Tabacalera Fernandez, best known to the English-speaking world as A.J. Fernandez Cigars, is a maker of

cigars A cigar is a rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco leaves made to be smoked. Cigars are produced in a variety of sizes and shapes. Since the 20th century, almost all cigars are made of three distinct components: the filler, the binde ...

primarily grown and produced in

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

and sold worldwide. The company is run by Abdel J. Fernandez, a third generation cigarmaker, and is a prominent manufacturer of cigars sold under a variety of labels, including "Man O'War," "Diesel," and "San Lotano".

Company history

Forerunners

A.J. Fernandez Cigars traces its roots back to San Luís, Cuba, where Abdel's grandfather started the San Lotano brand.

Development

Tabacalera Fernandez started in a decrepit facility in Estelí, Nicaragua with just six rollers."Tabacalera Fernandez: A Small Start,"
puff.com/ video, 1:35 mark. Rather than launching his own brand from the start, Fernandez first established himself as a manufacturer of cigars for other companies, such as the

Rocky Patel The Rocky Patel Premium Cigar Company is a manufacturer of cigars, founded by Rakesh "Rocky" Patel and based in Bonita Springs, Florida. History The company was founded in 1995 as Indian Tabac Cigar Co. by Hollywood attorney Rakesh "Rocky" Patel ...

Summer Blend 2008, which was produced in Fernandez's "Tafenic" factory in Estelí. A.J. Fernandez (born March 1979) first earned his stripes as the manufacturer of the brands "Man O'War" and "Diesel" for sale by mailorder retail giant Cigars International and its associated companies. Man O'War, introduced nationally in the United States in 2009, is a medium-to-full bodied blend that quickly developed what contemporary cigar historian Richard B. Perelman has described as a "near cult status."Richard B. Perelman, ''Perelman's Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars: 2011 Edition.'' Los Angeles, CA: Perelman Pioneer and Company, 2010; pg. 441. In 2010, two new additions were made to the brand, a mild-to-medium product wrapped in a claro colored leaf called Man O'War Virtue, and a full-bodied product wrapped in a Colorado-maduro leaf called Man O'War Ruination. In 2011, a new blend made as a classic Cuban-sized corona with a ragged foot called the Man O'War Puro Authentico was introduced as well as a limited-production super premium called Man O'War Armada. The Diesel line, also launched in 2009, initially consisted of a single vitola — a thick 5-inch ''belicoso'' that the company called the "Unholy Cocktail."Perelman, ''Perelman's Pocket Cyclopedia of Cigars: 2011 Edition,'' pg. 208. This was later supplemented by an even-shorter 60-ring ''robusto'' called the "Shorty." A second full-bodied blend, called Diesel Unlimited, was launched in 2010 in 4 vitolas, including a massive 7-inch, 60-ring double corona.

Company today

The Fernandez factory in Estelí sustained a fire on March 31, 2025, damaging the packaging department where millions of cigars were destroyed. In the summer of 2010, Fernandez revived the long-discontinued San Lotano brand previously made by his grandfather in Cuba in the years before the

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...

of 1959. A.J. Fernandez Cigars currently sells its products in more than 32 countries, with sales outside of the United States accounting for approximately 10% of the company's total sales in 2013.David Savona, "Non-Cubans Go Global," ''Cigar Aficionado,'' vol. 22, no. 3 (March/April 2014), pp. 162-163.

References

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External links