Wouldn't it be great if we could all "stay golden!"? If only, right? People have been obsessed with gold since, well probably since the dawn of man. Tears of the sun have a special sparkle to them. A mesmerizing glow if you will. Many explorers over the centuries have come up empty handed looking for the lost city of gold, known as El Dorado. Legend has it that the location is somewhere in the Andes mountains, but the mystery remains. Luckily for us leaf burners, we don't have to load up the climbing gear to get a piece of Dorado. Look no further than the AJ Fernandez New World Dorado. The figurado I smoked a couple years ago was outstanding. Does the robusto also deserve a gold ribbon? Why don't we smelt it down and see.
The Deets
Cigar: AJ Fernandez New World Dorado Robusto
Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez de Nicaragua
Size: 5.5 x 52
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Appearance 9.5/10
The Dorado is a great example of what a nice cigar should look like. The flawless, veinless, and super soft wrapper has a perfect soft box-press. The seams are snug, the band is applied properly, and the uniformity is quite good. The cap seems a bit shallow to me, but all is clean & tidy. Overall it does feel a tad light. I better start with a punch. Great looking cigar though.
Draw 9/10
Due to the light feel, I went with a punch cut. It wasn't exactly loose, but I did find that during the second half I did need to pay extra attention to the pull force and keep things gentle. There was certainly enough resistance to say it wasn't open, but I would have liked a fuller bunching.
Burn/Construction 9.5/10
This was a cut, light, and enjoy kind of cigar. I didn't need to poke at all, fix a wonky burn, or be worried over swelling and cracks. The ash held as it should, the burn line kept me at ease and there were no issues to speak of.
Taste 9/10
1/3 - Kickin things off with some clean hay on brown soil. Retro hits of baking cocoa with traces of soft black pepper with a finish of oak. About an inch in and I pickup some wild flower notes, touch of sweetness in the back now, and a well balanced medium start.
2/3 - Low-sugar brownie, the brown soil is heating up a little, and the oak finish now includes cedar. Juicy leather rolls in and everything remains balanced. Wild flowers are perhaps still present, but they're subtle. White pepper helps round out the 2nd third.
3/3 - And that white pepper continues into the final third. Brownie pulls forward, along with the cocoa bitters piling up. Leather lingers and the retro is an awesome mix of black & white pepper. Body hits Medium+
Overall 9.3/10
I would not peg this blend as the most complex or nuanced, nor are the transitions drastic, but overall this is still a very enjoyable smoke. Minor changes happen slowly and could even be missed if the taste buds are distracted. A couple notes try to steal the show, but there are still supporting actors involved. I'm not sure I melted into the chair like I did with the figurado, but this is certainly worth being in the humidor at all times.
**Number of cigars smoked for the review: 1
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