Our Legacy
Raised in Cuba and steeped in the rich tradition of the Fernandez Cigar Legacy, AJ Fernandez produces unparalleled premium cigars in Esteli, Nicaragua. Ensuring superior quality, the day-to-day operations at Tabacalera AJ Fernandez are managed under the watchful eye of AJ himself.
About Us
Founded in 2003, AJ Fernandez is a family-owned cigar company headquartered in Miami, Florida, with its roots firmly planted in Estelí, Nicaragua, where much of our tobacco is grown and our cigars are made.
Every brand in the AJ Fernandez portfolio begins with the same philosophy: exceptional cigars start with exceptional tobacco. From seed to finished cigar, we oversee every stage of the process, allowing us to develop blends that reflect the character of the tobacco and the identity of each brand.
Rather than creating one signature profile, each blend is crafted with its own purpose, offering a distinct smoking experience while staying true to the standards that have guided AJ Fernandez since the beginning. It’s this commitment to tobacco, consistency, and authenticity that continues to define every cigar we produce.
FARMS
Over the years, AJ Fernandez has invested in tobacco farms across Nicaragua’s most important growing regions, allowing us to cultivate the tobaccos that define our blends. From Estelí and Jalapa to Condega, Pueblo Nuevo, Quilalí, and Ometepe, every region contributes its own character to the tobacco we grow.
Our commitment extends beyond Nicaragua. We also work with tobacco cultivated exclusively for us in other renowned growing regions, giving us access to the finest raw materials while maintaining the consistency our blends are known for.
Growing our own tobacco has always been a fundamental part of who we are. It allows us to oversee every step of the process, preserve the identity of each blend, and ensure that every cigar begins with the same attention to detail long before it reaches the rolling table.
PROCESS
Once the growing process ends, the journey from seed to smoke continues. This is the time where all those hands you have been hearing so much about, start to touch the precious leaves that will be delicately and methodically bunched together in order to produce an exquisite smoking experience.
Each tobacco leaf is picked or primed from the plant at its most opportune time. As these leaves are strung up in tobacco drying houses along the countryside, they gently release their bright green color and take on new colors that mimic the seasons. Hues of yellow and brown gently take over the leaves as the main color. From the tobacco drying barns, the leaves travel to their new home to be sorted and arranged in fermentation piles or pilones. For the next six months to two years, these tobacco leaves will undergo a transformation that will bring out the qualities necessary to produce a premium cigar. From here, the tobacco leaves are once again sorted and put to rest in bales that will allow them to age for a few years before they make their way to the rollers hands.
FACTORIES
AJ Fernandez owns and operates three cigar manufacturing facilities in Nicaragua, producing approximately 180,000 premium cigars by hand each day, with reaching an annual production of 50 million cigars. While our roots remain firmly planted in Estelí, our operation extends far beyond our factories.
From our own tobacco farms throughout Nicaragua to tobacco cultivated exclusively for us in renowned growing regions, including Ecuador and México, every step of the process is managed by our team. From farming and curing to fermentation, aging, blending, rolling and packaging, we maintain complete control to ensure consistency from seed to finished cigar.
