A/F Anejo Shark/49/49 original release

[hawkan2580]

This is going to be FUN (rubbing my hands in great anticipation).
I have traded some cigars for some A/F Anejo's with Moki ( Thanks mate, really appreciated). 2 x Shark 77.. 2x Anejo 49 *( 1 x original release Anejo 49 and one from current year).

So as I smoke them I will keep updating this post with subsequent reviews to get a cross-review and a comparison-review between an original release. I will try to review them independently from each other as far as I can and then do a comparison between them at the end when all are smoked.

As always all reviews are subjective and these reviews are solely done based from my smoking preference (I sometimes review cigars from a marketing and retailer point of view and then my own preference doesn't come into it.)

First up is a Shark 77 from -02.

This one is just gorgeous! The wrapper has a dark coca -cola brown hue to it and is an almost black maduro. It is a pyramide that's been heavily square box-pressed at the top. It's flawless in terms of wrapper quality. only a few minor veins visible and the wrapper has a lot of tooth.

The pre-light scents has a hint of wood and beans (coffee and vanilla) with some other more floral elements present. I wonder if that is a scent from the conjac barrel the wrapper tobacco matured in?

Lightning this one was very easy and an even burn was instant.
I take a moment to let you know the settings. I have a day off work and have sat down in my favourite smoking chair with some Oscar Peterson trio jazz in the background.

The first puffs reviles this cigar to be milder than I expected but with a lot of very nice flavours of dark roasted coffee beans, vanilla and a bit of spice in the background. The spice element is just enough to tickle on the tongue a bit. The aroma has also this alluring floral element which is also present in the taste. The draw is easy and I can easily get as much or little smoke that I want. This is one fine cigar and is one that you can smoke very, very slowly.

After about an inch some creaminess also emerge into the smoke with some spicy and light earthy elements underneath. I can detect some of the opus x flavours in the background but the difference in what the wrapper does to this cigar is astonishing. Pretty much gone is the jalapeno spicy element from opus x and it is replaced with tons of bean type flavours. I can detect the hint of conjac flavours of the wrappers storage time in conjac barrels but even more so in the aroma.

1/2 in I started noticing that the ash is actually quite flaky and the burn is starting to become uneven. a bit of a shame on such a premium cigar but it's not enough to have any impact of the flavours. And it can also be a result of me just waiting about a week with torching it up from a long journey, so it may not have settled humidity-wise.

I have now smoked the second Shark 77 and that one didn't display any of the flaky ash and burn problems the first one did.

I am still amazed that the cigar is so mild but still have such fullness in the flavour department. Not much has happened here in change of the flavours, but I am very happy with that -"why change something now when it is so good as it is"?? (a rhetorical question that the blender might have asked himself).

last 1/3 I can certainly detect more of the conjac flavours now, vanilla and dried fruit, typical of conjac is there. The dark roast coffee flavours is also getting a bit stronger. Unfortunately, the burn problem has now increased and is starting to impact on the flavours. The ash has been really flaky in the later parts too but that might be a sign of incorrect humidification from the long journey. I have decided to let this one fade off before the burn problem gives me a soiled impression, sort of leave it while it is still a great cigar (without a doubt, this would have been nubbed if it wasn't for the burn problem) As it is, this was smoked just passed the band.
The second shark was nubbed.. to the finger burning stage!!! very yummy to the last puff. I guess the burn problem with the first one might have been a once off situation as the little extra time in the humidor wouldn't make THAT much difference... from flaky and uneven burn to firm ash and even steady burn in less than a week in the humidor. I don't think so. So in conclusion, the first one was a just the luck of the draw. it happens with hand made and organic products


Conclusion great cigar. If you like the Pam and Pans, for their bean flavours; if you like the opus x for the earthy and spicy element; and if you like conjac - you owe it to yourself to try this one.
It isn't a strong cigar, but it is a full flavoured one. And what flavours!!!



Next is going to be the Anejo 49 current release followed by the original release... then I will revisit the shark 77 ... I think I will give it another week before torching up the 49 just to make sure of humidification being right...
I have now smoked the Anejo 49 and the Anejo 49 original release -00 which I did back to back to truly get a comparison and see what differences I could detect.

The Anejo 49 is wrapped in a cedar sheet and no doubt will that cedar impart on the flavours given enough time. however, I can't wait that long to smoke this one.
The pre-light impression is that the wrapper used on this particular Anejo was very thick when compared to the sharks and also the original release 49. Maybe that is just on this particular sample? I wonder if I will get any burn problems due to the wrapper thickness. The pre-light scent is short of marvellous. Earthy with a hint of spice, vanilla, dried fruits and a hint of orange peel. this vanilla/ fruity element must be from the conjac barrel storage time.

Lightning it up was easy and I straight away got rewarded with a wonderful rich aroma even before I had taken the first puff.
First puffs showed a bit more strength then the sharks and the flavours was more concentrated. The draw is near perfect. The initial flavours is of expresso roasted coffee with bean flavours as a back drop and that alluring orange peel nuance sitting far away in the "high" register. Being a musician, I often think of the flavours as a music mix. you have different spectrums of flavours/sounds and they are placed differently in the mix. some sounds to the left/right some at the high/low register and some up front and some more distant to get a 3d feeling... I feel the same about cigar flavours (not left/right but the rest. the more complex a cigar is, the more spectrums are used up and the nuances are covering all variances of upfront and distant. Anyway-.. back to the review.
The first puffs I feel that this cigar is fairly complex. the bass is played by the earthy and roasted coffee beans and bitter dark chocolate. The tenor is the creamy vanilla component. The alto is the dried fruit component and high up in the register I find a single soprano with a dash of orange peel nuance. This choir is well rehearsed and the different parts melds together beautifully... the only thing one could wish for is that they stood a bit closer so you get a more concentrated sound / flavour... as it is. they are a little too far apart to give a perfect result. maybe some age will accomplish this melding to occur?

After smoking about 2 inches not much has happened in the flavour department... the choir conductor has instructed the singers to sing a bit louder but kept the balance.

The burn is a little uneven but nothing to worry about and the ash is dusty gay-white and very firm.

Half way in the flavour nuances have moved around a bit. the dark bittersweet chocolate have emerged a bit more and the dried fruit component have intensified a bit and there is a new spicy element coming into the sound with dash of nutmeg.
The ash is still hanging on half way through the cigar and is still very firm. The burn has nearly evened itself out. it isn't razor sharp but nothing that needs touching up.

In the last 3rd the things are starting to happen. a crescendo that ends in a vivid eruption of flavour nuances coming and going up the front of the spectrum. I don't detect much new nuances but they are presenting themselves with a solo in each puff... it is like the bass/tenor/alto and soprano is singing one line of the text each and the rest of the choir is having an ooh- aah backing

This cigar was nubbed to the point of burning my lips.


The Anejo 49 original release.
As the two 49ers are very similar I will concentrate on the differences that I can detect.
Firstly..visually it doesn't come in a cedar sheet. Secondly, the wrapper is a bit thinner and thirdly, the more interesting aspect of flavours.
I continue with my choir analogy.
With this one the different parts of the choir have got help from other singers-.. the alto (dried fruit) and soprano (orange peel) have been doubled There is no doubt that the choir is tighter too. Each nuance they are representing are more in harmony with each-other and slightly stronger... it is like if they now are standing close to each-other and the sounds have melded a bit more.

There isn't a shadow of a doubt that there is differences with the original release 49 and the current one. The extra 3 years in conjac barrel has certainly given the wrapper a bit more of the dried fruit, vanilla etc. The blend in the filler also seem a bit stronger but that may be the extra age on the cigar. I also didn't detect as much of differences in the different stages of the cigar. it certainly intensified as you came further up the length of the cigar but not in any particular section. it was a slow and gradual change. Very complex and beautiful cigar...

The other main difference with this one apart from more of the conjac being noticeable is the opus x jalapeno spice being ever so slightly present in the blend wonder if the binder is different between the two Anejos 49s or is it just the blend that is slightly different? After having tasted different aged opus x I know that the jalapeno element fades with age and as it here was stronger on the more aged cigar, I cannot help wondering if it originally was even stronger. If that is the case, there must be some difference in the blend as the current Anejo 49 showed very little of this element in comparison with the original release Anejo 49.
To me, it seems like the original release Anejo 49 is more compact and tight in the flavour department. And also a tad stronger in the blend.


If I had to pick a favourite out of them, it would have to be the original release Anejo 49. What is certain is that the extra 3 years in conjac barrel is making a difference and impart more of the conjac elements into the cigar. What is not certain is if the other differences is more to do with age on the cigar itself when comparing the two.

The Sharks have more in the creamy chocolate department then the Anejo 49 but a bit less of the dark expresso coffee and less of the strength... I am not sure but in looking back. the Sharks seems a bit diluted in comparison to the 49s. and the original release the strongest of the bunch both in strength and in flavour intensity.