Smoked: Enclave by AJ Fernandez

Smoked at: Fairfield, Ohio

Enclave by AJ Fernandez is made of Nicaraguan filler, a Cameroon binder and an oily smooth brown Ecuador Habano Rosado wrapper with a few small veins and hardly a seam to be found. The Enclave has a cool-looking rustic classic band.

I spent most of the smoke waxing and waning between enjoying it and comparing it to so many other AJ Fernandez efforts I recall being more enjoyable. The first few minutes had me rushing to judgment that this was a disappointment. The more I smoked the more I wrestled with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. But, I kept coming back for the flavors that *were *there.

Those flavors were spice, cedar, earth, leather, cocoa, roasted almonds and a dollop of cream. Now the flavor needle doesn’t move through the midway point of the smoke. No new flavors. No transitions.

Disappointment is tapping the shoulder with the angel on it telling me this is at best an average cigar. Give up all hope of anything more. The cigar has a linear flavor profile lacking complexity. The balance is mediocre. And yet I keep smoking expecting more. Hey, it’s an AJ. Finally, a few vague notes of dark coffee, dried fruit and more spices and something akin to oatmeal join the profile on a puff or two. Still, I’m on the fence as to how I feel about the cigar. It’s a medium-full bodied, medium strength cigar that ratchets up in strength by the finish line.

Decent draw, a shade on the tight side, the white ash held tight and grew to a stack of nickels, the burn line remained fairly even – one touchup, and the smoke production was adequate.

The Enclave didn’t dazzle me, but it is a fairly enjoyable cigar. I must admit I was expecting more because it had AJ Fernandez’s name on it. When reputation precedes you, it can be a double-edge sword. Let’s just say I have smoked many AJ Fernandez cigars that I’d rate much higher, but I did smoke the Enclave to the nub. Can I rate it 3.5? It’s not quite in that 4 range for my palate.