Cigar Review: Last Call by AJ Fernandez

• Vitola: Geniales
• 4.5” x 48 ring gauge 
• MSRP $5.00
• Samples provided by manufacturer

Background

A.J. Fernandez Cigars very generously sent me samples of some new cigars recently and I want to thank them right up front. I had heard mention of “Last Call” on some web site…in passing, really. I didn’t really know what the project was all about…but, as always, I’m happy to see cigars show up in my mail box…it’s always a good day when I receive work to do…when my work is this enjoyable anyway!

Last Call is the first release in the “Portfolio Series” by A.J. Fernandez. Starky Arias of AJF Cigars said “The blends are comprised of unique cuts of premium tobacco from A.J.’s vast inventory of fillers and will be released to the public in the future. Some lines will be limited in production and others, such as Last Call, will be full productions.”

The story goes that Last Call was a cigar that became the last smoke of the evening when A.J. and his friends would gather at his estate to watch NFL games. It follows the New World, New World Connecticut and Enclave as entries by A.J. Fernandez into the “value-priced” cigar marketplace. There is only one size of Last Call and the MSRP is $5. It is composed of Nicaraguan fillers and binder (from Fernandez’s own farms) and an Ecuadorian Habano Rosado wrapper. (Background information and quotes from Cigar Aficionado’s website)

I’ve smoked at least a couple Last Calls from the samples the company sent me before this review stick.

Prelight

The banding for Last Call is a little minimalist, at least as compared with previous AJF releases like Enclave and New World…or even the San Lotano series. It uses red and cream-colored ink along with some gold foil and embossing…so it’s not a cheap way of printing the bands, but the design itself seems to be saying “I’m affordable and fun!” The execution is actually pretty good when you consider the exact effect they were trying to have.

The wrapper had a toasted caramel brown color with bits of darker and lighter mottling in places. Despite the low price, it seems well rolled, with it’s almost-perfect double-cap and closed foot. Sniffing the wrapper, I got notes of hay and molasses. The foot was essentially the same, but with a touch of earth mixed in.

After cutting, the cold draw was very good, despite the closed foot. I got flavor notes of cedar and earth.

Flavor

Last Call blasts out of the gate with loads of cedar on the palate and tons of pepper on the nose. There was a bit of pepper on the back of the palate, as well as other secondary notes of earth and hay. Despite the strength of the pepper burn on the nose right up front and the in-your-face character of the cedar flavors, I found the smoke to be overall just over medium in body. For me, I would have liked just a little more sweetness in the mix to balance the cedar better, but it was an enjoyable cigar regardless. As the first third burned on, the cedar did abate a bit, with some citrus moving into its place.

The second third continued with the citrus and cedar up front, with some earth and pepper underneath. The peppery heat on the retrohale had subsided some by this time, as well.

In the last third, I tasted the citrusy sweetness increase and the cedar flavors continued to subside. Pepper notes increased on the palate, as well.

Construction

I had nothing negative to say about construction on all the samples I smoked…great draw, even burn, and solid ash.

Value

Great price and a much better than decent cigar, so great value!

Conclusions

Last Call by A.J. Fernandez is a dynamite little cigar. Lasting about 40 minutes, it’s a perfect way to end a day, with just enough body and plenty of flavor that should cut through whatever else you may have smoked earlier. The front end of the cigar had more cedar than I like, but the flavor profile changed and morphed in a steady progression to prove quite complex and pleasing by the end. Add to all that a fantastic price tag and you might have just found your next “everyday smoke.”

By-The-Numbers

Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10