Reviews by Steve R

After writing up my thoughts on Ave Maria, I got an email from a guy who was part of a customer trip to Nicaragua in September. I read his, then scrapped mine. He says it all:

"....the surprise highlight (by far): Ave Maria. Arriving in Esteli late I was jet-lagged and dragging the next morning. Come noon I was seven cigars deep and hadn't had lunch yet. So when his factory manager approached us with a new tray of Ave Maria cigars from the packing room, I just about puked. He had a serious look in his eye though, and ceremoniously announced in broken English that this was a "berry special proyect" he started two years prior that's finally set to be released. I politely accepted. The artwork/band was stunning and the wrapper looked like it came right off the pages of a magazine. I'd pick this one out of a lineup any day based on looks. So good was it that I lowered my expectations....can't tell you how many times I've been let down by cigars with great style points. I thought my taste buds would be fried but lit er up anyhow. It was the only one I burned down to my fingers that trip (and still wanted more!)....next morning after a good rest I made this the first of the day, to give it a fully unbiased review on a fresh palate. Boom. Wrapper: flawless. Construction: spot on. Flavor: rich, smooth, balanced, refined, complex....I'm at a loss for more adjectives. The thing that struck me most about it- it's the most complete cigar I can recall. If you want a knock-yer-head-off powerhouse, Ave Maria is not it...same token if you like mild, look elsewhere. Everywhere in between though, this one's masterful. The finest I can remember. I since downed 8 more over the next day and a half of the trip. Blown away. Ship me 2 boxes off your shipment as soon as they land."

Ave Maria has also received well-deserved praise from some highly respected folks in the cigar industry:

“This is a cigar you could easily pay $8 apiece for.”
- Nestor Plasencia

“It’s got a distinctive sweetness to it.”
- Pete Johnson (Tatuaje)

“This is definitely a premium cigar....well-balanced....this is a hit.”
- Doug Wood (La Perla Habana)

“I’m enjoying the heck out of it. I’ve already asked for a second cigar.”
- Carlos Diez (Puros Indios)

“Good burn, good draw, nice ash.”
- Nimish Desai (Rocky Patel)

“It does have a lot of depth as the flavor profile goes. It’s a fantastic cigar.”
- Kaizad Hansotia (Gurkha)

“I find it to be a cigar that has a wonderful strength. Because it’s not overpowering, but it’s not mellow.”
- Manuel Quesada (Fonseca)

“Packed full of tobacco....well-rolled.”
- Jerry Dear (Xikar)

“It has a lot of flavor....I’m very impressed with this cigar.”
- Rene Castenada (La Aurora)

“The taste of it is rich, it’s flavorful and I find it a beautiful cigar to smoke.”
- José Dominguez

"It's got a lot of complexity, it's very smooth....this is something I would smoke every day."
- Alan Rubin (Alec Bradley)

Don’t ask how the sausage is made, son, just feast.

Relic hit us by surprise. As strong as our relationship is with AJ Fernandez, he somehow kept this beauty out from under our nosey noses. Probably a good thing, otherwise we surely would have bought every Relic cigar produced on the spot. It’s just that good. So yes, I will be giving this cigar a very strong rating. And yes, this review will be glowing. I refuse to make you wait for the end result. It’s a ’96.’ Boom. Read on if you want to. Go and buy a 5-pack if you’d rather not waste time. Ninety Six. Period.

So the brand is Relic. And, as I’ve already said, it hails from AJ Fernandez and his impressive Tabacalera Fernandez factory of Esteli, Nicaragua. This place is a veritable fortress, churning out delicious boutique handmades with power, including Man O’ War, San Lotano, Diesel, and so much more. As for AJ, he’s a mastermind at every point in a tobacco leaf’s life cycle: from seed to smoke. For two decades he worked alongside Cuban legend Alejandro Robaina in Cuba’s famous Pinar del Rio region. His cigars are a product of unrivaled learnings from a legend, with the boutique twist of a master. Relic is the latest example.

I’m going to tell you as much as I know about Relic. The long-fillers were born in Nicaragua’s soil, and they’re all extensively aged, top-priming ligeros. These pitch black leaves of various (unknown to me) Nicaraguan origins are secured inside a feisty Habano binder from Ecuador. And then the wrapper. The leaf that truly defines Relic and delivers flavor unlike anything AJ has produced to date. A rare, shade grown Habano wrapper from AJ’s farm in Esteli, Nicaragua. This dark, toothy leaf is loaded with power and flavor, took AJ nearly a decade to successfully grow to perfection, and is likely the reason Relic was kept secret from our greedy hands. That was more info than AJ wanted to tell us, but the wrapper was a proud moment, and his time to boast a little bit...so he was reluctantly eager to tell us.

The pre-light aroma from Relic is fantastic. Barnyard, sweet cedar, a little bit of pepper. The initial light is bold, awakening the taste buds and flooding the entire palate and nose with rich, toasty nuances. The bouquet is big up front, booming with notes of earth and leather, followed by a zest on the finish that’s just right. Like most big bouquets, the flavors mellow slightly, giving way to other intricacies. In this case, coffee enters the fray with a nice, oaky finish and the dash of pepper remains on the long, satisfying finish. The room note is equally big: thick clouds of aromatic smoke waft above filling my room with oily, woodsy smells.

Midway through, and I am fully aware: Relic is complex. Relic is unique. Relic is eventful. Relic is satisfying.

There’s a lot going on here, and I highly recommend trying Relic on a fresh palate, with no beverage other than water, at least once. The flavors are familiar yet unique. The coffee is like a roasted coffee bean, with a little bit of toastiness to it. The earth is rich and rustic, with a grittiness to it that smothers your taste buds. The oak is smoky and sweet; enhanced by the robust aroma filling my office. The pepper is fresh and inviting. Not spicy. Rather, a freshly cracked black pepper added to complement the bold flavors perfectly.

Three quarters of the way through, I realize my midway thoughts are now fully confirmed. So I said to myself, ‘magnificent self, I am going to enjoy this cigar til my fingers burn, and it’s going to be very difficult to put it down for good.’

Ahh. The final few minutes with Relic. Something I now know will be bittersweet. I’ve enjoyed this cigar thoroughly, and am enjoying the robust finale as I type the remainder of this review. Like many of AJ’s fuller-flavored creations, Relic ends with a charismatic crescendo. A truckload of flavor, delivered in a concentrated format that sits heavy on every last taste bud and lets you know, ‘I just burned something special.’ Something different. Something I want to have again – soon. No bitterness. No sharp notes. Just a rich, robust bouquet that’s big and smoky, blanketing my palate with a rush of dense, velvety smoke. Smooth from start to finish, Relic truly is something to be savored. Slowly.

Relic ain’t cheap. That’s for sure. But, once you try a few I’m confident you’ll agree, it’s far from expensive. Try it. Enjoy it. AJ can’t make a ton of them, but he can and will make enough for you to add this to the fabled short list of favorites.