From Negroni to Averna: A Tale of Two Días de Gloria Cigars

The Días de Gloria cigars are long-standing stalwarts among the many blends from AJ Fernandez. Introduced in 2019, the line is said to have been influenced by the flavor profile and character of the classic Cuban cigars that inspired the prolific blender. The Días de Gloria catalog was expanded in 2024 with the introduction of the AJ Fernandez Días de Gloria Brazil. Recently, I lit up both cigars on back-to-back days, providing an opportunity for a direct comparison.

The original AJ Fernandez Días de Gloria is a Nicaraguan puro, featuring tobaccos from four different Fernandez farms in Nicaragua. Once the cedar sleeve and foot ribbon are removed, the deep chocolate-colored wrapper glistens in the sun, its appearance enhanced by the decorative gold, yellow, and red bands.

After spending four months in the humidor, the smoke begins earnestly in the medium-full-bodied range. Notes of cedar, coffee, and cocoa predominate. I found a surprising fruit sweetness underlying the bolder flavors, adding a pleasing balance. On the retrohale, additional sweetness softened the black pepper spice. I found myself retrohaling far more than usual just to revisit that intriguing note.

This afternoon smoke was paired with a classic Negroni and enjoyed on the sunny deck. Perhaps not the most obvious pairing choice, I found the cocktail’s bitter orange notes complemented the cigar’s cedar and spice. The drink’s dry, bitter finish also cleansed the palate between draws, allowing the nuances of the cigar — especially the sweetness — to stand out.

The AJ Fernandez Días de Gloria Brazil, enjoyed the following evening, had been resting in my humidor since September 2024, not long after it reached store shelves. It’s a cigar I’ve enjoyed frequently in the ensuing years. The Brazil version substitutes a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper for the original Nicaraguan leaf, while retaining Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Again, the cigar sports a cedar sleeve and foot ribbon, with green accents replacing the red found on the original bands.

The Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper is dark and oily. While the binder and filler remain largely the same, the wrapper has a profound effect on the cigar’s flavor profile. The overall experience is richer and darker. Bitter chocolate and espresso predominate, while dark fruit and baking spice notes arrive with authority. The retrohale delivers black and red pepper in abundance.

The Días de Gloria Brazil was enjoyed as an evening digestif with a pour of Amaro Averna. Both the cigar and the amaro occupy a similar flavor space, rich and layered with notes of cocoa, coffee, spice, and dried fruit. The cigar’s espresso and dark chocolate intertwined beautifully with Averna’s caramel and herbal sweetness. I couldn’t help but imagine that a slice of dark spice cake would have completed the dessert-like combination.

Both cigars are exceptional smokes, sharing a common heritage while delivering distinctly different experiences. The original Días de Gloria impressed me with its balance of sweetness, cedar, and spice, making it an excellent companion for a bright afternoon and a Negroni. The Brazil, by contrast, leaned into darker, richer flavors that paired naturally with an after-dinner pour of Averna. Rather than choosing a favorite, I found myself appreciating how each cigar excelled in its own setting — proof that a single wrapper change can transform not only a cigar’s flavor profile, but also the occasion it best complements.

Cheers!