What's new

Underwhelmed by A.J.?

coastalgriff

Educated Redneck
Rating - 100%
23   0   0
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
379
Location
Wharton, TX
Big fan of the DUC, MOWR and the LHCOF. Regardless of the price point they are tasty. I did not care for the Casa fernandez that much.
 
Rating - 100%
6   0   0
Joined
Apr 7, 2007
Messages
460
Location
Overland Park, KS
I've enjoyed the MoW and Diesel blends, as well.

I think each of us could list a brand or manufacturer that most everyone else likes and we don't. In fact, I'm even embarrassed to list mine - it would start a big argument!
 

njstone

BoM January 2010
Rating - 100%
167   0   0
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,108
Location
St. Paul, MN
CI, Ccom, and Cbid OWN those blends, so of course they will rave about them.

That said, I have yet to try an AJ blend that I haven't liked, though I've not tried the new ones. The Ruination is fantastic, imvho.
 

njstone

BoM January 2010
Rating - 100%
167   0   0
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
8,108
Location
St. Paul, MN
I like everything he's put out except the San Miguel it tasted 'cheap,' and the AAA was just a little one dimensional. The Ave Maria was good but I really like the Diesel Unlimited.

MoW was ok too, but the Ruination and Virtue are fantastic. I like his La Herencia as a regular budget smoke - same with the Diesel UC. The Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinets I had were pretty good. His signature line is in my rotation too.

I'm a pretty big fan.
I agree that some of his cheaper smokes taste "cheap" in the sense that they don't use high-quality tobacco. But they taste great for cheap cigars, to me at least. The exception is the Ruination which uses pretty good leaf, imvho. I haven't had any of the newer blends, though.
 
Rating - 100%
37   0   0
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
1,195
Ruination is hardly a cheap smoke.

It's not super pricey, but I'd never call it cheap.

In fact, none of the Man o' War lines are.
 

Sin

Living the Dream
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Joined
Sep 12, 2009
Messages
506
Location
THE SHOP
Ruination is hardly a cheap smoke.

It's not super pricey, but I'd never call it cheap.

In fact, none of the Man o' War lines are.
Agreed, if AJ could make them cheaper without sacrificing quality...I'd smoke the hell out of em; well more than I do now :smokingbo
 
Rating - 100%
37   0   0
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
1,195
I swear I could smoke Virtue all day, every day.

It may very well be in my top 10 smokes of all time (so far!).
 

Docbp87

Smoke Into Oblivion
Rating - 100%
23   0   0
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
Messages
1,771
Location
Richmond, Va
If I never saw any of the BS hype that CI/CCom give this guy, I would probably think he was a pretty good blender, since there are a few of his cigars that I think are pretty darn good (Diesel UC, MOW, and MOW Ruination), but there is just so much bargain basement bin junk that he makes, for various brands, and especially the CI/CCom exclusive stuff... that just sucks. Am I underwhelmed, eh... no, but that's because I've learned to take the CI marketing for what it is.
 
Rating - 100%
37   0   0
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
1,195
If I never saw any of the BS hype that CI/CCom give this guy, I would probably think he was a pretty good blender, since there are a few of his cigars that I think are pretty darn good (Diesel UC, MOW, and MOW Ruination), but there is just so much bargain basement bin junk that he makes, for various brands, and especially the CI/CCom exclusive stuff... that just sucks. Am I underwhelmed, eh... no, but that's because I've learned to take the CI marketing for what it is.

A single cigar taught me a valuable lesson about CI - Devil's Weed.

I bought their bundle of 24 for $24.99, back when I was just starting to smoke, and they pimped it out as some ridiculous, amazing deal on SUPER PREMIUM CIGARS that you'll never see again in your life and if you pass it up you'll regret it so much you'll probably burn your house down with you inside it.

And man...those cigars are ass. They're ugly, burn terribly, and taste like burnt toast and grass.


So yeah...CI is certainly deceptive in that they just want to sell you anything you'll buy - every single cigar in their catalogue is "scrumptious" or "delectable"

That being said, they do have some good prices, and I've got some GREAT deals from the Jam.


But back to the topic at hand - AJ - I definitely think his Diesel and Man o' War labels are his crowning achievements. And that's nothing to bat an eye at, because they're great smokes.
 

FireDoc83

Cigar Assassin
Rating - 98.5%
108   1   0
Joined
Dec 9, 2010
Messages
991
Location
Illinois
I am a big AJ Fernandez fan... I was also sold by the Diesel, the bold full bodied pepperstick... But I also agree that he is a good blender but not some god Ccom makes him out to be...
 
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Messages
183
Location
Ohio
im very hit or miss with AJ. a few blend i like very much, (most of the MoW line especially the Armada) but some of them i dont like very much like much of the lower end stuff. there is a cheap taste to many of them. The Diesel line just doesnt have the complexity i want out of it. i dont think its supposed to.
 
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Joined
Jan 19, 2011
Messages
66
Location
Indian Trail, NC
The San Lotano line is simply awesome. This is AJ's own line and I believe it is only sold to retailers right now. Most people I know who have had them - LOVE THEM. The Connecticut is a wonderful surprise. It was my favorite of the three blends released. I had it ranked #8 for 2010.
 
Last edited:
Rating - 100%
160   0   0
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
3,345
Location
Central Coast, CA
I think the most of his stuff is just average at best. only like the disel and MOW everything else is just bargin basement stuff. As said before CI just hypes this guy up to be on the same level as DPG.
 
Top