Pinolero Review

Cigar: Pinolero by A.J. Fernandez
Size: Toro, 6.0"x52
MSRP: $8.70
Strength: Medium-Full
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Origin: Nicaragua

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Prelight: Small veins spider-web through the milk chocolate colored wrapper, which has a small hole on the backside that appears to have been there since the time of rolling. I pick up a sweet barnyard aroma from the sun grown wrapper. The Pinolero also sports a quaint pigtail cap, which I punch around, giving me a somewhat loose draw. There is not much flavor to the cold draw, but there are faint hints of wood and maybe nuts.

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1/3: At first light, smoke billows from this cigar. I get a decent pepper hit, but there is also a sweetness to it, like a sweet cream. For a bit, I taste pepper, cedar, and cream, then cocoa and nuts are mixed into the profile. This cigar is already extremely flavorful, but the cocoa and nutty flavors continue to grow. But, the sweetness of the cigar is balanced with a dryness, and the finish has a hay flavor to it.

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2/3: The burn is great moving into the second third, and cedar dominates the explosively flavorful profile. The other flavors become nuanced, moving about my palate as if I was swishing a fine wine around my mouth. Cocoa fades, then comes back stronger. Nuts fade and grow. The only consistency in the second third is that cedar is in the forefront, and each puff finds a different flavor in second. Cocoa, nuts, hay. Delicious.

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3/3: I thought it was impossible, but the flavors actually gain even more strength in the final third. Now, cocoa finds itself leading the pack, backed by cedar, nuts and hay. But the surprises don’t end; as I reach the nub, I get a strong blast of baking spices and smoky wood to complement the cocoa.

Overall: AJ really outdid himself with this blend. The flavors are consistent yet changing and complex. The construction was immaculate. There is also a maduro version of this cigar that I am dying to try now, but I’m not sure it is necessary with the sweetness found in this sun grown wrapper. Do yourself a favor and give one a try.