Pair of New Smokes from Casa Fernandez
Casa Fernandez has released two new cigars this month and they are both additions to the company's most prominent lines—Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Maduro and the wallet-friendly, brick-and-mortar only JFR brand.
On November 1, the new Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Maduro Ilustre shipped to retailers. At 5 inches long by 48 ring gauge, the Ilustre marks the third (and slimmest) size in this box-pressed brand. The blend consists of a dark, Mexican San Andrés cover leaf around Nicaraguan tobacco that includes some Corojo '99. Ilustre retails for $8.90 per cigar.
On November 15, the JFR (Just For Retailers) line received the new Junior size, a 4 1/2 inch by 46 ring cigar that comes packaged in big boxes of 50. It comes in both Corojo and Maduro wrappers and is slated to retail for $4.20 and $4.30, respectively. Brand owner Eduardo Fernandez explained that the Junior was made to contrast the mammoth JFR 770LE which measures 7 inches long by 70 ring. JFR was created as a price-point cigar only available through brick-and-mortar tobacconists.
Both the Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Maduro and JFR brands use considerable amounts of tobacco from Aganorsa, the Nicaraguan agricultural conglomerate owned by Fernandez. Casa Fernandez cigars are rolled in a small factory in Doral, Florida, while JFR is rolled in Nicaragua.
For a tasting of the new Ilustre, see an upcoming issue of Cigar Insider.
