Tasting Notes

I love that these vitolas don't carry the common names we're used to. For this review I'll be going with the EMS Pequenas.

Prelight

This is a truly beautiful stick. It's a well rolled medium brown shaft with a stunning Colorado hue. There are darker and lighter dots or rather mottling all over the wrapper. Further examination confirms uniform give with no soft spots, fairly visible flat veins, well hidden seams, and an impeccable triple cap. The foot is partially covered which to me adds a certain charm.

Aroma off the shaft points to hay, flowery perfume, sharp cedar, leather, and a toasty nutty nuance. The foot carries a tingly pepper note, barnyard, and faint mint. Cold draw is a perfect milkshake consistency highlighting toasty barnyard, creamy chocolate, mint, white pepper heat on the lips, and mild flowery perfume.

First Third

There is a way to brace for any AJ Fernandez stogie, and that is to prop yourself for a pepper blast. This one is no different. My pequenas opens with tons of pepper; it's on my lips, at the back of the palate and a little in the nose. Beneath the blast of pepper are sharp cedar notes, hay, coffee, leather, and a nice citrus tang. The first few draws are all about working the pepper waiting for the cigar to settle.

And like clockwork, the flavors settle. The front of the palate displays black pepper, cedar, nuts, cinnamon, chocolate cream, floral notes, and an implicit toasted woodsy flavor. Beneath these flavors leather, earth, and wet oak hold down the fort. Natural tobacco sweetness, charred red meat, and bitter spice come at the tail end and all the way through the Retrohale.

Billows of aromatic smoke are all over me. The burn is beyond reproach and so is the ash. Thus far, I perceive a medium body smoke promising to go all the way up.

Mid Third

I realized I was in the mid third when pepper took a back seat. Cedar and a tangy citrus savor grab all the attention. A quiet but confident warm earthy note sits at the back. It's not long before I realize that the pepper shifted to the Retrohale along with leather, oak and a little lemon zing.

This is a deceptively complex cigar. It's not trying to be complex but it sorta just happens. The reason I say this is because there are different flavor batches zooming in and out at will. One draw reveals sweet fruity notes comingled with creamy chocolate, marzipan, and dry pepper heat. The next one brings on charred meat, wet oak, nuts, aromatic flowery notes and leather. All the while cedar, citrus, earth, and light pepper are reigning.

Strength went up to a strong medium. I got a little light headed as nicotine made its presence felt. I'll say it right now, if you are a newbie you probably can't handle this one on an empty stomach. The construction has been excellent so far, loads of smoke output and a razor sharp burn. I wanted to live in the mid third but this is a small cigar at least by my standards, so here comes the final third.

Final Third

In the final third, citrus fuses with fruity sweetness to drown the cedar. Oak and leather become more pronounced as the sweetness hits an all-time high. Perhaps it's the citrus sweet combo, but what was dry pepper heat turns into beautiful baking spice notes.

My pequenas closes with sweet natural tobacco, cedar, nuts, leather, and rustic earth. It's been about an hour or so and worth every minute.

Wrapping Up

AJ Fernandez, as a brand and as a blender has had a huge impact on the cigar market. From his first blend the San Lotano, through the New World series to today's topic Last Call, we've experienced unmatched blending expertise wrapped in value-priced sticks.