This Nicaraguan puro blends Cuban heritage with AJ Fernandez's modern craftsmanship. Packed in boxes of 20 cigars priced at $227, the belicoso measures 6 1/8" with 52 ring gauge - a tapered head that channels flavors like a flavor funnel. Medium strength promises accessibility, but don't let that fool you.
The tapered head delivers concentrated cedar smoke with baking spices - think nutmeg-dusted espresso beans. White pepper tickles the nose without aggression. Burn line stays razor-sharp despite the figurado shape.
Oily wrapper kicks in at 20-minute mark: dark chocolate ganache with rum-soaked raisins. Retrohale reveals charred oak and molasses. Ash holds firm at 1.5-inch intervals.
Leather and mineral notes emerge alongside nicotine creep. Sweetness transitions from dried fruit to burnt caramel. Stop at nub unless you want peppery aftertaste - tannins build up quickly post-band.
The triple-cap belicoso head showed perfect draw resistance - no plugs despite dense packing. Colorado Maduro wrapper glistened with oil patches. Six-month humidor nap eliminated any youthful ammonia traces.
Intermediate smokers seeking bridge between approachable mediums and full-bodied smokes. Not for morning coffee pairings - save this after-dinner heavy hitter for rum or bourbon.
