Cigar maker A.J. Fernandez spends so much time making third-party, contract brands and collaborating with other people in the industry, it’s a wonder he has time to make brands of his own. The Enclave Broadleaf is a dark follow-up to the core Enclave line and the first time that Fernandez has ever put a broadleaf wrapper on one of his own cigars. Underneath the Connecticut cover leaf is a bracing blend of Nicaraguan tobacco from Estelí and Jalapa. Despite the strength of the blend (it leans toward full body), these tobaccos play off one another quite gracefully, imparting a palate of earth, mineral and salty notes before taking unexpected sweet turns that call to mind milk chocolate, vanilla bean and anise.

I said it before and I’ll say it now: I like the Enclave Broadleaf better than the original Habano version. After this second smoking, I can say that I like it a lot more. This is an excellent Connecticut Broadleaf wrapped cigar that stands out from the others on the market with its citrusy notes and slow building of body. Definitely a must-smoke for Broadleaf fans like me.

I’m as big of an AJ Fernandez fan as anyone, and I enjoy a tasty broadleaf-wrapped cigar, but these cigars didn’t really fit my expectations of those two categories. It was an interesting cigar—great construction, flavorful (at times), but I wanted more. Who knows, maybe after six months of humidor time these might take on a different tone and warrant a box purchase, but as of now I’ll stick with the regular Enclave.