TheAmar by A.J. Fernandez Gordo is the broadest expression of a cigar born during one of the most consequential periods in A.J. Fernandez's career. When fire devastated much of his Estelí operation in March 2025, the cigar community responded with an outpouring of support. Amar became Fernandez's thank-you—a cigar whose name means “to love” in Spanish while also referencing the “moon” in Arabic, acknowledging both his Cuban and Lebanese roots. Rolled at hisSan Lotano factory in Ocotál, Nicaragua, the project turns that deeply personal story into something Fernandez understands better than almost anyone: Nicaraguan tobacco.
The imposing6" x 60 Gordo surrounds a substantial core of Nicaraguan binder and filler with Amar's proprietaryNicaraguan Habano wrapper, making this a genuine Nicaraguan puro. The 60-ring format shifts the emphasis toward the interior tobaccos, broadening the blend and tempering some of the sharper spice found in narrower formats. Earth, seasoned wood and roasted character provide depth, while pepper, sweetness, warm spice and occasional citrus-like brightness keep the cigar from becoming ponderous. Dense smoke and the naturally cooler combustion of the large ring gauge make this the most leisurely interpretation of Amar.
There is plenty of tobacco in the Amar Gordo, but its accomplishment is that it never feels like size for size's sake. A.J. Fernandez understands how to make a large-ring cigar retain definition, and here the generous dimensions expose the breadth of the Nicaraguan blend rather than simply amplifying its strength. For the aficionado who likes substantial cigars but still expects balance and progression, this is a Gordo with considerably more to say than its dimensions.
