New A.J. Fernandez Cigar Honors 10 Years of New World
More than a decade ago, cigarmaker A.J. Fernandez released New World, a Nicaraguan puro that he made in collaboration with his father, Ismael. In celebration of the 10-year milestone, Fernandez has created New World Decenio, a cigar line meant to honor the original brand and its theme of discovery. Decenio arrived on store shelves this summer.
Meaning “decade” in Spanish, Decenio is rolled with a Mexican cover leaf, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Honduras and Nicaragua. Billed as a medium-to-full-bodied cigar, it comes in three box-pressed sizes: Robusto, measuring 5 1/2 inches by 54 ring gauge; Toro, 6 1/2 by 54; and Gordo, 6 by 58. The smokes are priced $12.50 to $14.
Crafted at Fernandez's San Lotano factory in Ocotál, Nicaragua, Decenio is a tribute to the original New World, but it's also a blend that’s designed to stand on its own. The cigar is intended to showcase Fernandez’s 10-year growth as a tobacco farmer and cigar blender. It’s the sixth cigar line in the New World series, which includes the original New World (now called New World Oscuro), Puro Especial, Dorado, Cameroon and Connecticut. Each version of New World is different, combining tobaccos from specific Nicaraguan terroirs with leaf from growing regions around the world.
According to the company, Fernadez was compelled to make Decenio because the original New World is a particularly important brand to him, both commercially and conceptually. Its release in 2014 was a breakthrough success for the company, bringing new attention to Fernandez’s skills as a cigarmaker and propelling his products into the international market.
Thematically, the cigar’s name, band imagery and box artwork make reference to Christopher Columbus’s historic voyage in 1492, which led to the European discovery of tobacco and its spread in popularity and cultivation across the globe. The expedition, and its spirit of discovery, is significant to Fernandez. He sees a parallel in his path as a cigarmaker, starting in Cuba and moving to Nicaragua, and the journey of tobacco from the Americas to the rest of the world. He also sees the ambition and perseverance of the explorers mirrored in himself and his father, working together to discover new blends and achieve cigarmaking excellence.
New World and its offshoots continue to be popular with consumers and critics to this day. In recent Cigar Aficionado tastings, both New World Oscuro Double Corona and New World Dorado Corona scored 92 points. New World Dorado Robusto was named a Top 25 Cigar in 2022.
Learn more about A.J. Fernandez's portfolio of brands and explore the New World Series here.
