A.J. Fernandez, the Cuban-born blending master behind best-selling brands like Man O’ War, Diesel, Ave Maria, and more, is not the first Fernandez to work in the industry. His father and uncle worked with tobacco for the Cuban government’s agricultural department.
As a boy, the tobacco business became an obsession for A.J. Fernandez, and at the age of 13, he’d skip hanging out with friends after school to visit a local tobacco farm and learn everything he could. Add to this his grandfather owning his own cigar brand named San Lotano, and you can see how a blending powerhouse like A.J. Fernandez is born.
However, before this blender struck out on his own, he worked for others to hone his skills. After opening a small factory, Fernandez would receive tobacco from the Plasencia family to roll into stogies that the Plasencia's would then purchase. This was an excellent opportunity for A.J. to advance his rolling method. It didn’t take long for Fernandez to land his first large client, who just happened to be Rocky Patel. A.J. cranked out large volumes of high-quality premiums for Rocky and eventually opened the Tabacalera Fernandez factory in 2005. Soon, a large catalog company with a strong online following contracted Fernandez to blend and produce Man O’ War cigars.
Through a long list of his own brands and collaborations with industry heavies, there are seemingly countless ways to taste the top-notch sticks of A.J. Fernandez. Though with Man O' War cigars, you're tasting the first gift A.J. Fernandez presented to the smoking world. These cigars hold a seat at the table among the best full-bodied smokes in the industry.
One of the more famous blends is the one that started it all, the Man O' War Original which boasts a gorgeous, near-flawless dark Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf. With this leaf working out on the Nicaraguan tobaccos within, the cigar treats you to notes of baker's chocolate, coffee with cream, and more. Then there's the Man O' War Ruination with a filler blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan long-fillers, the majority of which is Ligero. This complex cigar is perfectly balanced or damn near close to it.
Isn't it time to rediscover why you fell in love with Man O' War cigars in the first place?
