General Cigar Co. & A.J. Fernández Team Up for Hoyo La Amistad Black
General Cigar Co. and Abdel Fernández are teaming up again to give the Hoyo de Monterrey brand a new line, the Hoyo La Amistad Black.
It’s the third extension to the Hoyo La Amistad line that debuted in 2016, first with the Hoyo La Amistad Gold and then the Hoyo La Amistad Silver in 2017. The cigars are blended by Fernández and rolled at his factory, Tabacalera AJ Fernandez Cigars de Nicaragua S.A. in Estelí, Nicaragua. The name La Amistad translates as friendship.
It’s a project that is said to hold special meaning to Fernandez as he grew up near the Hoyo de Monterrey farm in Cuba. For Hoyo La Amistad Black, General Cigar challenged Fernández “with crafting a cigar that bears the essence of Hoyo, while also embodying the spirit of his tabacalera in Nicaragua,” said Ed Lahmann, senior brand manager for Hoyo de Monterrey, via a press release.. “The result is the boldest expression in the La Amistad partnership and we’re very pleased with what AJ has delivered,” he added.
The line uses an Ecuadorian sumatra oscuro wrapper, a Mexican San Andrés binder, and a filler of Nicaraguan habano leaves. An announcement from General Cigar Co. describes the profile as having notes of cinnamon, leather and hot sauce, which deliver “the quintessential power and spice of an AJ blend, while giving a nod to the bold and flavorful tradition of Hoyo cigars.”
It will be offered in three sizes, with the Gigante getting a box press while the others are round:
- Hoyo La Amistad Black Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50) — $7.29 (Boxes of 25, $182.25)
- Hoyo La Amistad Black Toro (6 1/2x 52) — $8.09 (Boxes of 20, $161.80)
- Hoyo La Amistad Black Gigante (6 x 60) — $8.49 (Boxes of 20, $169.80)
The Hoyo La Amistad Black line is scheduled to begin shipping to retailers in late July.
Image courtesy of General Cigar Co.
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, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, 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.
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