Ave Maria Reconquista


  • 1:36:29 PM

    Wrapper: Satisfactory

  • 0 min

    Band: Attractive

  • 2 min

    In the spirit of Easter, I'm getting religious with an Ave Maria Reconquista and a Hospitaller beer. Let's see if this brings redemption.

  • 4 min

    Not sure how long this cigar was in my humidor, I'd say two to three years or so. The sell-by date of the beer is September 2016. Everything properly aged.

  • 4 min

    Herbs/spices

  • 4 min

    Sweet

  • 5 min

    Wood

  • 6 min

    The first flavors of the cigar are a wonderful combination of wood, herbs and some sweetness.

  • 11 min

    Herbs/spices

  • 15 min

    Pepper

  • 15 min

    Herbs/spices

  • 24 min

    Historically, the Templars to which the cigar refers, and the Order of Saint John which was the inspiration for the beer, were the two main Christian military orders supporting the Crusades.

  • 24 min

    Pepper

  • 24 min

    Animal

  • 24 min

    Sweet

  • 31 min

    Each order posted about six hundred knights in the crusader states but in some battles they would also lose three to four hundred to the Muslim enemy.

  • 34 min

    In the 14th century, however, their biggest enemy turned out to be the king of France, who envied their wealth and power and had them persecuted and killed on charges of heresy with the support of the Pope.

  • 34 min

    Nuts/beans

  • 34 min

    Sweet

  • 35 min

    But back to the cigar! The draw is excellent and there is lots of smoke and flavor.

  • 37 min

    Vegetal

  • 40 min

    Nuts/beans

  • 40 min

    Vegetal

  • 40 min

    Pepper

  • 42 min

    Vegetal

  • 43 min

    The second part has an intriguing vegetal flavor that keeps popping up. Not your typical grass or hay, but fuller, almost fermented.

  • 43 min

    Sweet

  • 45 min

    The sweetness is also fairly constant but it feels as if more nutty flavors are about to break through as well.

  • 47 min

    Both the beer and the cigar taste great but it's not a match made in heaven. The roasted flavors in the beer don't really complement the mellowness of the cigar.

  • 51 min

    Nuts/beans

  • 52 min

    Yep, there it is: a nice, full cocoa flavor!

  • 55 min

    Earth

  • 60 min

    Animal

  • 62 min

    Animal

  • 63 min

    As the final third approaches, the flavor profile drops off. Quiet before the storm?

  • 63 min

    Sweet

  • 71 min

    Doing some research online, I learned that the Ave Maria brand owner is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This cigar truly is a religious experience.

  • 72 min

    Animal

  • 80 min

    Animal

  • 82 min

    I'm a bit disappointed in the final third. Mostly fatty, leathery flavors, not much variation. Considering how long I've been at this cigar, it's hard not to get bored. I'm going to give it a couple more minutes...

  • 83 min

    On the bright side, the cigar and the beer are finally pairing up nicely.

  • 83 min

    Animal

  • 84 min

    Cream

  • 85 min

    A purge seems to help a bit, brings out a nice creamy flavor.

  • 87 min

    Back to leather again. I'm going to wrap this one up. Definitely a great cigar, packed with subtle flavors and flawless construction.

  • 87 min

    Draw: Very good

  • 87 min

    Burn: Very good

  • 87 min

    Ash: Very good

  • 87 min

    Strength: Medium

  • Result
    Appearance 63
    Construction 100
    Complexity 75
    Dynamics 93
    Strength 50
    Total 80
Production Details

Brand Owner
Meier & Dutch Wholesale Distributors, Inc.
Factory
Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua
Wrapper
Brazilian Habano Oscuro
Binder
Honduras
Filler
Nicaragua (Esteli, Condega, Jalapa)
Size
7 x 54
Status
-

Ratings

Score Percentile Rank
80 22 42

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