Blind Cigar Review: AJ Fernandez | Días De Gloria Short Churchill

Cigar Info

Días De Gloria literally translates to “Glory Days.” This blend is AJ Fernandez‘s tribute to a time gone by of the pre-Castro glory days of Cuban tobacco.

The blend is a Nicaraguan puro with tobacco all coming from Estelí, Nicaragua. Specifically from these farms: Finca los Cedros, La Providencia 1, La Lilia and La Soledad. It comes in four sizes: Robusto 5 ½ X 52, Gordo 6 X 58, Toro (box-pressed) 6 X 56,  and the Short Churchull 6 ½ X 48. All comes in boxes of 20 and range in price from $9 to $12.

Vital Stats:

Vitola: Toro
Length: 6 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 48
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A.
Blender: AJ Fernandez
Number of reviewers: 4 – Alan (Eulogy) Ryan H. (Ryan H.) John A. (Bostoneo) Mickey T. (irratebass)
Price: $9.00
Age: 3 Months
Release Date: August 2019
Contributed by: Blind Man’s Puff

Initial Impressions

Appearance: 88

“It’s a attractive cigar. The wrapper has a uniform medium brown wrapper with a few delicate veins running the length of it. The roll is perfect, the seams are tight, and there’s a well applied double cap. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

Aroma: 91

“Aroma is both confusing and interesting at the same time. First you get tobacco in a healthy dose and then comes the confusing part you have a strange sweetness that resembles plum or fig or molasses but also a citrus twang.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

First Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Packs a ton of flavor from the first puff. There’s a lot of heavy red pepper and cedar that slowly backs off revealing notes of rich tobacco. The smoke output is excellent with a super creamy smoke. Not that the draw is lacking any pepper but if you’re feeling the need for that extra little bit the retrohale has it in spades. It’s almost eye watering level of pepper and oddly refreshing. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

“Good start with crushed red pepper but very manageable leather, hay, and cedar are just barely detectable right now. Very pleasurable room note. Draw is like heaven. Cedar is the strongest note. Light medium in strength.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Second Third

Flavor: 91
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Leather, light almond, and cream flavors kick off this third in style. A light black pepper finish lingers on still during this portion. For the remainder of this third, the profile stays fairly consistent with a fading of the lightly sweet almond flavor to more of an olive oil note for this medium bodied smoke. Burn and construction is a great plus for this stick so far.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

“A healthy amount of cream joins the cedar which both notes have most control of the profile with the underlying earth and leather still putting up quite a fight. A very off putting bitterness squeezes through, and mutes some notes only leaving cream and bitterness.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Final Third

Flavor: 87
Strength: Medium
Body/Complexity: Medium

“Not too much going on in the flavor dept. It’s not a bad smoke it’s just kind of there. Wait…..is that cotton candy I taste?????? ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

“Singular note of cream sticks around glad to see the bitterness disappear. I do have to straighten up the burn a little.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Overall Impressions

Draw: 96

“Great draw, just the right amount of resistance. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

Burn: 95

“Perfect, and I mean perfect burn, no relights….didn’t have to baby it at all. Just did it’s job, which is burn straight. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Construction: 94

“Another department that rarely gets this high of a rating in most cigars. The cigar looked beautiful from cap to foot and everywhere in between. Kudos ” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

Overall Strength: Medium
Overall Body/Complexity: Medium
Experience Overall: 88

“Just does so many things right that it’s a real winner for me. The smoke was creamy, draw was perfect, and the flavors were bold and complimented each other. I’ll certainly smoke more of these. ” –Alan (Eulogy)

“If the first third could be the whole cigar this would be a top 20 cigar but the bitterness that developed in the second third really took things in a downward spiral.” –Ryan H. (Ryan H.)

“Overall, this was a fairly good smoke, nothing extraordinary, nothing horrible, just a-ok to smoke. Nothing really stood out to me as a truly complex flavor profile as it remained fairly consistent throughout most of the session. That being said, this cigar offered an ample amount of enjoyment that most premium offerings provide these days. Try it out, it may be for you.” –John A. (Bostoneo)

“Overall this was a good cigar. That’s about it….it was good. There were hints of cream, sweetness, orange?? Cotton candy?? Cedar, wood and coffee….I kind of wished the weird flavors of cotton candy and orange stayed around longer so I don’t feel like it was my imagination. ” –Mickey T. (irratebass)

Smoking Time (in minutes): 87

To view the complete scores and notes, click here.

Blind Cigar Review: AJ Fernandez | Dias De Gloria Short Churchill

Overall Score – 91 – Very Good