This is another cigar that has been sitting in my tupperdor for a while, perhaps two years. I took this one out on a rainy Saturday. All Ave Maria Divinias are 6 inch long Toros sporting a Nicaraguan grown Habano Sun Grown leaf wrapper. TThe filler and binder tobacco is also sourced from Nicaragua, as well.
The Ave Maria Divinia is sold in individual blue painted Spanish cedar coffins. You can tell this one in particular has been aged for a while because the cellophane had a brown oil slick stain to it.
This is not a cheap cigar by any means. The cost for the AJ Fernandez Ave Maria Divinia average about $18 USD per cigar and are only available through Cigar General's owned retail outlets. With its high price point, this cigar will be judged accordingly.
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Length: 6"
Ring Gauge: 54
Size: Toro
The Smoke: The cigar's Habano leaf wrapper has a nice light tan hue. The leaf is veiny and feels oily. The cigar feels solid in my hands and has a slight sponginess when squeezed. I used my Xikar V cutter to punch a hole into this one. The cap was sliced with ease. Some little tobacco nuggets were loose afterward and one of which was fished out of my mouth.
The cold draw was good and it gave notes of leather and pepper. Once lit, the cigar has a harsh smoke to it. The flavors were of pepper, cocoa, wood and nuts. As the smoke progressed, the smoke quickly became was less harsh. At the quarter mark, an additional earthy flavor joined the fray. The cigar and its flavors were consistent from that point forward.
The construction of the cigar held up during the hour and ten minute smoke while maintaining a good draw and mostly even burn rate throughout. The ash was generally looser so I found my self knocking of the ash about every 8 to 10 minutes to avoid from ash falling into my lap.
My overall opinion of this cigar is positive. It provided a relaxing smoking experience, which was exactly what I needed at the time. Having said that, I believe the price point of this one to be extremely high. Like, stupid high. It is not a cigar that is worth $18 USD.
To me, the value it provides is about the same as a cigar about half of its price and perhaps, even, just a bit lower in the $7 to $8 range. If you stumble upon one it is probably worth a look but I would be hesitant about buying any more than the few I have in my cigar storage.
The Score: Scroll Past
Size: Toro
The Smoke: The cigar's Habano leaf wrapper has a nice light tan hue. The leaf is veiny and feels oily. The cigar feels solid in my hands and has a slight sponginess when squeezed. I used my Xikar V cutter to punch a hole into this one. The cap was sliced with ease. Some little tobacco nuggets were loose afterward and one of which was fished out of my mouth.
The cold draw was good and it gave notes of leather and pepper. Once lit, the cigar has a harsh smoke to it. The flavors were of pepper, cocoa, wood and nuts. As the smoke progressed, the smoke quickly became was less harsh. At the quarter mark, an additional earthy flavor joined the fray. The cigar and its flavors were consistent from that point forward.
The construction of the cigar held up during the hour and ten minute smoke while maintaining a good draw and mostly even burn rate throughout. The ash was generally looser so I found my self knocking of the ash about every 8 to 10 minutes to avoid from ash falling into my lap.
My overall opinion of this cigar is positive. It provided a relaxing smoking experience, which was exactly what I needed at the time. Having said that, I believe the price point of this one to be extremely high. Like, stupid high. It is not a cigar that is worth $18 USD.
To me, the value it provides is about the same as a cigar about half of its price and perhaps, even, just a bit lower in the $7 to $8 range. If you stumble upon one it is probably worth a look but I would be hesitant about buying any more than the few I have in my cigar storage.
The Score: Scroll Past
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