
16. Smoke Time: Approximately 90 to 120 minutes
17. Box Count: 21 cigars
18. Price per Cigar: approximately $6.00