Following the success of Hoyo de Monterrey’s “La Amistad” collaboration which debuted at IPCPR last year, Master Blender A.J. Fernandez has developed an exciting new line made entirely with Habano seed tobaccos. Called “Hoyo La Amistad Silver,” A.J.’s latest creation complements the original La Amistad blend and embodies the true craftsmanship of Hoyo de Monterrey cigars.

A.J. Fernandez said, “It is an honor to blend for Hoyo because it reminds me how far I’ve come and gives me a chance to reflect on my roots. Growing up in Cuba near to the Hoyo de Monterrey tobacco farms left a big impression on me. Those fields will always remind me of home. So when I came to develop the second blend in the Hoyo La Amistad series, I wanted to honor the Cuban tradition of Hoyo by making a cigar with all Cuban-seed tobaccos. In this project, I used tobaccos that I grew on my farms in Nicaragua, so this is very special to me personally.”

Hoyo La Amistad Silver takes the Hoyo/AJ collection to the next level, with a robust, meaty smoke loaded with indulgent notes of earth and black pepper. To achieve the cigar’s full-bodied complexity, proprietary Cuban-seed Nicaraguan tobaccos cultivated by AJ on his farms in Esteli and Condega are bound with a Nicaraguan Habano leaf. The blend is enveloped in an exquisite, hand-selected Ecuadoran Habano wrapper aged to deliver a uniquely robust and hearty flavor. This is artisanal cigar making at its best.

Hoyo La Amistad Silver is handcrafted at the AJ Fernandez cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The cigars are presented in 20-count boxes featuring the modern branding that debuted with the original La Amistad release. Silver will be available in three sizes beginning in mid-August. They are:

Churchill – 6.87 x 48; SRP per cigar is $7.99

Pancho – 5.5 x 52; SRP per cigar is $7.49

Robusto – 5 x 50; SRP per cigar is $6.99

About General Cigar

General Cigar Co. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of handcrafted cigars for the premium market. The company is owned by Scandinavian Tobacco Group. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®,  La Gloria Cubana®, Partagas®, CAO®, Punch®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories. In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends and has a dedicated R&D practice that develops new varieties of tobacco and revitalizes vintage seeds. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. In 2010, General Cigar entered into a joint venture agreement with Plasencia Group to expand its leaf growing and processing expertise and increase its access to tobacco.  Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists in the U.S. and exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, visit www.cigarworld.com.