Last month, Altadis U.S.A. announced that its Gispert brand would be getting a new line extension by way of Abdel Fernandez. This month, it’s H. Upmann.

H Upmann by AJ Fernandez Toro

The A.J. Fernandez-made H. Upmann uses an Ecuadorian sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan corojo 99 binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It is being launched in three sizes, all of which come in 20-count boxes and are priced between $7.25 and $7.75, before taxes:

  • H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Churchill (7 x 54)
  • H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Robusto (5 x 52)
  • H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Toro (6 x 54)

The company has announced that the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez will be heading to retailers in May, first to a group of that includes Casa de Montecristo locations, Montecristo lounges, JR Cigar and members of Altadis U.S.A.’s retail advisory group known as Los Consejeros. That round of shipping will begin on May 8, while other retailers will have their shipments begin rolling out May 22.

H Upmann by AJ Fernandez Open Box

A.J. Fernandez has also produced for Altadis U.S.A.’s Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta brands, though those went to the distributor Santa Clara, Inc., which handles catalog and internet sales.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.