The tear Altadis USA has been on since 2019 can be compared to very few successful stints within the cigar industry. Since 2019, Altadis has had numerous cigars land in the top 10 for Cigar Aficionado’s yearly Top 25 list, all while collecting other accolades in that time.

A big part of their recent success is that they’ve brought on a master blender, AJ Fernandez, to collaborate on some heavy hitters. It seems that anything AJ touches becomes instantly successful. Today, I’m writing about my experience with the H. Upmann Nicaragua Heritage by AJ Fernandez in the Toro size.

When I found out AJ was collaborating with Altadis again, I couldn’t wait to see what he had in store. Besides the blend on this smoke, another special element to this gem is the fact this cigar means something personal and special to him.

A few years back, AJ Fernandez opened a tobacco farm called “Finca La Lilia”. This farm is named after AJ’s grandmother, Lilly, who took care of him and his family when they flew from Cuba and made their way to Nicaragua. Naming it “Heritage” was, in part, bringing some of his Cuban roots and heritage into this blend for all of us to enjoy.

I’ve smoked the first H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez when I first started in 2019. I absolutely loved the 2017 gem that was widely touted by all cigar lovers within the industry. So, this being the first time smoking the H. Upmann Nicaragua Heritage, I was excited to see what brilliance AJ came up with for this smoke.

As stated before, I’m smoking the 6 x 54 size in this gem. It comes in four other sizes listed below, which are now available on our website. Let’s dive in and see my thoughts on this gorgeous looking medium to full-bodied smoke.

• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Cigar Strength: Medium-Full
• Smoke Time: 80 Minutes (Toro)
• Sizes Available:
• Upmann Nicaragua Heritage Corona (5 x 44)
• Upmann Nicaragua Heritage Robusto (5 x 52)
• Upmann Nicaragua Heritage Torpedo (6.12 x 52)
• Upmann Nicaragua Heritage Toro (6 x 54)
• Upmann Nicaragua Heritage Churchill (7 x 54)

Before I lit up this delicious smoke with my single flame Xikar lighter, I used a punch cut on this bad boy. I’ve said this before and will say this again, punch cuts allow the most outpour of smoke. So, for my first time experiencing smoke, I try my best to do a punch cut.

Once I punch cut the Heritage, I did my cold draw test and immediately detected one single rich note of dried fruit; specifically raisins. I’ll chalk up the dried fruit flavor note to the Nicaraguan tobaccos that make up the binder and filler.

By the look of the smoke at face value, I assumed I’d be tasting an abundance of chocolate and wood to go alongside the raisin note. So, I was excited to light this up and see what I would be tasting.

As I was about ten to fifteen minutes into the first third, raisin was still very much in the forefront of the smoke. However, a note I didn’t expect to taste was oak and coffee, right off the bat.

I was correct about tasting a wood-like note in the oak. But I feared that I was going to be completely wrong about tasting chocolate notes in this gem. I guess that goes to show you that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

While I made my way smoothly through the second third, the notes of raisin disappeared rather quickly. Oak and coffee took the wheel and went full throttle throughout my taste buds.

A note that wasn’t as surprising that I detected was leather. As I smoke more cigars heavily constructed with Nicaraguan tobaccos, I’m noticing that’s a note that will always be present within the stick. Whether it shows up in the first third or the final third of the smoke; it always tends to be there.

Like all smoking sessions, I’ve sadly reached the final third. It’s always bittersweet when that happens. When I entered the final third, notes from the previous two-thirds of the cigar that remained were the leather and oak flavors. The notes of coffee surprisingly didn’t last, as long as I expected.

However, there was a flavor that popped up in the backend of this gem, and that was the taste of fresh-cut grass. The freshness of earth always adds a special element to cigars that I thoroughly enjoy each time I detect it.

By the end of this smoke, I was very happy with the flavors that flowed through this 6 x 54 Toro.

While I smoked the H. Upmann Nicaraguan Heritage by AJ Fernandez, I was at work while enjoying this. So, the pairing option I did alongside this gem wasn’t anything crazy. I made a cup of coffee and snagged a bag of Peanut M&Ms.

The chocolate notes and sweetness of the coffee balanced perfectly with the oaky flavor note of the cigar. I think moving forward, I’ll do my best to pair chocolate with cigars that have a lot of Nicaraguan tobaccos within them. The very few times I’ve done that, it’s been an amazing combination.

Well, there’s not much to say other than I’m not shocked by what AJ has produced. I also won’t be shocked if this is an award-winning cigar at the end of the year. It’s a very smooth and unique smoking experience, unlike any other cigar I’ve had in quite some time. I love how almost all of AJ’s cigars balance out perfectly from start to finish.

A box of 20 ranges anywhere from $175.00 to $193.00, making the MSRP of these smokes land in-between $8.75 and $9.65. If you can snag a cigar from Altadis and AJ Fernandez for under $10, then it’s worth adding to your humidor as soon as you can!