New World by AJ Fernandez Oscuro Navegante Robusto 5 1/2″ * 55

New World takes its name from the discovery of tobacco on Columbus’s 1492 voyage, and it was AJ Fernandez’s first collaboration with his father Ismael. The Oscuro is its darkest expression. The Navegante is the box-pressed 5 1/2 x 55 robusto, wrapping a dark Nicaraguan Oscuro leaf around a Jalapa binder and Nicaraguan filler pulled from Ometepe, Condega, and Esteli. It smokes medium to full, leading with cedar, espresso, and black pepper before leather and a dark sweetness settle in, and the box press keeps the burn even across the thick ring gauge. Made at Tabacalera Fernandez in Esteli, it delivers a lot of aged-tasting cigar for the money. Pairs well with coffee, bourbon, or a stout.