H. Upmann Nicaragua AJ Fernandez Heritage Toro | Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Listen, we need to address the elephant in the humidor. Some people call these cigars fake, and you know what? In some ways they are. They're about as Cuban as a Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme is Mexican.

But I assure you these cigars are real and exist, even if they're stealing the IP from a storied Cuban cigar manufacturer that Hermann Upmann started back in 1844. But hey, what can you do? Communists suck, and capitalism means we get to smoke AJ Fernandez's interpretation of a classic brand without having to smuggle anything through customs like we're in a bad spy movie.

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Size: Toro 6" x 54

Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan & Brazilian

Factory: Tabacalera AJ Fernandez, Nicaragua

Price: $11.13 stick / $222.60 Box of 20

Strength: Medium-Full 💪

The Sob Story That'll Make You Feel Things 😢

Here's something that'll hit you right in the feels: AJ Fernandez named this blend "Heritage" as a tribute to his grandmother Lilly, who took care of him when his family escaped Cuba for Nicaragua. Dude even named his farm "Finca La Lilia" after her.

The wrapper is Brazilian Mata Fina that's been triple-fermented and aged for two years after rolling - because apparently regular fermentation is for quitters and poors.

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Draw: Perfect. Like breathing through a $100 bill.

Burn: Straighter than your uncle's political opinions at Thanksgiving

Smoke Output: Thick as morning fog in San Francisco

Ash: Holds like it's got separation anxiety

The Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper looks like it spent quality time in a tanning bed - dark, oily, and with more tooth than a hockey player's smile. This is classic AJ Fernandez construction, which is to say it's built like a Soviet-era bunker. Rock solid pack, zero soft spots, zero hard spots. Just excellent AJ Fernandez production as usual.

The Flavor Journey 🎢

First Third

Cacao, Earth, Nuts, Spice/Retro

Right off the bat, you're hit with this combo that's basically what would happen if a Snickers bar decided to become a cigar. The retrohale brings the spice party, tingling your sinuses like you just snorted cinnamon. But in a good way.

The smoke texture is chewy - we're talking thicker than a bowl of oatmeal, coating your mouth with that satisfying density that lets you know you're smoking something substantial.

Second Third

Dark chocolate, Spice/Retro, Cedar, Slight dried fruit

The dark chocolate notes emerge like they've been waiting backstage for their big moment. The Brazilian tobacco starts flexing here, adding that pungent rainforest funk that either makes you a believer or sends you running for a Connecticut shade like a scared little baby.

Final Third: The Full Send

Earth, Charred cedar, Ammonia

Here's where things get spicy. That ammonia note creeps in - not overwhelming, but present enough to remind you this isn't your grandfather's H. Upmann. Unless your grandfather was into full-bodied Nicaraguan powerhouses, in which case, respect 🫡.

The strength builds to a genuine medium-full, maybe even pushing full if you're smoking it too fast like you're late for your own funeral.

The Verdict:

B TIER

FLAVOR: B-

CONSTRUCTION: A-

AVAILABILITY: A-

PRICE: B

Bottom Line 📊

At $11 and change, this cigar is priced like it's trying to compete with your Tuesday night bourbon - not breaking the bank but not exactly pocket change either. The H. Upmann Nicaragua AJ Fernandez Heritage is what happens when traditional Cuban heritage gets a Central American makeover with a Brazilian accent.

It's beefier, bolder, and more aggressive than anything Hermann Upmann would recognize, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes evolution means adapting to your environment, and in the non-Cuban cigar world, that environment demands flavor bombs, not polite suggestions.

Perfect for: When you want something with more personality than a Connecticut but don't feel like wrestling with a Liga Privada. Pair it with bourbon, strong coffee, or your favorite existential crisis about authenticity versus quality.

TLDR: Not as good as a Cuban H. Upmann but also not as expensive.

Drew Estate UF-13 Liga Privada Unico Serie - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

When Drew Estate slaps "Unico Serie" on a stick and gives it a call sign that sounds like a UFO sighting report, you know some serious alien abduction of your taste buds (or other body parts) is about to go down. The UF-13 doesn't just land in your humidor—it crash lands with the subtlety of a Roswell incident, complete with a pigtail cap that looks like it was designed by extraterrestrial engineers who've been studying human smoking rituals.

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: Liga Privada Unico Serie UF-13

Size: 5.5 x 52

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina

Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan

Price: $19.50 single / $234.00 box of 12

Aging: 6 months (65RH/68F)

Notes: Limited production unicorn status

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

This thing constructs like a premium German sedan—everything clicks into place with that satisfying precision that makes you feel like you're about to experience something engineered rather than just rolled. The draw is so perfect, which, to be honest, can be extremely hit or miss when it comes to modern Liga cigars, and the smoke production reaches choo-choo train proportions that would make Thomas the Tank Engine file a patent lawsuit.

🎯 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: Close Encounters of the Cocoa Kind

cocoa, dried fruit/plum, cream, earth

The closed foot lighting experience feels like unwrapping a mystery present that Santa left under the tree, but forgot to clean up the cream he left behind. Rich cocoa dominates the opening act, backed by dried fruit and plum notes that dance around a creamy undertone like they're auditioning for a sophisticated dessert commercial. The earth tones ground everything in the deep, full flavor you know and love with Liga products.

SECOND THIRD: The Mothership Arrives

cream, espresso, dark chocolate, charred cedar

Here's where the UF-13 stops playing games and starts speaking fluent espresso. Dark chocolate joins the party to add a nice layer of richness that coats the tongue. The charred cedar adds a campfire element that makes you want to tell ghost stories about all the mediocre cigars you've wasted money on before discovering this extraterrestrial experience.

FINAL THIRD: Houston, We Have Liftoff

dry fruit, cream, espresso, charred wood, earth

The final act delivers with the intensity of someone trying to explain cryptocurrency at Thanksgiving dinner—overwhelming but oddly compelling. Dry fruit mingles with persistent cream and espresso notes while charred wood provides the backbone for an earth-driven finish that lingers.

This is nicotine bomb territory, so eat something beforehand or prepare to meet aliens whether you want to or not.

🏆 THE VERDICT:

A+ TIER

FLAVOR: A+

CONSTRUCTION: A

AVAILABILITY: C

PRICE: A-

Final Rating: A+ TIER ABDUCTION EXPERIENCE

The UF-13 tastes like someone took Papa's Fritas, fed it performance-enhancing supplements, and sent it to finishing school. It's hands down the best Liga Privada experience currently orbiting my humidor, delivering complexity that would make a sommelier weep tears of inadequacy while producing enough smoke to signal the International Space Station.

💨 BOTTOM LINE

If you haven't experienced the UF-13, then I suggest you do so right away. It's the equivalent to still trying to make fire with two sticks while everyone else is enjoying alien technology. At $19.50, it's the kind of investment that makes your financial advisor question your priorities, but your taste buds write thank you letters. Run, don't walk, to find this limited production stick before it disappears—because like all good alien encounters, you'll spend the rest of your life trying to convince people it actually happened.

TLDR: Try it before aliens kill us all.

Caldwell The King is Dead - Cigar Reviews by HB Cigars

Sometimes redemption comes wrapped in Dominican tobacco. After Caldwell's Long Live the King became my lowest-rated cigar of all time, I approached The Last Payday with the enthusiasm of a root canal appointment. But fourteen months of aging can work miracles, apparently. Also, is it a coincidence that my Long Live the King review was mysteriously taken down by YouTube? Was Roebrt caldwell the one who ordered the hit? The truth will come out one day; until then. Review time.

🔥 THE VITALS 🔥

Cigar: The King is Dead - The Last Payday

Size: Torpedo 6.0" x 52

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic

Wrapper: Dominican Corojo

Binder: Dominican Corojo

Filler: Dominican

Price: $11.97 / $287.47 Box of 24

Aging: 14 months (apparently, time does heal wounds)

🚀 WE ARE LIT!

Construction is solid throughout, which is not something I could say about my first encounter with Caldwell. This one actually stays lit, so kudos to the crack team over there. The draw hits that perfect middle ground - not too tight, not too loose.(insert mom joke) Smoke production is generous on the light-up and maintains consistency. For a Dominican puro, this thing actually shows up ready to work.

🎯 FLAVOR JOURNEY

FIRST THIRD: CHOCOLATE FOUNDATIONS

milk chocolate, bread, slight cream, pepper/retro

Milk chocolate dominates the opening, supported by clean bread notes and a touch of cream. Is it a cream dream machine? Nah, it ain't. But it's enough to give you a pleasant texture note. The pepper provides a gentle retrohale bite without overwhelming the palate. It's a pleasant start that sets reasonable expectations.

SECOND THIRD: COMPLEXITY EMERGES

graham cracker, chocolate, leather, tobacco

Graham cracker sweetness takes center stage while the chocolate notes evolve. Leather appears gradually, bringing that worn baseball glove character. Tobacco flavors finally announce themselves properly. This section has more personality than most people's dating app profiles.

FINAL THIRD: DARKER TERRITORY

dark chocolate, earth, tobacco sweetness, charred cedar

Dark chocolate replaces the milk variety as earth tones provide grounding. Tobacco sweetness balances the charred cedar that threatens to dominate but stays controlled. The finish is longer than expected and maintains interest through the nub, like a Netflix series that actually sticks the landing.

🏆 THE VERDICT: PLEASANT SURPRISE!

B- Tier

Flavor: B

Construction: B

Availability: A

Price: C+

Look, I'm genuinely surprised Caldwell pulled this off. Dominican puros are typically about as exciting as watching grass grow, but this one delivers actual flavors worth discussing. Like watching your mom's grass grow. It's not going to change your life or become your desert island smoke, but it's a perfectly solid cigar that won't leave you feeling cheated. After the Long Live the King disaster, this feels like a genuine step forward.

💨 BOTTOM LINE

The Last Payday proves that even struggling brands can course-correct. It extracts impressive flavor complexity from what should be boring Dominican tobacco. Would I buy a box? Probably not. Would I gladly smoke another if offered? Absolutely. Sometimes being reliably good is enough.