Initial Thoughts:
It's not every day I get to review a cigar that the community wants me to. But, after the September Luxury Cigar Club unboxing video, you guys asked me to review today's cigar, the AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Lancero Special Edition.
After liberating the lancero from the cellophane, the wrapper had an aroma of cedar with hints of soy sauce. And, although the end cap cracked slightly under the pressure of the punch, the draw was perfect afterward.
Once I lit the Bellas Artes, the draw tightened up just a bit, but I could taste rich Nicaraguan tobacco that was leathery and spicy.
Through the first third of the cigar, the flavors of the AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Lancero Special Edition were good, but not great. The construction appeared good, but the flavors weren't quite as premium as I'd expected going into this review. And, some additional cracks developed around the foot as the tobacco heated up.
CigarScore:
Brand: AJ Fernandez
Line: Bellas Artes
Size: 7 x 40
Cut: Punch
Light: Torch
Price: $10.00 – Luxury Cigar Club
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Mexican San Andres
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoke Time: 85 minutes
Through the middle of the Bellas Artes Maduro, the burn was even, the draw was good, and the flavors evolved into a sweeter, more complex blend I really enjoyed.
Final Thoughts
One thing to note about cigar reviews is that you can't judge a cigar by only your first impression. Sometimes a cigar takes time to show you what it's made of. And that's the case with the AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Lancero Special Edition, a cigar that grew into something I enjoyed.
That said, the draw was a little tight. The burn was almost perfect for most of the nearly 90 minutes I spent with the cigar. The label had a tad bit of excessive glue that stuck to the wrapper leaf. And, the flavors through the middle third were better than they were at the beginning and end.
At the end of the day, I think this cigar could've benefited from some additional time in the humidor to age. But, the overall experience was pretty good, so the AJ Fernandez Bellas Artes Maduro Lancero Special Edition earns a CigarScore 4.
