AJ Fernandez New World Dorado Toro – Blind Cigar Review

Cigar Info

Last year, AJ Fernandez released a new cigar in their New World line, but his cigar has a unique characteristic. All of the tobacco from this cigar comes from the same farm, something that very few other cigars can claim. The idea is similar to the wine world, where many wines use a single vineyard for their grapes to make a certain wine. This new cigar is called the AJ Fernandez New World Dorado.

The blend, of course is a Nicaraguan puro starting with a habano sun grown wrapper, and finished with Nicaraguan binder and filler from that same farm. The name of the farm in Estelí happens to be Dorado and the word translates to English as “Golden.” The cigar is rolled at AJ's San Lotano Factory in Ocotal, Nicaragua . Dorado comes in four vitolas: Robusto 5 1/2 x 52, New World Dorado Gordito 5 1/2 x 60, New World Dorado Figurado 6 x 56, and New World Dorado Toro 6 x 54.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: AJ Fernandez
Number of reviewers: 4 – Kevin J. (maninblack77) Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi) Bill C.(Bill) Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
Price: $12.00
Age: 4 Months
Release Date: September 2022
Contributed by: Blind Man's Puff

Initial Impressions – AJ Fernandez New World Dorado Toro

Appearance: 96

“Soft box press and slightly gritty wrapper with a few veins. Really nice looking though, the cap and the seams are nearly invisible.” –Bill C. (Bill)

Aroma: 94

“The wrapper and the foot are giving off aromas of cocoa, leather, and dry tobacco. The cold draw offered much of the same.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

First Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“First couple of puffs are dry cedar. Then some cocoa, black pepper, and a maple syrup sweetness join in. Still on the drier side, but the sweetness makes up for that. The draw is good, but a tad loose so I have to pace myself because I'm really enjoying the flavor. ” –Bill C. (Bill)

“This cigar opens with a dark, roasted character with some undertones of white pepper and cedar. The retrohale has strong notes of pepper and anise. The finish is short and light while the mouthfeel is light. The smoke has a creamy texture to it. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Second Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“The second third offered up some subtle changes that included a vanilla-like sweetness as well as some caramel notes. These were in addition to the cocoa and leather flavors. The burn is very impressive. Razor-sharp burn. Nice clean finish. Mild to medium in strength but a nice medium body. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“Both the strength and flavor stay very similar in the 2nd third as the first but the espresso notes have become more towards the forefront. While there aren't a lot of transitions in flavor happening the musky leathery notes and pepper are solid and enjoyable.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Final Third

Flavor: 94
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium-Full

“The strength picked up a notch near the end but it was definitely not overpowering. I still got alot of those cocoa, leather, and baking spices to go along with the vanilla and caramel. The box press worked very well for this cigar. Impressive from start to finish. Very well done.” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“Flavors change in prominence again moving into the last third as cocoa takes the lead. Pepper sticks around with a nice wood note in the background. The pepper on the retro is still a bit overwhelming so I'm not doing that as much as usual. Also, I'm finding the cocoa on the regular draw so enjoyable that I'm not interested in much else. ” –Bill C. (Bill)

Overall Impressions – AJ Fernandez New World Dorado Toro

Draw: 97

“The draw was clean and easy from start to finish. It creates a plentiful amount of smoke with each draw. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

Burn: 93

“The burn was a bit uneven at times but always corrected itself so I never had to relight or touch up the cigar.” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Construction: 98

“No complaints here as there was clearly a great deal of care provided to the build of this cigar ” –Bill C. (Bill)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 94

“I loved the combination of flavors I got throughout this cigar. Lots of cocoa, leather, spice as well as subtle notes of vanilla and caramel. You can tell great care went into the construction of this cigar. I truly enjoyed smoking this and am looking forward to what it is. Highly recommended. ” –Kevin J. (maninblack77)

“This cigar is approachable for all levels of cigar smokers. The profile is easy to pick up and were pleasant. They all worked well together and created a wonderful smoking experience. This cigar would make for a great cigar to enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or tea and a sunny day. ” –Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)

“Really nice flavor package. The only thing that keeps me from sending the ratings to the top of the scale is the overall dryness of the smoke, the unbalanced pepper on the retrohale, and the draw that was to the loose side of perfect. But all things considered those deductions are a bit nitpicky. I'll definitely be buying more of this. ” –Bill C. (Bill)

“Overall I enjoyed this blend. A nice smoky and spicy opening with more strength than I would have guessed visually. Nice notes of leather and musk carry the first half of the cigar then the espresso flavor moves in adding a nice complexity to the back end. Great construction also made this an enjoyable and easy cigar I would revisit again. ” –Lauren S. (Lauren S.)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 69

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

AJ Fernandez New World Dorado Toro – Blind Cigar Review