Not really, but this is a holiday treat! It’s spicy and creamy with lots of oak and leather notes with a hint of vanilla and caramel on the finish. Crafted by AJ, this definitely has his signature on it!
I’m writing about this after only smoking one that I purchased at West Coast Cigar lounge in San Jose, CA. And I have to admit that I’m probably smoking this a couple of months too early. But even new, the profile is quite pleasing to me, and as an AJ stick, it’s right in my wheelhouse. BUT I can just taste the potential. That why I’m not writing a formal review on this. I need to get a few more and let them sit for a while.
But so far, I’m loving what I’m smoking right now. As with all AJ sticks I’ve ever smoked (and yes, I’m a total AJ fanboy like many), construction is impeccable. It’s solid with little give, but not packed so tight that the draw is inhibited in any way. The wrapper is generally smooth with a few prominent veins sticking out. And the burn? Well, just look at the picture. The burn is nice and even with a just a little waviness at times that self-correct, but I’m smoking outside with occasional light gusts of wind, so that’s understandable.
The strength is a solid medium, but as I’m finishing the second third, it’s ramping up. Thankfully, this isn’t accompanied by an increase in nicotine. In that respect, the cigar is behaving itself nicely.
I don’t usually retrohale, but I’ve done some very light retrohales throughout this smoke. There’s nutmeg and egg nog! As this is an annual holiday release, that’s totally appropriate!
As I mentioned above, I will be purchasing more of these to store for a while. But as good as this cigar is now, I’m going to be hard-pressed not to smoke them!
Unco B's Stogie Diary 