Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Lonsdale (6 x 44)
Purchase Link: Long Live the King by AJ Fernandez
LONG LIVE THE KING BY AJ REVIEW – CALIFORNIA
Summary: This cigar opens with pepper and campfire. Tabasco sauce. The black pepper on the retro hale is no joke and forces me to actively remember to retro hale less. There's a slight brown sugar sweetness, but it's difficult to get anything other than pepper.
Thankfully, the pepper dissipates in the second third. Dark chocolate. The burn-line and ash are decent. Vegetal notes have me thinking broccoli. Halfway through and the pepper and dark chocolate are finally coming together in terms of balance. Touch-up required.
Final third is back to just darkness (think Bane, not Batman). Not much else, and not for my palate.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Having a benched player in fantasy go off.
Pairing Suggestion: Stout.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Single.
LONG LIVE THE KING BY AJ REVIEW – WISCONSIN
Summary: This cigar brought flavors of dank earth, pepper, spice, grass, cocoa, coffee, and stone fruit. There were times when it was particularly bitter and other times when it was particularly harsh. It just didn't feel quite ready to smoke to me.
The cigar was well-made, with good burn and draw.
I didn't love the flavor profile as it was, but what I did like was the potential. I would put good money down that this cigar ages well. Set it down for a couple of years and I bet you'll have something interesting on your hands.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Putting your cigars to sleep for a couple years and being pleasantly surprised at how they age.
Pairing Suggestion: Ice cream.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Single.
LONG LIVE THE KING BY AJ REVIEW – OREGON
Summary: The slightly darker than milk chocolate wrapper on my cigar smells like brownie mix and pencil shavings. The cold draw...fresh cut wood.
Flame to foot and we have oak, leather, bitter chocolate and a touch of floral notes. In the retro hale a fair dose of black and white pepper spices blast the sinus along with charred wood, mild baking spice and bitter coffee. In the construction area, this stick is on point. It’s producing great smoke and has a good solid ash as well. Later in the first section, I find the pepper spice dropping out and it’s replaced by mellow notes of roasted almond and mocha. Pretty dang nice.
The middle of this cigar has me hunting for all the mellow flavors from the start of the stick. Dry wood notes surrounded by leather and a fast, slightly floral finish is all I’m getting.
The final portion of this cigar is falling flat. Salty leather, mild tobacco, bitter coffee and a hint of black pepper.
If You Like That, You Might Like This: Watching a no hitter get ruined in the 9th.
Pairing Suggestion: Brown ale.
Purchase Recommendation to a Friend: Single.
Participants in this blind review were completely unaware of the cigar they were evaluating until all submissions were received and processed. Each participant was asked to answer a summary paragraph, an if/than statement, a pairing suggestion, and a purchase suggestion. Cigars were provided by Small Batch with only the expectations of candid responses. All pictures, information, and formatting were completed by a Coordinator outside of the reviewing process.
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