It all begins in Cuba, like so many things in the cigar world.
Romeo y Julieta is a classic Cuban brand, with roots going back to 1875 on the island. It was only after Castro’s revolution in the 1950s that the company was nationalized and many fled to re-found it in the Dominican Republic. This is where the U.S.-bound cigars are produced to this day, while production also continues in Cuba. Both are called Romeo y Julieta cigars. Hopefully that’s not too confusing.
Young Abdel J. Fernandez was born after all that, in 1979, but took right to the cigar trade like a duck to water. He became a master blender, producing cigars for a variety of top brands as well as his own releases, which include Enclave, Last Call, New World, Ramon Allones, and San Lotano, as well as the popular and potent Man O’ War and Diesel cigars. His blends have earned a number of 90+ ratings and Top-25 awards from Cigar Aficionado, and so it’s no surprise that Romeo y Julieta decided to partner with him for this Romeo y Julieta by AJ Fernandez cigar.
He selected a rich and flavorful Habano 2000 Maduro wrapper, which gives the cigar complexity and sweet cocoa flavor. Then, inside, there’s a Nicaraguan blend that adds nuttiness as well as light spice and fruit notes to the medium to full bodied smoke. Fans of AJ Fernandez will find this to be a quality blend worth a try to see what he’s cooking up over at the RyJ “kitchens,” while fans of Romeo y Julieta cigars will find the brand taken in an interesting direction by one of the cigar world’s talented blenders.
