Relic Toro

The mystery that is Relic.

Many claim to know old world Cuban cigars. AJ Fernandez lived them. Raised in Cuba, but born into the cigar industry, AJ worked in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, for nearly two decades. Here, he mastered the handmade cigar, from soil to ash, alongside some of the industry’s most knowledgeable minds. The result, some of the industry’s tastiest and most beloved morsels, including Diesel, San Lotano, Ave Maria, and Man O’ War.

What is Relic? Maybe it’s the secret processes and tradition-steeped methods passed down from teacher to student. Maybe it’s the rare Esteli-grown Habano wrapper that took nearly a decade to perfect. Maybe it’s an elusive recipe of savory tobaccos combining to pay homage to the cigar AJ based his lifetime of learnings upon. I can’t tell you what Relic means to AJ, but I can tell you what it means to you: an amazing experience unlike anything AJ has released to date.

On paper, Relic employs a generous dose of well-aged, Nicaraguan long-leaf ligeros. Skillfully blended for optimum flavor and strength, these thick, black leaves are secured within a bold Habano binder from Ecuador, then cloaked by AJ’s rarest wrapper and proudest accomplishment. A dark, toothy, shade grown Habano wrapper from the volcanic soils of Esteli, Nicaragua. Powerful yet graceful, this leaf is true to AJ form, and is only used to create Relic.

Once lit, each Relic consumes the palate with an immodest level of bold flavors. Perfectly executed from start to finish, the bouquet is robust throughout, offering deep notes of earth, leather, and espresso, made complete by underlying spices and hints of oak and rich chocolatey-tobacco goodness. Complexity is unwavering, and the strength satisfying. Relic truly is a product of decades dedicated to the exploration and enlightenment of the leaf.