Ave Maria Divinia

[jrfoxx]

Specifications:

Year of Manufacture/Box Codes/Purchase date: 2015
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper Color: Sun Grown Habano (Medium Brown)
Wrapper type: Nicaraguan Habano Sun Grown
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Vitola: Toro-Box Pressed (6 x 54)
Manufacturer: A.J. Fernandez
Distributor: A.J. Fernandez
Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua Esteli, Nicaragua
Humidimeter Reading: 65%
Current Production: Yes
Price: $13.33

Environment:

Temperature: 37 degrees and sunny
Humidity: 43%
Wind: N/A


Setting: My regular spot in the little, outdoor smoke shack.

Paired with: Iced coffee

Extremely smooth wrapper with no visible seams or veins. Smooth, medium sized cap, a hard bunch, easy cold draw with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg oddly enough. Overall an extremely attractive cigar and definitely has excellent construction.

Razor sharp burn the entire length, a strong, mottled grey ash and a flat coal and perfect, easy draw with just the right amount of resistance.

Excellent smoke volume, smooth, cool smoke, and strong, fragrant aroma of floral and woody hints.

Generous richness, body and flavor, mild strength, and perfect balance of herbal, woody and floral tastes.

Aftertaste was generous with woody and grassy flavors and a fairly strong sour taste that was unpleasant. I’ll give away a bit about the final score now, by saying that it got perfect scores in every category except this one where I dropped 5 points, and was generous at that.

From Phil “Katman" Kohn (coincidentally, from 2015):

“RATING: 94
PRICE POINT:
I did some checking around and since it is only sold by CI companies, there is no variation on the price (Note: qno longer true). EXCEPT for Cbid. You can get this expensive cigar for around $5.00. That’s a deal.
Is it worth $15? Of course not.

SUMMATION:
I absolutely loved this outing from AJ Fernandez. I’ve liked all the Ave Maria blends but this blend takes the cake.
I think the presentation of individual coffins is a needless affectation. It certainly doesn’t help the price point. I’ve never understood fancy shmancy presentations whether it is the cigar coffin or the fancy cigar box. You just end up throwing them away. I mean, really, how many uses can you find for a cigar coffin?
But strip away all that fol de rol and you find a great cigar beneath it all.”


Overall, of good character and a very good score of 92 out of 100.

I definitely have to disagree with “Katman" on this cigar. While it got a good score, it lost the most points in the flavor/aftertaste category due to the fairly strong sour aftertaste. Really don’t find them worthy of the price, even from 2015, nor worthy of selling in coffins. If it weren’t for the aftertaste, I would agree that it’s a great cigar and would have definitely matched or exceeded his score of 94.
The sour aftertaste just killed it for me.



I friggin love cigars

[Tombstone]

MSRP on CI Man O Wars and Ave Marias is like shopping Bed Bath and Beyond without a coupon or 12. I do enjoy these when you score them on sale. I do not normally get a sour taste on mine but for the most part I really enjoy Ave Marias fresh and feel they age like a fine Arbor Mist.

[jrfoxx]

MSRP on CI Man O Wars and Ave Marias is like shopping Bed Bath and Beyond without a coupon or 12. I do enjoy these when you score them on sale. I do not normally get a sour taste on mine but for the most part I really enjoy Ave Marias fresh and feel they age like a fine Arbor Mist.

I've enjoyed all the other few Ave Maria's I've had, and until the aftertaste kicked in, this one was great.

No idea what was up with the sour aftertaste. I doubt it was the age, as if anything, I would think it would clear any overhumidification or ammonia.

Maybe just a fluke dud? Happens to every company on occasion...

If not for the sourness, this would have easily gotten my record score of 99 or even 100. Everything else was perfect, but that sour taste was just so off-putting I had to knock it down 8 points, and even then it still didn't score too shabby.

No idea what their current price is. The one in the specs was the 2015 price, when CI had a monopoly, so they may have gone either way over 8 years.

Will have to look out of curiosity...

I love the Man O' Wars and buy a lit of them and have always felt I got my monies worth, especially with the 10 cigar box Pressed sampler.

I friggin love cigars