“This cigar is the total package from start to finish. It delivers great flavor, has plenty of complexity, and has outstanding construction.”
Coming in at #9 is the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 – The Ares. This is the second installment in Casa Fernandez’s Aniversario series. The Ares becomes the sixth Nicaraguan puro to make the 2014 Countdown. This also marks the second consecutive year a Casa Feranandez branded cigar has made the Cigar of the Year Countdown. The nine spot gives Casa Fernandez its highest placement on the Countdown to date. The Ares is made at Casa Fernandez’s Miami factory – becoming the second cigar to be made in the Miami factory by Casa Fernandez and third U.S. made cigar overall on this year’s Countdown. Finally this becomes the fourth cigar produced out of any factory (U.S. or Nicaragua) by Casa Fernandez to land on the countdown.
The Aniversario series commemorates the anniversary of Tabacalera Tropical founded by Pedro Martin in 1979 (the father of Maria Martin, and known for her Pedro Martin line of cigars). Tabacalera Tropical was actually purchased by Eduardo Fernandez back in 2002. The Aniversario Series made its debut in late 2013 with the release of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Boheme No. 35. The Aniversario Boheme 35 marked Casa Fernandez’s first true limited run cigar. O. For 2014, Casa Fernandez decided to introduce another limited run Aniversario cigar. This one has a different size, a different blend then the No. 35 and is called the “Casa Fernandez Aniversario 2014 – The Ares”. While different, both cigars share a common bond – they leverage the company’s Aganorsa farm tobacco.
The Ares starts out with a nice sweetness that is almost a combination of caramel and cherry. The sweetness diminishes and becomes more earthy and bready in the middle. Toward the end there is a nice ramp up of spice. The strength and body are slightly amp’d up from the Boheme – namely the smoke is medium to full strength and full-bodied.
Overall this was an excellent cigar. There were several subtle differencess between the Boheme and the Ares as I found both cigars had their own story to tell. This is definitely a cigar worth tracking down while it’s still around.
Click here for our detailed assessment of the Casa Fernandez Aniversario Serie 2014 – The Ares.
Blend Profile
Wrapper: Aganorsa Corojo, Nicaragua
Binder: Aganorsa, Nicaragua
Filler: Aganorsa, Nicaragua
Country of Origin: United States (Casa Fernandez Miami)
Vitolas Available
The cigar was released in one size – a 6 1/2 x 52 Toro.
Recommended Vitola: Toro (6 1/2 x 52)
Assessment Rating: 4.5 – Fight Chuck Norris for Them
Score: 93 (8/27/14)
For more information on our vision and criteria for the 2014 Cigar of the Year countdown, see our December 2014 Editor’s Corner.
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