AJ Fernandez's Box-Pressed Perfecto Mega-Sampler

Diesel Rage

Still a ne of my go to’s for a low priced cigar. Not bad but not great. Strong enough and still a decent flavor.

Ave Maria Divinia

Decent smoke for the price. Nothing special though. Loose draw but not too airy, even burn line the whole way through. No touchups needed even on a somewhat windy night. Paired well with the two drams of bourbon I’d picked for the night.

Ave Maria Divinia

Repeated review, this one with 15 months of rest. A milder cigar with notes of chocolate, leather, and spice. A flloral note pops in at times but tapers off. Very smooth draw but fast burn.

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Usually a go to budget cigar. This is the first of probably 30 to have a burn issue. Also the flavor was a bit muted. I'm hoping it's a one off and not a change somewhere

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Molasses taste is heavy

La Herencia Cubana CORE

These would be at 97 if it wasn't for the band. Smooth and creamy chocolate. Excellent burn and draw all in a budget smoke.

La Herencia Cubana CORE

These are the best budget smoke I've had. They are very similar to an Olivia melino V if you you enjoy those at half the cost. My only complaint really is the brown bag wrapper that is a #%@! To get off!

Man O' War Ruination

I loved the opener on this cigar, deep earthy nutty notes complimented by a nice spice and full depth! As I got halfway through though, it had trouble burning consistently and the wrapper completely fell to pieces. Great cigar, poor construction, expected better from AJ.

Man O' War Ruination

Here's a cigar I've had periodically, but the larger War Horse has a smoother vibe to it. The flavor notes are still consistent with leather, wood, and some toasted notes. Although the burn had a tendency to waver, it was still slow with a smooth draw.

Ave Maria Divinia

Beautiful looking cigar with a great draw. Puffy think clouds the whole way through. Unfortunately, only the last 1/3 is worth its taste. At one boing in the beginning I considered tossing the cigar. Only towards the end did the flavor in this cigar pop. And did it pop! A total shift from a rough, dare I say chemically taste to rich fruity, chocolatey, delicious notes.

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Great smoke production. Drawing and burn perfect. This has become a go to budget smoke for me. Very compable to AB lost art or rocky decade

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Always great budget smoke. Capable to rocky decade

Ave Maria Divinia

One of the Better Ave Marias t have in your Humidor..

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Nice!

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Great cigar

Ave Maria Divinia

A somewhat milder cigar with notes of mild chocolate, leather, and spice. Every now and then a floral note pops in but fades off. Very smooth draw but faster burn than expected.

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Very good. Sweet like sugar cane.

Ave Maria Divinia

Excellent!!!

Man O' War Ruination

An orotund offering that epitomizes the skillful art of full-bodied premium handmades. ru - in - a - tion [roo-uh-ney-shuh-n] -noun 1. the act or state of ruining or the state of being ruined. 2. something that ruins. Strap on your bike helmets gents. Behold, Man O’ War Ruination, a supremely flavorful handmade offering superior layers of bold, Cuban-esque flavors balanced by velvety smoothness that pours forth with raw spirit and intensity. Ample flavor abounds, driven by its bold mixture of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Honduran long-leaf ligeros. These hand-selected tobaccos have been picked from the plant's highest priming, bringing maximum flavor and richness. To conceal this deep, dense blend of tobaccos, an oily Habano Ecuador ligero leaf was chosen as its wrapper - one that's thick and juicy, even outshining the flavorful core within. An explosion of spice greets you up front, as Ruination deliquesces into softer notes of oak, earth, toast, wood, and leather. The velvety smoke coats the palate, leaving a long and satisfying finish filled with the wonderful lingering aroma of toast and charcoal. Toward the nub the roller-coaster continues....closing with a concentrated, layered, full-bodied finale. Nothing short of a religious experience!

La Herencia Cubana CORE

Tl;dr: disappointing. Aged 5 mos. This cigar had a catastrophic core burn that can only be attributed to a bad role. Clearly a factory issue. The tobacco flavors are unbelievably good as expected. Generally, the smoke was disappointing. This was mainly because I had to spend so much time relighting and trying to fix the core burn issue.