Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut (2002)
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6.5 x 54 “Oval”
Body: Medium
Price: $9.00 (No Longer Available)

Way back when, CI and cigar.com offered an 8 pack sampler of AJ Fernandez blends.. All were 6.5 x 54 and ALL were in the oval configuration. I bought my last box around 9 months ago and I have one or two left. This Virtue should be very good by now.

The color is that of Bambi’s mom…a fawn tan. Construction is impeccable. Close to flawless. The double cap is almost perfect with a slight open seam. There is a slight oiliness. But it feels very toothy.

I sniff and detect wood, spice, some sweetness.. The wood dominates the aromas.
I clip and light up.

The draw is impeccable. Easy as pie. The stick is just short of solid. There is definitely some give throughout the cigar’s length.
Pepper is the first flavor to show itself. And then some smooth creaminess. And kiwi. It’s not strawberry, but very subtle fruitiness. 9 months aging must have produced that flavor. There is also some raw cashew which takes part in the sweetness.

AJ has a line of cigars aimed at the connoisseur. Mostly full bodied. With the Virtue, he was hoping to pick up the crowd that likes milder cigars. The stick was initially described as mild, but it ain’t. And we’ve all come to the truth that is a solid medium body. Which is OK with me. I prefer medium/full and stronger. But medium bodied cigars, most often, are the flavor bombs. And for me, mild cigars don’t offer anything to the experienced smoker. Mild is for cigar nonsmokers. Or guys that play golf and want to look macho with a nice big…mild…cigar in their mouths on the links. Hence, the invention of Macanudo.

The ash is very delicate. And falls of around the ¾” mark. The burn is a bit erratic.

I’m getting a crack in the wrapper that runs from the cap to underneath the band. I am now finishing the first third. The body is just shy of medium. The flavors are predominantly sweet, fruity, cocoa, coffee, creamy, and that wonderful newly sewn wood. The creaminess is just a bit stronger than everything else.

I’m at the halfway point and it has been 45 minutes. The cigar is still shy of medium but the flavors are so abundant and full of finesse that it doesn’t matter what the strength is. No additional flavors show themselves as everything I was going to experience all happened at the first inch.

The cigar is so well balanced and with such a long finish, I wish I had bought more of those sampler boxes. I am sure that the oval shape gives the stick its own specific flavors that must differ from the round stick.

The last third is just a dream. The char line is close to perfect now. The draw is still impeccable. There is no harshness and the cigar is cool as a cuke.
I’m able to remove the band without any trouble. Sometimes, a well-aged cigar has band removal problems; but not with this cigar.

The nicotine level is very low. The flavors just explode now. I’m glad that I wrote about this for future reference in case they bring them back at some point. I have a bunch of Virtue Diademas in my humidor I got on some Daily Special. I don’t believe they are for sale anymore either.

The crack stops after 1-1/2”. All in all, the cigar’s structure behaved admirably.

The cigar finishes out blasting on all cylinders. The strength reaches the medium mark. And a bit of nicotine shows.

I wish I could direct you to an online store to buy these sticks, but alas, you will have to wait until AJ decides it is a good time to bring them back.

A good substitute is the Man O’ War Limited Edition Perfecto Sampler that CI carries for $60 for 6 cigars. Also an array of different blends. I have bought this sampler much cheaper on Cbid. The perfectos are huge at 6.5 x 60.
http://www.cigarsinternational.com/samplers/63710/man-o-war-limited-edition-perfecto-sampler/#p-78400

And now for something completely different:

Another rock n roll story….

I passed the audition and was now a member of the band. I had never heard of Curved Air. They were/are huge all over Europe, South America, and Japan. But they bombed in the U.S. No idea why. Over the band’s lifetime, 15 albums were produced and all did well in those markets. I still get royalties every 6 months from London.

The band had to complete a record deal with Decca. So the path of least resistance was a live album. Again, I had no idea who they were. No idea how huge they were.
All of the original members joined up for one last hurrah…and me. They had problems with bassists like Spinal Tap had problems with drummers. I was always afraid I’d instantaneously combust.

The band hadn’t played together in two years but remembered the songs like they played them yesterday. So only two weeks were reserved in a rehearsal hall in Covent Garden. And those rehearsals were lax, very lax. Lots of tea and biscuit breaks.

I wasn’t learning the songs. This was a progressive band in which all the members had classical degrees. They were brilliant musicians and their music proved that out. Lots of chord changes and very complicated music.

The keys player, Francis Monkman, was very patient with me and helped me tremendously in learning the tunes. We rehearsed two dozen songs so we could change the 90 minute line up if we chose. Plus, the encores.

At the end of the two weeks, they were ready, but I wasn’t. I made copious notes on my chart paper. In their songs, the bass was out front a lot. And the riffs had to be exact.
Our first gig was at some big arena in London. Don’t remember the name.

Only I didn’t know that. I thought we were going to play a decent sized club. Again, I had no idea who they were.

I had moved into the suburbs of London to Edgeware. A very nice, modern apartment. One day, my young neighbor came to visit and we sat in my living room where I had a couple CA posters from gigs.

He was in the British Army. He asked what I did. I pointed at the posters and said I was with them.
“What do you mean? You’re a roadie?”
“No, I’m with them. I play bass in the band.”
His face dropped and promised me that he would tell no one where I lived. I laughed hard and told him not to worry. No groupies were piled up on my doorstep. But I couldn’t get him to act naturally around me from that point forward.

The band’s road manager picked us all up and we drove to the gig. As we got closer to the arena, I kept asking, “Where are we going? What’s going on? Where are we going?” No one replied.

We were inside the arena and the band had finished setting up all the equipment. The stage was humongous. I looked out to the seats and saw thousands of them, including a huge balcony.
I had a panic attack. Thinking it would be a club, I had brought my charts and a music stand that I could set up next to me. Well, goddamit! I couldn’t set a music stand on this stage. Holy shit!!

We were the headliners and a couple other bands played before us. Then we were up.

“For the first time in two years….CURVED AIR!!!!”

We drove immediately into the first song. The lights and the giant PA system and all those people. The gig was sold out. I was dying inside.
But…it went off without a hitch. I hit a few clams but they weren’t noticed.

At the end of the gig, I was soaked in sweat. I left the dressing room and went back out to the stage, sat down on the edge, with my feet dangling…and just watched as people exited. They were all staring at me wondering what the hell I was doing.

I was drinking it in.

Five gigs later, we began recording for the live album. It was recorded from two gigs. Not only did I not make any mistakes, but I soared with the eagles. My playing was so good that the managing director told everyone that I was the star of the album. Heads twisted convulsively as the band members looked at him like he was crazy. Egos
That comment started the slow, torturous end to my rock star career.
More to come…..

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