Nasser The Goat By A.J. Fernandez Toro
When you think of cigars and the tobacco-growing countries they come from, it’s unlikely that Haiti comes to mind, and yet, this island nation is at the center of Nasser The Goat By A.J. Fernandez. The cigar started as a retailer exclusive for Nasser’s Cigar Lounge in Pétion-Ville outside of Haiti’s capital city. Word eventually got out and A.J. Fernandez started offering The Goat to the U.S. market. We’re certainly glad he did. With the exception of the Mexican San Andrés wrapper, all the tobacco in The Goat was grown in Nicaragua by Fernandez.
His farms in Estelí tend to produce some pretty powerful leaves, but this cigar leans more toward sweetness than strength—not that this is a mild smoke. Far from it, but there is plenty of finesse and harmony here. The thoughtful blend from Estelí, Condega and Jalapa combines with the Mexican wrapper for a delightfully complex profile of chocolate-covered almonds, vanilla, earth and coffee. It builds to a fancy finish of raisin and coconut rum cake. Fernandez makes cigars for other companies, many of which appear frequently on the Top 25 list, but this is the first year that an A.J. Fernandez-branded cigar has made it to the Top 10.
—Gregory Mottola
