A.J. Fernandez, General Cigar Announce Alliance For Hoyo La Amistad
General Cigar has collaborated with cigarmaker and tobacco grower A.J. Fernandez to help create the Hoyo La Amistad—perhaps the most full-bodied Hoyo de Monterrey to ever hit the market.
The limited-edition cigars were made at Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua and feature a hearty blend consisting of a dark, Ecuadoran Habano wrapper and a bold combination of Nicaraguan tobaccos from Estelí, Condega and Jalapa. It's a modern interpretation of Hoyo de Monterrey through the eyes and palate of Fernandez, and a project that he was thrilled to undertake.
"I grew up very near to the Hoyo de Monterrey farm [in Cuba] and I have always had a love for the brand," said Fernandez, a Cuban expatriate who now makes his cigars in Nicaragua. "When it came time to develop this blend, I put my heart and soul into it. To me, this project represents how far my family and I have come since Cuba."
General expects the Hoyo La Amistad cigars to be available by the beginning of September and will release them in four sizes: Rothschild, 4 1/2 inches by 50 ring gauge; Robusto, 5 by 54; Toro, 6 by 50; and Gigante, 6 by 60. They have suggested retail prices ranging from $6.49 to $7.99.
"A.J. Fernandez embodies the same ethos as the Hoyo brand," said Alan Willner, vice president of marketing for General Cigar. "His passion for the craft of cigar making is what led us to collaborate with him on La Amistad."
La Amistad translates to "friendship" in Spanish.
For a vertical brand tasting on the Hoya La Amistad, see an upcoming issue of Cigar Insider.
