The Odyssey Continues: New Lounge & New Cigars
The odyssey continues, and this time it has brought us to a new lounge, a new AJ Fernandez cigar, and another episode held together almost entirely by laughter.
After our previous recording arrangement ended under circumstances that remain diplomatically classified, Habano del Podcasto moves to No. 10 Shisha & Cigar Lounge in Dubai. Was this a planned expansion? A creative decision? Were we politely encouraged to continue our journey somewhere else? The investigation remains open.
For Episode 3, we smoke the AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Toro.
The New World line began as the first collaboration between AJ Fernandez and his father, Ismael. Its name pays tribute to the introduction of tobacco to the wider world following the voyage of 1492. The Puro Especial takes that family project deep into Nicaragua, using tobacco grown across Fernandez-owned farms in Estelí and aged for three to five years.
Made entirely from Nicaraguan tobacco, the New World Puro Especial combines a dark Criollo ’98 wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler leaves. The result is a rich, medium-full cigar with layers of cedar, cocoa, roasted nuts, baking spices, white pepper, dried fruit, and caramel sweetness. The Toro received 93 points and ranked No. 12 on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 Cigars of 2017.
In this episode of Habano del Podcasto, we smoke the New World Puro Especial from first light to final third, share our impressions of the blend, and explore where it sits within the wider AJ Fernandez portfolio.
Of course, the cigar is only half the episode.
Adham replaces the usual drink with hibiscus iced tea. Omar and Tallham begin what should have been a simple conversation about modern movies, then somehow turn it into a full argument about why cinema is apparently terrible now.
The discussion quickly spirals into the state of modern filmmaking, nostalgia, questionable opinions, confident statements supported by very little evidence, and several failed attempts to finish a serious point without somebody laughing.
No one wins the movie debate. Everyone talks louder. Laughter becomes the unofficial fourth host.
Recording from No. 10 Shisha & Cigar Lounge in Dubai, Adham, Omar, and Tallham mix premium cigars with movie arguments, strange drinks, stories, bad takes, and the usual Habano del Podcasto madness.
New lounge. New cigar. Same chaos.
The odyssey continues.
If you enjoy premium cigars, cigar reviews, movies, travel stories, whisky, watches, financial markets, and unfiltered conversations between friends, you’re in the right place.
Cigar Featured
AJ Fernandez New World Puro Especial Toro
- Vitola: Toro (6.5 x 52)
- Shape: Parejo / Round
- Wrapper: Nicaraguan Criollo ’98
- Binder: Nicaraguan
- Filler: Nicaraguan
- Tobacco: Aged three to five years and selected from multiple Fernandez-owned farms across Estelí
- Factory: Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua, Estelí, Nicaragua
- Strength: Medium to Medium-Full
- Body: Medium-Full
- Smoking Time: Approximately 75-100 minutes
- Tasting Notes: Cedar | Cocoa | Roasted nuts | Baking spices | White pepper | Dried fruit | Caramel sweetness | Earth
- Recognition: 93 Points | No. 12 Cigar of 2017
- Recorded At: No. 10 Shisha & Cigar Lounge, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Season 2 | Episode 3
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