AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Short Churchill - Box of 20

Six inches at 48 ring gauge, the narrowest vitola in the New World Puro Especial lineup and the one where the Criollo '98 wrapper from AJ Fernandez's San José farm has the most influence per draw.

The three standard sizes in the New World Puro Especial line sit at 48, 52, and 52 ring gauge. The Short Churchill at 48 ring is the outlier. Where the Robusto and Toro both carry 52 ring, the Short Churchill is four gauge points narrower, which changes the geometry of the smoke in a specific way: a narrower ring gauge means the wrapper leaf represents a larger proportion of each draw. In a cigar built around a single farm's Criollo '98 wrapper specifically chosen by AJ Fernandez because of the quality of that leaf, that wrapper-to-filler ratio matters.

What results from the 48 ring gauge is the most wrapper-forward expression of the Puro Especial blend. The Criollo '98's cocoa powder, earth, and cedar notes lead more prominently than they do in the wider Robusto or Toro, while the mineral note that the San Diego farm's volcanic soil contributes remains a consistent thread throughout. Halfwheel's dedicated review of the Short Churchill describes "pepper that is punchy but still refined and seemingly mellowed with some age" alongside a "consistent mineral note" on a "medium to medium-plus base." That mineral quality is a direct expression of the San Diego farm's soil composition, the same property that AJ Fernandez specifically cited when explaining why he built the blend the way he did.

Cuenca Cigars positions the Short Churchill explicitly as the Puro Especial format "for a rich and complex flavor experience." One Atlantic Cigar buyer who smokes them regularly put it simply: "flawless construction and draw in every one I've ever smoked. The short Churchill size is perfect in flavor and amount of smoke. And it keeps going and going. It's a very pleasurable cigar."

Introduced at the 2017 IPCPR trade show alongside the Robusto and Toro, all three sizes share the same blend developed by AJ Fernandez and his father Ismael: Criollo '98 wrapper from the San José farm, with binder and filler tobacco from La Soledad, La Providencia, and San Diego farms, each aged three to five years.

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Flavor progression:

1. First third: Criollo '98 wrapper opens assertively with cocoa powder, pepper, and mineral notes, the earth and cedar following from the Nicaraguan core
2. Second third: almonds, cinnamon, and vanilla cream emerging, the multi-farm filler contributing aroma and flavor depth from La Providencia and La Soledad respectively
3. Final third: nutty and smooth, leather and a sweet caramel note carrying through to a clean close

Key Features

1. Brand: AJ Fernandez
2. Line: New World Puro Especial
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: 100% Nicaraguan Puro
7. Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo '98 (San José farm)
8. Binder: Nicaraguan (La Soledad farm)
9. Filler: Nicaraguan (La Soledad, La Providencia, San Diego farms)
10. Tobacco Age: 3 to 5 years
11. Vitola: Short Churchill
12. Size: 6 inches x 48 ring gauge
13. Construction: Parejo (round, handmade)
14. Strength: Medium to Medium-Full
15. Flavor Profile: Cocoa powder, pepper, almonds, cinnamon, mineral, earth, vanilla cream, cedar, leather
16. Box Count: 20 cigars
17. Price per Cigar: approximately $6.05