Selected by Cigar Aficionado 2017 #12 Cigar Of The Year – Rated 93
New World Puro Especial Toro is the third major cigar to be released in the New World Series by A.J. Fernandez. Following the original blend and the Connecticut version, Puro Especial is a Nicaraguan puro blended by A.J.’s father, Ismael. Having worked with the Plasencia family for some 17 years, Ismael Fernandez is no newbie to the cigar business. In fact, the original New World blend was actually a collaboration between Ismael and A.J. from the beginning. With Puro Especial, we have a gorgeous stick containing all Nicaraguan tobaccos from A.J.’s farms in Nicaragua, all aged between 3 and 5 years and from distinct growing regions. The result is nothing short of a masterpiece, earning a solid 93 rating and a spot on Cigar Aficionado’s prestigious Top 25 Cigars of 2017.
The classic packaging and beautiful bands on Puro Especial add to the vintage feel of the experience. On the reverse side of the main band is the now well-known autograph of A.J. Fernandez, which makes for a great personal touch at the end of each ever-so-magnificent smoking journey. A coffee-brown wrapper shines with natural oils and boasts a mildly toothy texture. Expert construction complements the expert blending on New World Puro Especial, making for an easy draw and unusually high volume of silky white smoke. The gorgeous Nicaraguan Puro starts off with pepper and spice, and plenty of each. The overall earthy profile is studded by notes of rich tobacco and nuts, along with some subtle sweetness hidden between the bursts of chili pepper and oak. A sweet, creamy finish seals the deal, though each puff retains a heavy presence of spicy white pepper, something so common with high-end Nicaraguan cigars. New World Puro Especial is medium-bodied, yet the flavor profile is deep, complex, and rich. At 6 ½” x 52, the fairly large Toro size provides a long, mellow smoking experience, burning velvety smooth all the way to the nub.
It never ceases to amaze the cigar world how every cigar bearing the Fernandez name is an all-out home run. New World Puro Especial is no different and is a sure bet for any discriminating connoisseur. Medium-bodied and bursting with flavor, Puro Especial pairs beautifully with scotch or bourbon and makes for a great ending to an eventful day. If you love Fernandez masterpieces such as San Lotano, Enclave, or his version of H. Upmann, you would be doing yourself a huge favor in trying New World Puro Especial. It’s no wonder how A.J. Fernandez has mastered the art of blending Nicaraguan cigars. New World Puro Especial Toro is definitive proof that he gets it from his father.