Spectre by AJ Fernandez

smoke em if you got em

Just saw it under new arrivals here on ccom. Might have to check it out on my next purchase.

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Trident

They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf

Gray4lines

Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf

I think I may try and get a 5'er. I thought the Leccia Black was good, but certainly not something I'd be buying up.

Trident

Its got a great smoke flavor. Nice coffee and oak undertones

catfishbluezz

Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf

kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.

Gray4lines

catfishbluezz:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.

Just got the hookup from Andy D along with some AVOs!

catfishbluezz

Gray4lines:
catfishbluezz:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.
Just got the hookup from Andy D along with some AVOs!

word, if you wanna trade...we can do the dance...

Gray4lines

catfishbluezz:
Gray4lines:
catfishbluezz:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.
Just got the hookup from Andy D along with some AVOs!
word, if you wanna trade...we can do the dance...

I owe you, Dustin. Pm me and I'll send you one.

catfishbluezz

Gray4lines:
catfishbluezz:
Gray4lines:
catfishbluezz:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.
Just got the hookup from Andy D along with some AVOs!
word, if you wanna trade...we can do the dance...
I owe you, Dustin. Pm me and I'll send you one.

since when???

Ken Light

Anyone know if these should be kept away from other sticks? I heard that with the KFC.

catfishbluezz

Ken Light:
Anyone know if these should be kept away from other sticks? I heard that with the KFC.

possibly... Latakia is very potent. Given Grey's experience with pipe tobacco, I'd imagine he will be able to know by smelling it. I probably would

Gray4lines

catfishbluezz:
Gray4lines:
catfishbluezz:
Gray4lines:
catfishbluezz:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.
Just got the hookup from Andy D along with some AVOs!
word, if you wanna trade...we can do the dance...
I owe you, Dustin. Pm me and I'll send you one.
since when???

Since you sent me some sticks and that killer draw poker.

jgibv

catfishbluezz:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
kfc was terrible IMO. The black is at least a good cigar to me. I find it interesting so many companies are going after the pipe tobacco wheelhouse. I'll have to pick it up on an order.

AH HAH!!!! sounds like bias to me.....

;-)
(just messing with you dustin. you know i got respect for your reviews and appreciate what you're doin)

But.....

catfishbluezz

That's it...I'm bombing you Gibby lol! Serious, I was all excited for it. Is rather spend the money on McClelland.

Gray4lines

catfishbluezz:
Ken Light:
Anyone know if these should be kept away from other sticks? I heard that with the KFC.
possibly... Latakia is very potent. Given Grey's experience with pipe tobacco, I'd imagine he will be able to know by smelling it. I probably would

Yes, I'll give it a smell test.

Rain

I'm about to be out of a job...

jgibv

Rain:
I'm about to be out of a job...

:-(
????

Rain

jgibv:
Rain:
I'm about to be out of a job...
:-(
????

Because you're outtrolling me as of late.

jgibv

Rain:
jgibv:
Rain:
I'm about to be out of a job...
:-(
????
Because you're outtrolling me as of late.

:-D
I paid a toll to the troll and he let me get in on the action, haha.

(Can you tell that works been slow and I've been bored out of my mind at a computer all day, LOL)

jgibv

Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf

BUMP for Weekend Blitz.

Anyone else tried the Spectre? Care to tell me a little more about it?
How's it stack up to other AJ sticks, flavor and construction wise?
How about other maduros, any you would compare this to?

Bigshizza

Good price...what's the word reviewers? Roman did you guys review this? If so you got a link? Anyone....out there that has tried this yet?

Trident

I didn't do a full review on it because when I was about to I got a head cold. The flavors like i mentioned are smokey BBQ, some oak, and a hint of coffee. The BBQ hits you hard to start and then mellows out nicely through the cigar. I wish I had more to give you guys right now, but until the head cold is gone I got nothing...

PAtoNH

jgibv:
Trident:
They're great. Much better than the KFC, and better than the Leccia black. Just smoked one on vherf
BUMP for Weekend Blitz.

Anyone else tried the Spectre? Care to tell me a little more about it?
How's it stack up to other AJ sticks, flavor and construction wise?
How about other maduros, any you would compare this to?

Funny, I liked the KFC. I saw the special… I already have a few fivers of other stuff on the way. What to do??

Glock1975

I smoked 1 the other day Royln gave me, it was better than the leccia black, haven't smoked the KFC yet.

Bigshizza

Hmmm I liked the Leccia Black and the White.... Damn...

catfishbluezz

Had one the other day, review to follow next monday. My two cents, its the best "fire-cured" cigar example out there. I do think the Leccia black is a better cigar in terms of being a cigar though. The American Puro was good, and i think will age very well. The KFC was rather flavorless to me on the draw, and the retro was not nearly as good as the Spectre. Anyone whom wants to know what Latakia/campfire/bbq pipe tobacco tastes like, the Spectre will deliver. If you do not retro, then you will miss most of what it has to offer though.

Gray4lines

catfishbluezz:
Had one the other day, review to follow next monday. My two cents, its the best "fire-cured" cigar example out there. I do think the Leccia black is a better cigar in terms of being a cigar though. The American Puro was good, and i think will age very well. The KFC was rather flavorless to me on the draw, and the retro was not nearly as good as the Spectre. Anyone whom wants to know what Latakia/campfire/bbq pipe tobacco tastes like, the Spectre will deliver. If you do not retro, then you will miss most of what it has to offer though.

Cool! Look forward to reading your review, I need to light one up soon.

PAtoNH

I have 2 on the way… looking forward to trying them.

PAtoNH

Yum… although a "time to time" indulgence.

jgibv

Smoked a robusto last night....thanks to JetMech Vinny for bombing me this one.
Wanted to share my $0.02. Bare with me here as I don't normally do reviews.

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I was skeptical of this one at first ... seems AJ's been putting out a lot of "new releases" the past couple months and the description on CCOM wasn't much of a description IMO. It's more "marketing fluff" and "buzzwords" than an actual cigar description.
But you guys gave it some positive reviews so I added it to the bottom of my "need to buy one" list.

I should have known better, because before I could order one, of course one you crazy cats had to bomb me one - and Vinny has the fastest draw in the west.

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The physical aspects of the cigar - construction/appearance/burn - get a thumbs up.
This Spectre robusto was on par with the other AJ cigars I've had and was the quality and consistency I've come to expect from him.
The wrapper was free of flaws...the cap was perfect and never unraveled...the cigar lit easily, I needed only a couple matches to get it going...the burn was consistent and stayed almost entirely even for the almost 2-hour duration of the smoke...it held the ash well.

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The intangible aspects - aroma/taste/flavors - those get a thumbs up as well.
I love to eat good BBQ/smoked meat - doesn't matter what it is: chicken, pork, beef, fish, etc. it's all good. My favorite thing about summer time is sitting outside next to my Char-Griller barrel smoker/grill all day long and slow cooking a nice cut of brisket, racks of ribs, or a whole chicken. A couple cold beers, a nice cigar or two, warm sunshine on my face, and the smell of mesquite lump charcoal (not the processed Kingsford briquettes) and the smell of smoked meat filling the air.....mmm doesn't get much better than that.
Well that's the best way to describe this cigar. It's as though AJ took everything I just described, the experience/flavors/aroma and rolled it up in a little 5x50 robusto package.

I've never tried pipe tobacco, and never had a cigar with Latakia previous to this, but I think Roman's and Dustin's descriptions of the flavors are pretty spot on:

Trident:
.....The flavors like i mentioned are smokey BBQ, some oak, and a hint of coffee. The BBQ hits you hard to start and then mellows out nicely through the cigar....

catfishbluezz:
....Anyone whom wants to know what Latakia/campfire/bbq pipe tobacco tastes like, the Spectre will deliver. .....

The smoky mesquiteness, without a doubt, dominated the cigar.
I personally wouldn't describe it as "campfire" as much as I would "smoky BBQ" though. Depends on what type of wood you burn for your campfire --- if you're like me and burn mostly pine for outdoor fires, you know the pine gives off a different aroma than other woods. Now, if you normally burn a hardwood for your campfires though then yes, this might be reminiscent of the aroma of a campfire for you.

I did not pick-up coffee, but I thought I got a slight hint of leather. Hard to tell though, smoked meat, hickory, and delicious BBQ is all I could think of.
That will turn some of you off to this cigar, but if you're a fan of smoky goodness then this cigar is a must try.

The cigar didn't change much throughout the almost 2 hours it lasted, it mellowed out towards the end but that's about it.

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Final thoughts:

If you want an intricate smoke with hundreds of different nuanced flavors/aromas this will not deliver.
But if you are a lover of mesquite smokiness, charcoal grills, hickory wood chips, slow cooked smoked meat, and wish you could get all of that from a cigar then the Spectre is a must try.

I give this one two thumbs up.

(And as far as price goes, I think the listed box prices of $4.5-$6/stick are fair. If you can find them "on sale" for less then you're getting a bargain IMO.)

Gray4lines

Great write up. Ive yet to smoke any, but am excited to try it. I am wondering how these will age. Latakia loses some of that in your face smoked meat taste and aroma and becomes really creamy and subtle which I prefer. Sounds like there is no lack of the smokey flavor!