| Any tobacco blender worth his or her salt will try at least once to recreate that long-lost |
| traditional Cuban flavor, but few come as close to perfection as AJ Fernandez |
| has with the new Dias De Gloria Toro Box-Pressed cigar. This should come |
| as no surprise because the man knows his stuff as evidenced by the |
| innumerable highly regarded and top-rated sticks he's responsible for creating. To return to |
| the flavors of the "glory days" of Cuban vitolas, AJ sourced longleaf from four |
| of his own Nicaraguan farms, all of it premium in quality and some aged up to |
| seven long years. The result is a medium-bodied puro that every aficionado is |
| going to desire. |
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| Beneath the classically designed double bands and the ribbon-bedecked cedar sleeve lies a |
| glorious Nicaraguan Sun Grown wrapper full of glistening oils, hearty tooth, and |
| golden highlights. After a smooth draw test laden with fresh cedar, a strong |
| flame allows the flavors to blossom into a mature profile of full-fledged |
| complexity. Black pepper may be the first taste detected by the palate, |
| but warm waves of cream and leather will soon follow to create balance. A |
| rich earthiness begins to rise during the first third, dappled with vanilla and |
| cinnamon, with the second third much the same yet spiked with sweet honey. Not |
| willing to go quickly or quietly, the final stages of a 6" x 56 Dias De Gloria |
| Toro remain cool with cocoa, toasted almonds, and stone fruit all tossed |
| into the mix. |
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| Whether or not Dias De Gloria Toro fulfills the stated goal of recapturing the essence of |
| mid-century cigars is beside the point when they've already garnered a 90 |
| rating on their own merits. Seriously worth owning by the box, if you don't have room |
| for a full twenty of these stogies right now just remember we also sell |
| humidors! Oh, and single sticks too. |
