TheAmar by A.J. Fernandez Toro represents something more personal than the typical new release from one of Nicaragua's most prolific cigar makers. Following the devastating 2025 fire at his primary Estelí factory, A.J. Fernandez created Amar as an acknowledgment of the extraordinary support his company received and of the determination required to move forward. Its name deliberately connects two parts of Fernandez's heritage—“to love” in Spanish and “moon” in Arabic—while the cigar itself remains thoroughly Nicaraguan. Amar is handcrafted at A.J.'sSan Lotano factory in Ocotál, one of the facilities at the heart of his vertically integrated approach to tobacco and cigar making.
At6" x 56, the Toro is a broad, substantial interpretation of Amar's all-Nicaraguan recipe. A proprietaryNicaraguan Habano wrapper surrounds Nicaraguan binder and long-fillers, producing an earthy, woody foundation enlivened by pepper and baking spice before softer impressions of sweetness and citrus begin to appear. The 56 ring gauge gives the filler blend a larger voice than the Torito while maintaining enough wrapper presence to preserve definition. The smoke is dense and richly textured, but the overall impression remains one of balance rather than sheer intensity.
The Amar Toro captures what A.J. Fernandez does particularly well: take inherently powerful Nicaraguan tobacco and find the point where strength, sweetness and spice stop competing and begin working together. There's an emotional story behind this cigar, but it doesn't need that story to justify its place in the humidor. The tobacco does that on its own.
